David Vaughan Thomas
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David Vaughan Thomas or David Vaughan-Thomas (15 March 1873 – 15 September 1934), born David Thomas, and known also by his
bardic name A bardic name (, ) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The Welsh language, Welsh term bardd ('poet') originally referred to the Welsh poets of the M ...
Pencerdd Vaughan, was a composer, organist, pianist and music administrator. His compositions are deeply influenced by the musical and literary traditions of his native Wales. Though his music is now little performed he has been described as "the leading native Welsh musician of istime" and as "one of the most important composers in the transitional period of Welsh music from the Victorian era to our own times". The broadcaster
Wynford Vaughan-Thomas Lewis John Wynford Vaughan-Thomas (né Thomas) (15 August 1908 – 4 February 1987) was a Welsh newspaper journalist and radio and television broadcaster. In later life he took the name Vaughan-Thomas after his father. Early life and educa ...
was his son.


Life

Born in 1873 to Jenkin Thomas and Anne Thomas in
Ystalyfera Ystalyfera is a former industrial village and community in the upper Swansea Valley, on the River Tawe, about northeast of Swansea. It is an electoral ward and a community in the unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, comprising a r ...
, he moved with the family successively to
Llantrisant Llantrisant (; "Parish of the Three Saints") is a town and community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The three saints of the t ...
,
Maesteg Maesteg (; ) is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2011, Maesteg had a population of 20,612. The English translatio ...
,
Llangennech Llangennech (; ) is a village and community (Wales), community in the area of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales, which covers an area of . It is governed by Llangennech Community Council and Carmarthenshire County Council. Llangennech is also t ...
,
Dowlais Dowlais () is a village and Community (Wales), community of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census the electoral ward had a population of 6,926, The populati ...
and
Pontarddulais Pontarddulais (), also spelled Pontardulais (), is a town and community in Swansea, Wales. It is northwest of the city centre. It is in the Pontarddulais ward of the City and County of Swansea Council. Pontarddulais adjoins the village of Hend ...
. He received his musical education from the composer
Joseph Parry Joseph Parry (21 May 1841 – 17 February 1903) was a Welsh composer and musician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, he is best known as the composer of "Myfanwy" and the hymn tune "Aberystwyth (hymn tune), Aberystwyth". Parry was also the first W ...
, and also went to
Llandovery College Llandovery College () is a coeducational independent boarding and day school in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The college consists of Gollop Preparatory, Senior School and Sixth Form. It was previously known as "Welsh College, Llandovery" ...
and Exeter College,
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, where he graduated in mathematics. Returning later to Oxford, he gained degrees as
Bachelor of Music A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...
and
Doctor of Music The Doctor of Music degree (DMus, DM, MusD or occasionally MusDoc) is a doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions, musical performances, and/or scholarly publications on music. In some institutions, the award is a ...
. For some years he worked as a mathematics teacher at
United Services College The United Services College was an English boys' public school for the sons of military officers and civil servants, located from 1874 at Westward Ho! near Bideford in North Devon, from 1904 at Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and finally at Windsor ...
,
Westward Ho! Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford, and Bude. It lies at the south end of Northam Burrows and faces westward into Bideford Bay, opposite Sau ...
, and
Monkton Combe School Monkton Combe School is a public school ( fee-charging boarding and day school), in the village of Monkton Combe near Bath in Somerset, England. History Monkton Combe School was founded in 1868 by the Revd. Francis Pocock, a former curate ...
,
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
, before becoming a music teacher and organist at
Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...
. In 1906 he married Morfydd Lewis; they had three sons, including the broadcaster
Wynford Vaughan-Thomas Lewis John Wynford Vaughan-Thomas (né Thomas) (15 August 1908 – 4 February 1987) was a Welsh newspaper journalist and radio and television broadcaster. In later life he took the name Vaughan-Thomas after his father. Early life and educa ...
. At this time Thomas turned to music composition, his first known work being dated 1906. Subsequent works were performed in Wales, London and South Africa. He moved back to Wales and became a member of the Gorsedd at the 1911
National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...
, taking the additional surname Vaughan on this occasion. He subsequently acted as adjudicator, and was Chief Musical Advisor for the 1926 National Eisteddfod in
Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...
. In 1919 he applied for the post of music director of the
University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...
, but controversially the decision was made to appoint
Walford Davies Sir Henry Walford Davies (6 September 1869 – 11 March 1941) was an English composer, organist, and educator who held the title Master of the King's Music from 1934 until 1941. He served with the Royal Air Force during the First World War, du ...
instead. Vaughan Thomas was a man of many talents. Apart from his mathematical gifts he was a poet, a scholar, a pianist, wrote articles and reviews for the magazine '' Welsh Outlook'' and for several music journals, produced a report on the teaching of music in Welsh schools, lectured, and acted as organist of Mount Pleasant Baptist Chapel, Swansea. In 1927 he was made overseas examiner for
Trinity College, London Trinity College London (TCL) is an examination board based in London, United Kingdom which offers graded and diploma qualifications across a range of disciplines in the performing arts and English language learning and teaching. Trinity College ...
, and in this capacity he travelled to several Commonwealth countries. It was on one such tour in South Africa that he died in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
.


