PARCELL
,
GEORGE HENRY
(
1895
-
1967
),
musician
;
b.
18 Nov. 1895
in
Carmarthen Road
,
Fforest-fach
, near
Swansea
, son of
Henry
and
Elisabeth
Parcell
. A
miner
like his father, he worked throughout his life in
Garn-goch colliery
,
Gorseinon
. From childhood he displayed a special talent for music and used his leisure time to develop his innate abilities. Despite the lack of any formal tuition or a tutor of any kind he was awarded two diplomas from the
Curwen Memorial College
,
London
:
A.T.S.C.
(
1950
) and
L.T.S.C.
(
1952
). He was
organist
(
1922-27
) and
precentor
(
1927-65
) in
Saron (Congl.)
,
Gendros
, near
Swansea
, and according to a report in the
Evening Post
his selection for the latter post, from nine applicants, was enthusiastically received. He was also appointed
choirmaster
of the
Fforest-fach male voice choir
. He composed over twenty hymn tunes, many of them such as ‘
David
’, ‘
Wig
’, ‘
Yr Allt
’ winning prizes in
eisteddfodau
, and one short anthem, ‘
Duw sy'n noddfa a nerth
’; all were simple and well-crafted without being ambitious. They were fashioned for church congregations whose vocal resources were known to the
composer
. He named one of his best tunes ‘
Irene
’ after his wife and his hymn tune ‘
Marchog Iesu
’, on words by
Williams
Pantycelyn
, ‘
Mae'r Iesu yn myned i ryfel
’, was highly esteemed in hymn-singing festivals both in
Wales
and the
U.S.A.
; it was recorded by
Côr Godre'r Aran
. A selection of his works was published as part of a special festival of praise held in
Gendros
‘
as a mark of respect and indebtedness for his constant unpaid labour
’. His home in ‘
Mile End
’ was a true academy of music with an ever-open door to welcome students free of charge. Under his influence
Fforest-fach
developed as a centre of musical culture of the first order. People flocked from far and wide to the annual concerts in
Saron chapel
to listen to the choir and to world-renowned artists performing the works of the masters. But above all, he
taught generation after generation to master the tonic sol-fa
thereby enabling them to sing hymns and anthems in four-part harmony. One cannot consider church music in
Wales
without being reminded of the contribution which he and others like him have made. In this context he represents a generation of benefactors whose importance cannot be exaggerated. He m.
Irene
Ackerman
,
26 Dec. 1929
; d.
8 March 1967
and was cremated in
Morriston
.
Bibliography:
- Predominantly based on the ‘George Parcell File’ held by the family;
-
reports in the
;
- minutes book Saron Church, Gendros,
-
and
,
28 May 1950
.
Author:
