DAVIES, HUGH (Pencerdd Maelor; 1844 - 1907), musician and Calvinistic Methodist minister

Born 1 September 1844 at Garth near Ruabon. He left school when he was 8 years of age and went to work in J. C. Edwards's brickfields, of which, in due course, he became deputy manager. He was taught music by Joseph Owen, schoolmaster of Rhos, who used to come over to hold a class at Acrefair. He worked hard to master the tonic sol-fa notation and obtained the degree of G.T.S.C. He composed some 200 pieces, many of them for children's voices. His composition for a male voice choir, ' Awn i ben y Wyddfa fawr,' was once popular, and his cantatas, ' Joseph ' and ' Charles of Bala,' were sung by children's choirs all over Wales. When the death of Ieuan Gwyllt occurred he was appointed editor of Cerddor y Tonic Sol-ffa. He also edited for Gee an impression of Caniadau y Cysegr a'r Teulu. He organized tonic sol-fa classes in a number of places, and his services were in demand as adjudicator and conductor at music festivals. He was a Methodist preacher, was ordained minister in 1895, and went to Swansea to take over charge of Smyrna chapel, Plasmarl. He died in mid October 1907 and was buried in Garth cemetery near Ruabon.

Author

• Robert David Griffith, (1877 - 1958)

Sources

• Y Cerddor, December 1907
• Edward Jones, Rhestr gyda nodiadau byrion, o Enwogion Cymreig o 1700 i 1900 (1908)

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20733186

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/