REES-DAVIES
,
IEUAN
(
1894
-
1967
),
musician and author
;
b.
15 July 1894
in
Treorchy
,
Rhondda, Glam.
, and educated at
Pentre school
. He moved to
London
c.
1914
and attended
Goldsmith College
and the
Royal Academy of Music
. He became particularly
interested in the status of music in schools
, and gained a teacher's diploma,
L.T.S.C.
He also had certificates of
L.R.A.M.
and
A.R.C.M.
and was an honorary
F.T.S.C.
and
F.T.C.L.
He became a
schoolteacher
and
headmaster
in
London
, and
organised classes for music teachers
in the
Literary Institutes
. He was appointed a
lecturer
at the college which was established in
Marylebone
to
instruct music teachers
. He
advised the educational authorities
of
London
,
Kent
,
Essex
, and
Surrey
on music in schools. He became a
teacher
and
examiner
of the
Trinity College of Music
in
London
and a
member of the council
of the
College of Tonic Sol-fa
. He
published many books and articles on musical education
, specializing in aural tests and classroom singing. His works include
Transposition at the keyboard
(
1933
),
A sight-singing course for the non-specialist teacher
(
1955
),
Aural tests for schools
(
1960
),
Graded music reading
(
1961
) and
Music for C.S.E.
(
1966
). He
composed tunes and part-songs
; the best known of his works is his setting for male choir of a nursery song which is attributed to
Charles
I
, ‘
Close thine eyes
’, and which was rendered into
Welsh
(‘
Cyn cau llygaid
’) by
William
Evans
(‘
Wil Ifan
’, see above
) and published by
Curwen Press
in
1938
. He published also a bilingual anthology of poetry from his native district,
Caniadau Cwm Rhondda
(
1928
) which includes two of his own compositions, ‘
Y garreg fawr
’ and ‘
A nocturne on Tylacoch
’. That same year, with the bardic name ‘
Ieuan
’, he became a member of the
Gorsedd
of bards
during the
national
eisteddfod
at
Treorchy
. He m. (1)
Jean Macdonald
Fitchet
(d.
1938
); (2)
Barbara
Lacey
. Towards the end of his life he lived at
Kingston-upon-Thames
. He d.
28 Nov. 1967
.
Bibliography:
-
Who's who in Wales
(1937)
;
-
Who's who in Music
, London, 1935
(1935;1962)
;
-
Y Cerddor
,
Apr. 1934
.
Author:
Dr Rhidian Griffiths, Aberystwyth
