ROBERTS, JOHN (1807 - 1876); musician

Born 30 March 1807 at Henllan, near Denbigh; the son of Aaron and Jane Roberts. He attended the village school until he was 13 and, two years later, began to receive instruction from Thomas Jones, Congregational minister, Denbigh. He was taught music by Thomas Daniel, Henllan; he also studied books on music. He collected a large number of hymn-tunes that were used at times of religious revival or had been composed by musicians under the influence of religious revivals. Some of these he gave to John Parry, Chester, to be included in Peroriaeth Hyfryd, 1837. In 1839 he published Caniadau y Cysegr, which contained fifty-five old tunes harmonized by himself; this was the first collection for the use of Welsh congregations. In 1876, just after his death, his two sons published, under the title of In Memoriam, a collection of eleven hymn-tunes which he had composed. He died 4 April 1876 and was buried in Y Groes burial ground, near Denbigh.

Author

• Robert David Griffith, (1877 - 1958)

Sources

• Y Gwyddoniadur Cymreig (1889-96), x, 703
• M. O. Jones, Bywgraffiaeth Cerddorion Cymreig (1890)
• R. D. Griffith, Hanes canu cynulleidfaol Cymru (Cardiff 1948)
• Y Cerddor, August 1891

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20804728

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/