Music

Vaughan Thomas's music developed out of an early Victorianism (some of his songs have been compared to those of
Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
and
Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...
) into a national style inspired by
Welsh literature Welsh literature is any literature originating from Wales or by Welsh writers: *Welsh-language literature Welsh-language literature () has been produced continuously since the emergence of Welsh from Brythonic as a distinct language in a ...
and
folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
and by the musical traditions of his country, such as '' penillion'' singing and the use of the harp for accompaniment. His settings of Welsh poems adapt the traditional metres with great sensitivity. His mature style has been described as "fastidious and cultivated", and as being marked by a strong sense of harmony and careful craftsmanship. His most notable compositions are considered to be his choral works '' Llyn y Fan'' (performed at the 1907 National Eisteddfod), ''A Song for St Cecilia's Day'' (performed at
Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. Fro ...
, London, 1909) and ''The Bard'' (a setting of
the poem ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
by
Thomas Gray Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, letter-writer, and classics, classical scholar at Cambridge University, being a fellow first of Peterhouse then of Pembroke College, Cambridge, Pembroke College. He is widely ...
, performed at Queen's Hall, London, 1912); also his songs to texts by
George Meredith George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first, his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but Meredith gradually established a reputation as a novelist. '' ...
(performed at the 1922
Three Choirs Festival 200px, Worcester cathedral 200px, Gloucester cathedral The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester) and originally fe ...
) and his settings of ''
cywydd The cywydd (; plural ) is one of the most important metrical forms in traditional Welsh poetry ( cerdd dafod). There are a variety of forms of the cywydd, but the word on its own is generally used to refer to the ("long-lined couplet") as it is ...
au''. There are in addition many
partsongs A part song, part-song or partsong is a form of choral music that consists of a song to a secular or non-liturgical sacred text, written or arranged for several vocal parts. Part songs are commonly sung by an SATB choir, but sometimes for an all- ...
,
anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to sho ...
s,
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
s, chamber pieces, and
folksong Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has bee ...
arrangements. Vaughan Thomas's music has become a rarity in the concert hall. His song "Ysbryd y Mynydd" and his ''Saith o Ganeuon ar Gywyddau Dafydd ap Gwilym ac Erail'' (Seven songs on poems in ''cywydd'' metre by
Dafydd ap Gwilym Dafydd ap Gwilym ( 1315/1320 – 1350/1370) is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and among the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd’s poetry also offers a unique window into the transcultural movement of cultural pract ...
and others), praised in the 1950s for their originality and scholarship, remained popular long after his death, but most of his works were no longer played by the 1980s.


Published musical works

Dates are those of publication.


Secular cantatas

* ''Llyn y Fan'' ( John Jenkins) (c. 1907) * ''A Song for St Cecilia's Day'' (
John Dryden John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration (En ...
) (1909) * ''
The Bard A bard is a minstrel in medieval Scottish, Irish, and Welsh societies; and later re-used by romantic writers. For its wider definition including similar roles in other societies, see List of oral repositories. Bard, BARD, Bård or similar terms m ...
'' (
Thomas Gray Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, letter-writer, and classics, classical scholar at Cambridge University, being a fellow first of Peterhouse then of Pembroke College, Cambridge, Pembroke College. He is widely ...
) (1910)


