WILLIAMS, WILLIAM AUBREY (Gwilym Gwent; 1834 - 1891), musician

Name: William Aubrey Williams
Pseudonym: Gwilym Gwent
Date of birth: 1834
Date of death: 1891
Gender: Male
Occupation: musician
Area of activity: Music
Author: Robert David Griffith

Born 28 November 1834 according to Blackwell at Tredegar, Monmouthshire; when he was 10 years of age he sang alto in a choir conducted by his uncle in Rhymney. A blacksmith by trade, he moved when quite young to Blaenau Gwent ('Blaina'), where he became conductor of the local band. He married in 1862. He won the prize at the Aberystwyth eisteddfod of 1865 for a duet for female voices, together with a ten pounds prize for a cantata, 'Y Mab Afradlon.' He was probably the most popular and possibly one of the most prolific composers in Wales in his time, producing part-songs, anthems, solos, etc. His part-songs called 'Yr Haf,' 'Cymru Gynt,' 'Y Gwanwyn,' 'Y Clychau,' 'Yr Afonig,' and 'Gwenau y Gwanwyn' were very popular during the second half of the 19th cent. His cantata, 'Plant y Tloty,' which had won the prize at an eisteddfod held at Carmel, Treorchy, was published. With David Lewis, Llanrhystud (1828 - 1908), he edited Llwybrau Moliant, a collection of hymn-tunes for use by Welsh Baptists; this work contains several hymn-tunes of his own composition. In 1872 he emigrated to Plymouth, Pennsylvania, where he died; he was buried 5 July 1891.

Author

Published date: 1959

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

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