John Owen (Owain Alaw)
Encyclopedia
John Owen, also known by his bardic name
Owain Alaw Pencerdd (November 14, 1821-January 29, 1883), was a Welsh language
poet
, baritone
vocalist, accompanist and musician
.
, England
, just across from the Welsh border. As a young man he was apprenticed as a cutler
, but also studied music and trained to become an organist. He became the organist at the countess of Huntingdon chapel as well as the conductor of the ‘Octagon Orchestral Society’. He married a Miss Williams in 1842, and in 1844 gave up his business to devote himself to his music full-time.
and St Bride’s Church, and was then organist and choirmaster at St Mary’s Welsh Church in Chester. It is from this time that his earliest music is to be found (‘Calfari’, published in the Haleliwia collection of 1849), and his first major success came soon after, winning at the Rhuddlan
eisteddfod of 1851 with his composition ‘Deborah a Barac’. During the 1850s he continued to achieve much success at eisteddfodau held throughout Wales and in England, and in his later years he became widely sought after to adjudicate in these competitions.
‘national eisteddfod’ in 1858, Owen (who was an adjudicator) and others in attendance were treated for the first time to the recently-penned anthem ‘Glan Rhondda
’, part of the selection of Thomas Llewelyn (Llewelyn Alaw) of Aberdare
. Llewelyn went on to share first prize at the eisteddfod, and Owen was clearly impressed by the tune.
Owen played a major role in popularising ‘Glan Rhondda’, singing it at concerts throughout north Wales, and then publishing it in his widely-used Gems of Welsh Melody collection of 1860 (where he gave it the more familiar modern name, ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
’).
Jeremiah was published in 1878. Owen died at the age of sixty-one on January 29, 1883, and was buried in Chester.
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....
Owain Alaw Pencerdd (November 14, 1821-January 29, 1883), was a Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
vocalist, accompanist and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Early life
Owen was born and raised in ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, just across from the Welsh border. As a young man he was apprenticed as a cutler
Cutler
A cutler is a maker of cutlery.Cutler may also refer to:-Places in the United States:*Cutler, California, a town*Cutler, Florida, now part of the Village of Palmetto Bay*Cutler Bay, Florida, formerly known as Cutler Ridge*Cutler, Illinois...
, but also studied music and trained to become an organist. He became the organist at the countess of Huntingdon chapel as well as the conductor of the ‘Octagon Orchestral Society’. He married a Miss Williams in 1842, and in 1844 gave up his business to devote himself to his music full-time.
Music career
For the next few years he held organist positions at St Paul’s Church in BroughtonBroughton
-Places:Canada* Broughton, Nova Scotia* Broughton Archipelago, British ColumbiaEngland* Broughton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire* Broughton, Cambridgeshire* Broughton, Craven, North Yorkshire* Broughton, Cumbria* Broughton, Greater Manchester...
and St Bride’s Church, and was then organist and choirmaster at St Mary’s Welsh Church in Chester. It is from this time that his earliest music is to be found (‘Calfari’, published in the Haleliwia collection of 1849), and his first major success came soon after, winning at the Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire , in north Wales. It is situated to the south of the coastal town of Rhyl and overlooks the River Clwyd. The town gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan from 1974 to 1996...
eisteddfod of 1851 with his composition ‘Deborah a Barac’. During the 1850s he continued to achieve much success at eisteddfodau held throughout Wales and in England, and in his later years he became widely sought after to adjudicate in these competitions.
‘Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’
At the LlangollenLlangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
‘national eisteddfod’ in 1858, Owen (who was an adjudicator) and others in attendance were treated for the first time to the recently-penned anthem ‘Glan Rhondda
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
’, part of the selection of Thomas Llewelyn (Llewelyn Alaw) of Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
. Llewelyn went on to share first prize at the eisteddfod, and Owen was clearly impressed by the tune.
Owen played a major role in popularising ‘Glan Rhondda’, singing it at concerts throughout north Wales, and then publishing it in his widely-used Gems of Welsh Melody collection of 1860 (where he gave it the more familiar modern name, ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
’).
Later life
Owen continued to compose, perform and adjudicate in his later years, and also edited and contributed to several collections of Welsh music and poetry that were published in the 1860s and 1870s (including Tonau yr Ysgol Sabothol and Y Gyfres Gerddorol). Of his own works, several songs appeared in Y Gyfres Gerddorol and in many other collections, and his oratorioOratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
Jeremiah was published in 1878. Owen died at the age of sixty-one on January 29, 1883, and was buried in Chester.
Eisteddfod honours
- RhuddlanRhuddlanRhuddlan is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire , in north Wales. It is situated to the south of the coastal town of Rhyl and overlooks the River Clwyd. The town gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan from 1974 to 1996...
, 1851: ‘Deborah a Barac’ - TremadocTremadocTremadoc may refer to:* Tremadog, a village in northern Wales .* The Tremadocian, the first internationally-recognized stage of the Ordovician Period of the Paleozoic Era....
, 1851: ‘Gweddi Habacuc’ (tied with John Ambrose Lloyd) - LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1855: ‘Can Mair’ - Merthyr TydfilMerthyr TydfilMerthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
: ‘Y Ddaeargryn’ - LlanrwstLlanrwstLlanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
, 1859: ‘Arnat Ti y Llefais’ - CaernarfonCaernarfonCaernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
: ‘Tywysog Cymru’ - ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, 1866: ‘Gŵyl Gwalia’