Dilys Elwyn-Edwards
Encyclopedia
Dilys Elwyn-Edwards [nee Roberts]. Contemporary composer
, lecturer
and accompanist, born in Dolgellau
, Gwynedd
, Wales
, United Kingdom
.
and received her BMus degree. She taught music at the university for the next three years. She then received the Open Scholarship in Composition from the Royal College of Music
in London and studied composition with Herbert Howells
and piano with Kathleen McQuitty there.
She married Elwyn Edwards, a Methodist minister and theological scholar, on 3 September 1937. She moved to Oxford while her husband attended Mansfield College. She taught music from 1946-72. In the 1960s they moved back to Wales, where Elwyn became minister for the Calvinist Methodist chapel in Castle Square. In 1973 she became a piano tutor at Bangor Normal College
and Bangor University
in North Wales. She was also an Eisteddfod adjudicator, and appeared and performed on radio and television. The BBC
has commissioned a number of works from her.
) for voice in both Welsh and English. Charlotte Church
and Aled Jones
have recorded, Caneuon y Tri Aderyn (Three Welsh Bird Songs, 1962): Y Gylfinir (The Curlew), Tylluanod (Owls), and her most famous song, Mae Hiraeth yn y Môr (There is longing in the sea, R. Williams Parry
's sonnet set to music). This work was commissioned by the BBC in 1961. Bryn Terfel
has recorded The Cloths of Heaven by Dilys Elwyn-Edwards (text by William Butler Yeats
).
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
and accompanist, born in Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Biography
Dilys Elwyn-Edwards [nee Roberts] was born on 19 August 1918 in Dolgellau, Wales. She attended Dr. Williams' School for Girls, a grammar school which educated girls ages 7–18 from 1878 to 1975. She was offered the Turle Music Scholarship at Girton College, Cambridge and the Dr. Joseph Parry Scholarship, from Cardiff University. She chose to study at Cardiff UniversityCardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
and received her BMus degree. She taught music at the university for the next three years. She then received the Open Scholarship in Composition from the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
in London and studied composition with Herbert Howells
Herbert Howells
Herbert Norman Howells CH was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music.-Life:...
and piano with Kathleen McQuitty there.
She married Elwyn Edwards, a Methodist minister and theological scholar, on 3 September 1937. She moved to Oxford while her husband attended Mansfield College. She taught music from 1946-72. In the 1960s they moved back to Wales, where Elwyn became minister for the Calvinist Methodist chapel in Castle Square. In 1973 she became a piano tutor at Bangor Normal College
Bangor Normal College
The Normal College, Bangor was an independent teacher training college, founded in 1861 until 1996, when the College became part of University of Wales Bangor...
and Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
in North Wales. She was also an Eisteddfod adjudicator, and appeared and performed on radio and television. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
has commissioned a number of works from her.
Music
She is known for her soft, melodic art songs (LiedLied
is a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
) for voice in both Welsh and English. Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
and Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
have recorded, Caneuon y Tri Aderyn (Three Welsh Bird Songs, 1962): Y Gylfinir (The Curlew), Tylluanod (Owls), and her most famous song, Mae Hiraeth yn y Môr (There is longing in the sea, R. Williams Parry
R. Williams Parry
Robert Williams Parry was one of Wales' most notable poets in the twentieth century.- His life :R. Williams Parry was born in Talysarn, in Dyffryn Nantlle, a first cousin to T.H. Parry-Williams and Sir Thomas Parry...
's sonnet set to music). This work was commissioned by the BBC in 1961. Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
has recorded The Cloths of Heaven by Dilys Elwyn-Edwards (text by William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
).
