WILLIAMS
,
WILLIAM AUBREY
(
Gwilym Gwent
;
1834
-
1891
),
musician
;
b. [
28 Nov. 1834
according to
Blackwell
] at
Tredegar, Mon.
; 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
, q.v.)
, 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 d.; he was buried
5 July 1891
.
Bibliography:
-
Y Cerddor
,
Aug. and Sept. 1891 and May 1892
.
Author:
Robert David Griffith, M.A., (1877-1958), Old Colwyn
