SNELL
,
DAVID JOHN
(
1880
-
1957
),
music publisher
;
b.
1 Aug. 1880
at
44 Dyvatty Terrace
,
Swansea
, son of
Henry
and
Eliza
(née
Lewis
)
Snell
. In
1900
he established a business in
Alexandra Arcade
,
Swansea
,
selling music,
musical instruments and records
. Ten yrs. later, on the retirement of the
publisher
Benjamin
Parry
(
1835
-
1910
) who had worked in
Swansea
since
1878
,
Snell
bought his stock and copyrights and thereby began his great lifework. In
1916
he paid £1150 to the widow of
Joseph
Parry
(
1841
-
1903
,
DWB
, 738)
for the stock and copyright of the works published by the
composer
, and about the same time he bought the business of
David
Jenkins
(
DWB
, 431)
,
Aberystwyth
, who d. in
1915
. During the
1920s
he augmented his catalogue by buying the output of companies which had closed down and the works of
composers
who published their own compositions, republishing the whole under his own name. He purchased, among other items, the musical output of the publishers
Isaac
Jones
(
1835
-
1899
),
Treherbert
;
Daniel Lewis
Jones
(‘
Cynalaw’
;
1841
-
1916
),
Llansawel
and
Cardigan
;
John Richard
Lewis
(
1857
-
1919
),
Carmarthen
; the
North Wales Music Co.
,
Bangor
; and the
National Welsh Company
,
Caernarfon
. By
1939
he had an extensive catalogue of fifteen hundred items, and he offered
eisteddfod
prizes to committees which chose his publications as test pieces. He republished popular works like ‘
Myfanwy
’ (
Joseph
Parry
) and ‘
Yr hen gerddor
’ (
David Pugh
Evans
,
DWB
, 227)
, but he also published new pieces of high standard, including ‘
Bugail Aberdyfi
’ (
Idris
Lewis
, see above)
, ‘
Paradwys y bardd
’ (
W. Bradwen
Jones
; see
Jones
,
William Arthur
above) and
Saith o ganeuon
and ‘
Berwyn
’ (
D. Vaughan
Thomas
,
DWB
, 943-4)
. He also
published books of
cerdd dant
settings
by
Haydn
Morris
(see above)
and
Llyfni
and
Mallt
Huws
. He lost a large proportion of his stock during the air raids over
Swansea
in
1941
, but he continued to publish after the war. Unlike some of his predecessors in the field,
Snell
was a
publisher
only, and never printed any works. He was regarded as one of the keenest of businessmen, and was known as ‘
Mr. Music
’ in his native town. He m. in
1906
Elizabeth
Evans
(d.
Apr. 1957
) of
Laugharne
, and they had four sons. He d.
13 Jan. 1957
.
Bibliography:
- MSS of Snell and Sons at N.L.W.;
- personal research.
Author:
Dr Rhidian Griffiths, Aberystwyth
