ROBERTS, JOHN HENRY (Pencerdd Gwynedd ; 1848-1924), musician;
b. 31 March 1848 at Pen-rallt, Y Gefnan, Mynydd Llandygài, Caerns., the son of Harri and Elizabeth Roberts. When quite young he went to work in a quarry, but soon showed a disinclination for work of that kind. At 14 he became organist at Seilo (Tre-garth) Wesleyan Methodist chapel. He started to compose hymn-tunes and anthems, and when he was 19 he took the prize for a cantata (‘Y Mab Afradlon’) in an eisteddfod held at Chester. When he was 20 he became a clerk at Bryneglwys quarry, Abergynolwyn, Mer.; here he formed a choir to take part in the Harlech musical festival of 1868. As he was now coming into prominence as an accompanist, a group of Abergynolwyn people and the Harlech festival committee arranged for him to get tuition in music. He went to Gloucester where he was taught by Dr. S. S. Wesley, the cathedral organist, and, in 1870, to the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he stayed four years, during which time he composed a symphony, two overtures, a string quartette, sonatas, etc. To this period belongs, also, one of his best part-songs — ‘Cwsg, Filwr, Cwsg’ — which was sung with marvellous effect by the choir at the Rhyl national eisteddfod, 1892. After becoming F.R.A.M. he was appointed organist of the Congregational church at Bethesda, Caerns., and, afterwards, at the Castle Square English Presbyterian church, Caernarvon. He took the degree of Mus.Bac. (Cantab.) in 1882; he also became F.T.S.C. In 1898 he became organist of Chatham Street Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel, Liverpool, in which city he started the ‘Cambrian School of Music.’ In the meantime he was busy composing — cantatas, anthems, hymn-tunes, part-songs, solos, piano and orchestra pieces, etc. In 1890 he published Llawlyfr Elfennau Cerddoriaeth, in 1896 he edited Llyfr Anthemau (Novello); he had previously (1880) edited Llawlyfr Moliant for Caernarvonshire Baptists (new ed. in 1890); and in 1893 he selected and edited tunes for Hymnau yr Eglwys (ed. Elis Wyn o Wyrfai (q.v.)). Other hymnals with which he was connected were Llyfr Hymnau a Thonau y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, 1897, Llawlyfr Moliant yr Ysgol Sul, 1897 (with W. T. Samuel), Llyfr Tonau y Methodistiaid Wesleyaidd, 1904 (with D. Emlyn Evans and Wilfred Jones). He was a contributor to Y Cerddor. He d. 6 Aug. 1924 and was buried in Smithdown Road cemetery, Liverpool.
Bibliography:
- The Musical Herald, 1894;
- Y Brython, 7 Aug. 1924;
- Y Cerddor Cymreig, 1869 and 1871;
- Y Cerddor, April 1900 and Nov. 1921.
Author:
Robert David Griffith, M.A., (1877-1958), Old Colwyn