Works
- Aderyn Crist (The Bird of Christ), 1948
- Memory Come Hither (text by William Blake), 1954
- Gwlad Hud (Countryside Magic), 1955
- Gwraig Lleu (The Wife of Llew)
- Y Darganfyddiad (The Find)
- Yr Hela Hud (A Fairy Hunt)
- Dylluan Deg (Sweet Suffolk Owl), 1957
- In Faerie, 1959
- Mari Lawen (Merry Margaret), 1959
- Chwe Chân i Blant (Six Songs for Children), 1959
- Y Ddwy Wydd Dew (The Two Fat Geese)
- Pen Felyn (Golden Hair)
- Hwyaden (The Duckling)
- Morys y Gwynt (Morris the Wind)
- Cwningod (Rabbits)
- Guto Benfelyn (Goldheaded Gitto)
- Caneuon y Tri Aderyn (Songs of the Three Birds), 1962, Solo-S/T
- Y Gylfinir (The Curlew)
- Tylluanod (The Owls)
- Mae Hiraeth yn y Môr (There’s Longing in the Sea)
- Caneuon Gwynedd (Songs for Gwynedd)
- Rhos y Pererinion (The Pilgrims’ Isle)
- Rhodio’r Fenai (Beside the Wide Menai)
- Ynys Afallon (The Isle of Avalon)
- The Shepherd (text by William Blake), 1968
- Tre-saith. Geiriau gan Cynan (What do you see in Tre-saith?), 1970, SATB
- Enter these enchanted woods (text by George Meredith), 1972
- Caneuon Natur (Nature Songs), 1977
- Y Mynydd (The Mountain)
- Deilen (Leaves)
- Noson o Haf (Night of Summer)
- Eirlysiau (Snowdrops), 1979
- Y Llong (A Ship on the Blue Sea), 1979
- Salm 23 (Psalm 23)
- Salm 121 : Codi fly llygaid wnaf i'r bryniau draw (Psalm 121: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills) (1985)
- Salm 100 (Psalm 100)
- Hwiangerddi (Lullabies), 1986, Solo
- Boneddwr mawr o'r Bala (The gentleman from Bala)
- Cysga di (Teach you)
- Y gwcw (The cuckoo)
- Hwyaid (Ducks)
- Mae gen i ddafad gorniog (I have a horned sheep)
- Mae gen i ebol melyn (I have a yellow colt)
- Pedoli (The horseshoe)
- Pwsi meri mew (The Kitty Cat)
- Caneuon y tymhorau (Songs of the Seasons), 1991–1993
- Gaeaf (Winter)
- Y Gwanwyn (Spring)
- Yr Haf (Summer)
- Hydref (Autumn)
- Bro a mynydd: dwy gan i fariton a phiano (Two songs for baritone and piano), 1993, B
- Mi Welais Dair o Longau (I Saw Three Ships), 1993, Solo
- Dwy Gân i Fair (Two Songs for Mary), 1997
- Dywed, Fair (Tell us, Mary)
- Noël (Noël)
- Yr Eos (The Nightingale), 1997
- Cân a Dwy Garol, 1998
- Llygad y Dydd yn Ebrill (A Daisy in April)
- Ave Maris Stella (Hail, Star of the Sea)
- Stille Nacht (Silent Night)
- Y Griafolen (The Rowan-Tree), 2001, Solo-S/T
- Dwy gerdd gan Walter de la Mare (Two poems by Walter de la Mare), 2002, Solo-S/T
- Cerddoriaeth (Music)
- Beddargraff (An Epitaph)
- Ar gyfer heddiw'r bore (For this morning), SATB
- Can y tri llanc (Song of 3 youths), SATB
- Clychau'r Gôg (Bluebells)
- Ffliwt a phib (Sound the Flute)
- Hynod Hen (All that's past) (text by Walter de la Mare)
- Offeren Fer (Missa Brevis, Short mass), SATB
- In Excelsis Gloria
- Jubilate Deo
- Molwch yr Arglwydd (Laudate Dominum, Praise the Lord)
- Kyrie
- Pum can fyfyriol (Five Reflective Songs) (These appear in other song cycles)
- Dywed, Fair (Tell us, Mary)
- Noël (Noël)
- Rhos y Pererinion (The Pilgrims’ Isle)
- Rhodio’r Fenai (Beside the Wide Menai)
- Ynys Afallon (The Isle of Avalon)
- Roedd yn y wlad honno (It was in that country), SATB
- The cloths of heaven (text by William Butler Yeats)
Further reading
- D. Elwyn-Edwards and P. Kinney: 'Songwriter to Singer', Welsh Music, vi/4 (1980), 7-13
- G. Lewis: 'Caneuron y Tri Aderyn', Welsh Music, viii/6 (1987), 26-9
External links
- Photograph
- Welsh Music Information Centre (Select Dilys Elwyn Edwards from the dropdown menu)
