EVANS, DAVID PUGH (1866 - 1897), musician
Date of birth: 1866
Date of death: 1897
Parent: Elizabeth Pugh Evans
Parent: Daniel Pugh Evans
Gender: Male
Occupation: musician
Area of activity: Music
Author: Robert David Griffith
Born in a farm-house called Llain-wen, near Ffynnonhenry, Conwil, Carmarthenshire, son of Daniel and Elizabeth Pugh Evans. As a youth he served in a shop at Llanelly, where he joined the choir at Capel Seion conducted by R. C. Jenkins. He learnt the Tonic Sol-fa system in a class held by D. W. Lewis of Brynaman, and harmony in a class held by Joseph Parry - both classes being held at Llanelly.
In 1887 he won an open scholarship tenable for three years at the Royal College of Music, London; owing to his success as a student the scholarship was extended for a fourth year. He was possessed of a fine tenor voice which, however, was affected by an illness from which he suffered when he was at college. Afterwards he settled in Swansea as a teacher of music. He composed several excellent songs, his first, 'Yr Hen Gerddor,' being followed by 'Hyd fedd hi gâr yn gywir,' 'Brad Dynrafon,' 'Oleuni Mwyn,' etc. He also composed a duet, 'Y Delyn â'r Crwth'; part-songs, 'O fy Iesu, Mhriod Annwyl,' 'Golch fi,' 'Teyrnged Cariad' (for male voices), and composed an arrangement of 'Y Delyn Aur.'
One of the most promising young Welsh composers, he died at the age of 31 on 3 February 1897. He was buried at the Mumbles, Swansea.
Author
- Robert David Griffith, (1877 - 1958)
- 'Mr D. Pughe-Evans', Y Cerddor, April 1897, pp.39-40
- The Cambrian, vol 36, 1 February 1916, no. 3, p.7
- H. Blackwell, NLW MSS 9251-9277A: A Dictionary of Welsh Biography
Sources
- Gareth Williams, 'Evans, David Pugh (1866-97)', Cydymaith i Gerddoriaeth Cymru (Talybont 2018), p.170
Further reading
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/
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