THOMAS, DAVID FFRANGCON (1910 - 1963), cellist

Born 19 September 1910 at Plas-marl, Swansea, son of W. Roger Thomas and his wife. He was named Ffrangcon after the singer David Thomas Ffrangcon Davies, one of his father's heroes. When he was eleven years old he began to learn to play the cello under Gwilym Thomas, Port Talbot, and within two years won a scholarship to the Cello School of Herbert Walenn in London. He won prizes at the national eisteddfod at Pontypool (1924) and Swansea (1926). After further study at the Royal Music Academy, where he won bronze and silver medals as well as the Ada Lewis Scholarship, he became a member of a number of orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra. He also performed in the Wigmore Hall and in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. During World War II he served in the army and then he studied at Prague with Pravoslav Sadlo and Rafael Kubelik. He had an active career as a soloist in Britain and he travelled to Australia and the Far East. He formed a duet with the harpist Osian Ellis, broadcasting and recording for the Delysé company. He endeavoured to form a Welsh orchestra, and succeeded in holding concerts in 1954-55. He married Dorothy C. Mallinson in 1941 and they had a daughter, Rosalind. He died 10 December 1963 in London and his ashes were interred in Nicholaston church in Gower.

Author

• Rhidian Griffiths

Sources

• The Biographical Index of W. W. Price, Aberdâr
• Western Mail, 11 December 1963
• Y Ddinas, Cylchgrawn Cymry Llundain, 1, no. 5, February 1947, 8

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20804671

Published date: 2001

Article Copyright: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/