FROST, WILLIAM FREDERICK (1846-1891), harpist;
b. 28 Dec. 1846 in Albert Street, Merthyr Tydfil, the son of William Frost, a blind harpist. (The father had lost his sight as the result of an accident received by him in a coal mine when he was only thirteen and had been sent to a school for the blind at Swansea, where he learnt to play the harp.) The son was taught by his father and became a fairly good harpist. When he was fifteen he won a prize for playing the harp at an eisteddfod held in Merthyr (1859). He won a scholarship given at the Swansea national eisteddfod, 1863, for singing ‘Sweet Richard’ and the eisteddfod committee arranged for him to receive lessons from Llewellyn Williams (Pencerdd y De). At the Chester eisteddfod, 1866, John Thomas (1826-1913) (q.v.) awarded him a pedal harp, valued at £50; he also won a triple harp at an eisteddfod held at Llandovery. He was much in demand as a harpist, as a teacher of the harp, and as adjudicator in harp competitions. He received a doctorate from Germany. After his marriage to a talented singer named Gedrych, he moved to Cardiff. There he founded the ‘Frost Concerts’ which did much for the cause of music at Cardiff. He wrote several songs, his ‘Hen Gymru fynyddig’ and ‘Hoff fryniau fy ngwlad’ being at one time very popular. He d. 25 Feb. 1891 at 5 The Parade, Cardiff.
Bibliography:
- Y Cerddor, April and July 1891;
- R. Griffith, Llyfr Cerdd Dannau.;
- Ceitho;
- David Morgans, Music and Musicians of Merthyr.
Author:
Robert David Griffith, M.A., (1877-1958), Old Colwyn
