LLEWELYN, THOMAS DAVID (Llewelyn Alaw; 1828 - 1879), musician
Pseudonym: Llewelyn Alaw
Date of birth: 1828
Date of death: 1879
Parent: Martha Llewelyn
Parent: David Llewelyn
Gender: Male
Occupation: musician
Area of activity: Literature and Writing; Music; Poetry
Author: Robert David Griffith
Born 25 June 1828 at Llwydcoed, Aberdare, Glamorganshire, the son of David and Martha Llewelyn. He had learnt to play the harp by the time he was 8. At 11 he started work with his father, a collier, but left the coalmine in 1851 and devoted his whole time to music, poetry, and literature. He became the official harpist to the Williams family of Aberpergwm, in the valley of the river Neath, and to lord Aberdare. In Gardd Aberdâr there is an essay by him on the history of Aberdare. At the Llangollen national eisteddfod, 1858, he won the prize for the best collection of unpublished Welsh airs, this collection is now in the N.L.W. He was considered an excellent harpist, and a very good instructor; he also won several eisteddfod prizes. He died 13 August 1879, and was buried in the Hên Dy Cwrdd burial ground, Aberdare.
Author
- Robert David Griffith, (1877 - 1958)
- Nicholas Bennett, Alawon fy Ngwlad (1896)
- M. O. Jones, Bywgraffiaeth Cerddorion Cymreig (1890)
- R. Griffith, Llyfr Cerdd Dannau (Caernarfon 1913)
Sources
- NLW Archives: NLW MS 331D: Llewelyn Alaw's Collection of Unpublished Welsh Airs
- '19th century harpist from Trecynon celebrated in new book', Nation.Cymru, 8 July 2024
Further Reading
- NLW Archives: Llewelyn Alaw in Dr J. Lloyd Williams Music MSS and Papers
- NLW Archives: Llewelyn Alaw Manuscripts: NLW MSS 329B and 337D
- Wikidata: Q20734427
Additional Links
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/
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