Role

:

Composer Performer

Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

December 9, 1919

Death

:

February 21, 2015

 

Meredydd Evans was a Welsh composer, ethnomusicologist, and folklorist who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Welsh traditional music. He was born on October 9, 1919, in Llanegryn, Gwynedd, Wales, to a family of musicians. His father, David Evans, was a renowned harpist, and his mother, Mary Evans, was a singer and pianist. Meredydd grew up in a musical environment and showed an early interest in Welsh folk music. Meredydd received his education at the University of Wales, Bangor, where he studied music and Welsh language and literature. He also studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he learned composition and conducting. During his studies, he became interested in the traditional music of Wales and began collecting and transcribing folk songs. In 1942, Meredydd joined the British Army and served in India and Burma during World War II. He continued to collect and study folk music during his military service and wrote several articles on the subject. After the war, he returned to Wales and worked as a music teacher and conductor. Meredydd's interest in Welsh traditional music led him to become a leading figure in the Welsh folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. He founded the Welsh Folk Song Society in 1951 and served as its secretary for many years. He also worked as a producer for the BBC, where he produced several programs on Welsh music and culture. Meredydd's compositions were heavily influenced by Welsh folk music and often featured traditional Welsh instruments such as the harp, crwth, and pibgorn. His most famous work is the opera "Branwen," which he composed in collaboration with the poet Waldo Williams. The opera tells the story of Branwen, a Welsh princess who marries an Irish king and brings about a war between the two countries. "Branwen" premiered in 1979 and was performed in Welsh and English. Meredydd's other notable works include "Cantata y Gair," a choral work based on Welsh hymns, and "Cerddi'r Gog," a collection of songs for voice and piano based on Welsh poetry. He also wrote several books on Welsh folk music and culture, including "Folk Songs of Wales" and "The Welsh Fiddle." Meredydd's contributions to Welsh music and culture were recognized with several awards and honors. He was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1987 for his services to Welsh music and culture. He also received the Welsh Arts Council's Creative Arts Award in 1990 and the National Eisteddfod of Wales' Gold Medal for Music in 1992. Meredydd Evans died on February 21, 2015, at the age of 95. His legacy as a composer, ethnomusicologist, and folklorist continues to inspire and influence Welsh musicians and scholars.

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