RICHARDS
,
DAVID
(
1822
-
1900
),
musician
;
b. in a farm-house called
Ravel
(or ‘
Yr Efail
’),
Brynberian, Pembs.
; the son of a
ship's carpenter
who was also a good
vocalist
. When quite young he moved to
Blaina, Mon.
, to
work in a coal-mine
. He studied
Gramadeg Cerddorol
(
Mills
), and became
precentor
at
Berea Congregational chapel
, where he taught the
Hullah
system. He returned to
keep a school
at
Brynberian
, but at the invitation of the
Reverend
C.
Gwion
he went as a
schoolmaster
to
Cefn Cantref
, near
Brecon
. In
1851
he was admitted to the
Congregational College
,
Brecon
, where he stayed four years, during which time he also became
precentor
at the
Plough chapel
. He was ordained in
Sept. 1855
, as
minister
of
Siloam Congregational church
,
Llanelly
,
Brecknock
, which he left in
1862
, to become
minister
of
Bethel chapel
,
Caerphilly, Glam.
He
did much for congregational singing
,
wrote articles and gave lectures on music
. He
wrote several duets and hymn-tunes
, some of the latter being published in
Y Diwygiwr
,
1852
, and ‘in various collections. In
1862
he published
Sŵn Addoli
, which contains many sacred
Welsh
airs which he had collected up and down the countryside. He also served as
adjudicator in musical festivals
. He d.
1 March 1900
and was buried in
Groes-wen burial ground
near
Caerphilly
.
Bibliography:
-
Y Cerddor
,
1861 and April 1900
;
-
M. O. Jones
,
Bywgraffiaeth Cerddorion Cymreig
,
National Eisteddfod Association publication, 1890
;
-
Album Aberhonddu…o'r flwyddyn 1755 hyd
1880
, 1898
.
Author:
Robert David Griffith, M.A., (1877-1958), Old Colwyn
