ROBERTS, WILLIAM MORGAN (1853 - 1923), musician

Born in October 1853 in Cwm Rhiwaith, near Llangynog, Montgomeryshire, the son of Robert and Margaret Roberts. He came of a musical family; his grandfather wrote a textbook on music and his father was a member of a brass band. The family lived for a time in Corwen and afterwards in Wrexham. He won the prize at the Amlwch eisteddfod, 1878, for a part-song, 'Y Daran,' whilst another part-song by him, 'Cwsg, fy Maban,' which was a test-piece at national eisteddfodau held in Corwen and Caernarvon, became very popular in Australia and the U.S.A. After living for some time in Liverpool and Manchester he joined the firm of Hughes and Son, Wrexham, publishers of books and music. It was he who suggested to that firm the publication (in 1889) of Y Cerddor, under the editorship of David Jenkins and D. Emlyn Evans, and he became responsible for the music pieces that were issued with that journal. He acted as secretary of the eisteddfodau held at Liverpool, 1884, and Wrexham, 1888. He contributed articles to Y Cerddor and produced Welsh versions of some of the works of the masters. He edited the second supplement to Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol (Ieuan Gwyllt). Hymn-tunes composed by him appeared in some hymnals. In 1918 he obtained a post under the Ministry of Agriculture. He died 26 May 1923, and was buried in the Wrexham cemetery.

Author

• Robert David Griffith, (1877 - 1958)

Sources

• Y Cerddor, 1918, 49, 73, 110

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20804830

Published date: 1959

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