Welsh Composer. Gwilym Gwent, also known as William Aubrey Williams, was a blacksmith by trade and a musical genius. Although he never had any formal musical training he won medals in national competitions in Wales in 1859, 1867, 1871 and 1877, and composed more than 200 selections. Married in 1862 to Cecelia, he immigrated to the United States in 1865 and settled in Plymouth in the Wyoming Valley area of Pennsylvania. There, while working as a blacksmith at the Nottingham Colliery, he scrawled many of his scores in chalk on the sides of coal cars and pit props in the coal face. He became known as the "Minstrel of the Mines" and the "Mozart of the Mines." He conducted the first brass band in Wilkes-Barre and the Gwent Glee Society, a nationally famous chorus, was named in his honor. When Gwent died in 1891 an estimated 5,000 people attended his funeral. A magnificent monument in his honor at Hollenback Cemetery, unveiled in August 1895, was erected by local friends and admirers.∼WILLIAMS , WILLIAM AUBREY ( Gwilym Gwent ; 1834 - 1891 ), musician ; b. [ 28 Nov. 1834 according to Blackwell ] at Tredegar, Mon. ; when he was 10 years of age he sang alto in a choir conducted by his uncle in Rhymney . A blacksmith by trade, he moved when quite young to Blaenau Gwent (‘ Blaina '), where he became conductor of the local band . He married in 1862 . He won the prize at the Aberystwyth eisteddfod of 1865 for a duet for female voices, together with a ten pounds prize for a cantata, ‘ Y Mab Afradlon .' He was probably the most popular and possibly one of the most prolific composers in Wales in his time, producing part-songs, anthems, solos, etc. His part-songs called ‘ Yr Haf ,' ‘ Cymru Gynt ,' ‘ Y Gwanwyn ,' ‘ Y Clychau ,' ‘ Yr Afonig ,' and ‘ Gwenau y Gwanwyn ' were very popular during the second half of the 19th cent . His cantata, ‘ Plant y Tloty ,' which had won the prize at an eisteddfod held at Carmel , Treorchy , was published. With David Lewis , Llanrhystud ( 1828 - 1908 , q.v.) , he edited Llwybrau Moliant , a collection of hymn-tunes for use by Welsh Baptists ; this work contains several hymn-tunes of his own composition. In 1872 he emigrated to Plymouth , Pennsylvania , where he d.; he was buried 5 July 1891 .
Welsh Composer. Gwilym Gwent, also known as William Aubrey Williams, was a blacksmith by trade and a musical genius. Although he never had any formal musical training he won medals in national competitions in Wales in 1859, 1867, 1871 and 1877, and composed more than 200 selections. Married in 1862 to Cecelia, he immigrated to the United States in 1865 and settled in Plymouth in the Wyoming Valley area of Pennsylvania. There, while working as a blacksmith at the Nottingham Colliery, he scrawled many of his scores in chalk on the sides of coal cars and pit props in the coal face. He became known as the "Minstrel of the Mines" and the "Mozart of the Mines." He conducted the first brass band in Wilkes-Barre and the Gwent Glee Society, a nationally famous chorus, was named in his honor. When Gwent died in 1891 an estimated 5,000 people attended his funeral. A magnificent monument in his honor at Hollenback Cemetery, unveiled in August 1895, was erected by local friends and admirers.∼WILLIAMS , WILLIAM AUBREY ( Gwilym Gwent ; 1834 - 1891 ), musician ; b. [ 28 Nov. 1834 according to Blackwell ] at Tredegar, Mon. ; when he was 10 years of age he sang alto in a choir conducted by his uncle in Rhymney . A blacksmith by trade, he moved when quite young to Blaenau Gwent (‘ Blaina '), where he became conductor of the local band . He married in 1862 . He won the prize at the Aberystwyth eisteddfod of 1865 for a duet for female voices, together with a ten pounds prize for a cantata, ‘ Y Mab Afradlon .' He was probably the most popular and possibly one of the most prolific composers in Wales in his time, producing part-songs, anthems, solos, etc. His part-songs called ‘ Yr Haf ,' ‘ Cymru Gynt ,' ‘ Y Gwanwyn ,' ‘ Y Clychau ,' ‘ Yr Afonig ,' and ‘ Gwenau y Gwanwyn ' were very popular during the second half of the 19th cent . His cantata, ‘ Plant y Tloty ,' which had won the prize at an eisteddfod held at Carmel , Treorchy , was published. With David Lewis , Llanrhystud ( 1828 - 1908 , q.v.) , he edited Llwybrau Moliant , a collection of hymn-tunes for use by Welsh Baptists ; this work contains several hymn-tunes of his own composition. In 1872 he emigrated to Plymouth , Pennsylvania , where he d.; he was buried 5 July 1891 .
Inscription
The Illustrious Welsh Composer