Anthems and other sacred choral works

* ''Maes y Groes'' (n.d.) * ''Bendithiaf yr Arglwydd'' (1907) * ''Yspryd yw Duw'' (c. 1910) * ''Rwy'n Ofni Grym y Dŵr'' (
William Williams Pantycelyn William Williams, Pantycelyn (c. 11 February 1717 – 11 January 1791), also known as William Williams, Williams Pantycelyn or simply Pantycelyn, was generally seen as Wales's premier hymnwriter, hymnist. He is also rated among the great litera ...
) (1914) * ''There is a Green Hill Far Away'' (
Cecil Frances Alexander Cecil Frances Alexander (April 1818 – 12 October 1895) was an Anglo-Irish hymnwriter and poet. Amongst other works, she wrote "All Things Bright and Beautiful", " There is a green hill far away" and the Christmas carol "Once in Royal David's Ci ...
) (1914) * ''Bywyd'' (
Wiliam Llŷn Wiliam Llŷn (c. 1535 – 1580) was a Welsh-language poet whose work largely consists of elegies and praise-poems. He is considered the last major Welsh poet of the bardic tradition, comparable to the greatest late-medieval Welsh poets, and has ...
) (c. 1925) * ''Coffâd am y Gorseddogion Ymadawedig'' (1926)


Partsongs

* ''Y Gariad Gollwyd'' (
William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poetry, Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romanticism, Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Balla ...
, trans. John Jenkins) (1909) * ''The Summer Night'' (Owen Griffith Owen) (1913) * ''Up-Hill'' (
Christina Rossetti Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English writer of romanticism, romantic, devotional and children's poems, including "Goblin Market" and "Remember". She also wrote the words of two Christmas carols well k ...
) (1914) * ''Hymn to Diana'' (
Ben Jonson Benjamin Jonson ( 11 June 1572 – ) was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satire, satirical ...
) (1914) * ''Here's to Admiral Death'' (
Henry Newbolt Sir Henry John Newbolt, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (6 June 1862 – 19 April 1938) was an English poet, novelist and historian. He also had a role as a government adviser with regard to the study of English in England. He is perhaps ...
) (1916) * ''Let Us Now Praise Famous Men'' (
Lewis Davies Arthur Lewis Davies (26 January 1913 – 9 December 2011), the younger brother of writer Rhys Davies, was a Welsh librarian and philanthropist who in his later years established a foundation (the Rhys Davies Trust) devoted to the promotion of W ...
) (c. 1920) * ''Deio Bach'' (John Jones) (c. 1922) * ''Y Fun a'r Lliw Ewyn Llif'' ( Bedo Aeddren) (1925) * ''How Sleep the Brave'' (
William Collins William Collins may refer to: Arts * William Collins (poet) (1721–1759), English poet * William Collins (painter) (1788–1847), English landscape artist * William Lucas Collins (1815–1887), English author and clergyman of the Church of Engla ...
) (1925) * ''How Sweet the Moonlight Sleeps'' (
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
) (1929) * ''Who Is Silvia?'' (William Shakespeare) (1932) * ''Sweet Content'' ( Thomas Dekker) (1932) * ''Orpheus with His Lute'' (William Shakespeare) (1932) * ''Summer Is Gone'' (
Thomas Hood Thomas Hood (23 May 1799 – 3 May 1845) was an English poet, author and humorist, best known for poems such as "The Bridge of Sighs (poem), The Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt". Hood wrote regularly for ''The London Magazine'', '' ...
) (1932) * ''Prospice'' (
Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian literature, Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentar ...
) (1936)


Piano music

* ''Romanza'' (1934) * ''Allegro Vivace'' (1934)


Songs

* ''St David's Day Is Here'' (Lewis Davies) (n.d.). A composition by Lewis Davies arranged by Vaughan Thomas * ''Angladd y Marchog'' (Robert David Rowland) (c. 1906) * ''Cân y Bardd wrth Farw'' (Gwenffrwd) (c. 1907) * ''Dorset Voices'' (J. J. Cadwaladr) (1913) * ''Come Along; Can't You Hear?'' (D. M. Beddoes) (1914) * ''Bedd y Dyn Tylawd'' (John Jones) (1914) * ''Llais yr Adar'' (Anonymous) (c. 1914) * ''Ysbryd y Mynydd'' (Lewis Davies Jones) (1914) * ''Si hwi lwli '' (T. H. Jones) (1914) * ''Y Newydd Dant'' (Edward Jenkins) (1915) * ''Follow the Flag, Welshmen'' (J. J. Cadwaladr) (c. 1915) * ''Nant y Mynydd'' (
John Ceiriog Hughes John Ceiriog Hughes (25 September 1832 – 23 April 1887) was a Wales, Welsh poet and collector of Welsh language, Welsh folk music, folk tunes, sometimes termed a Robert Burns of Wales. He was born at Penybryn Farm, overlooking the village of L ...
) (c. 1921) * ''Y Ferch o'r Scer'' (c. 1921) * ''Cân Hen ŵr y Cwm'' (Gweryddon) (c. 1922) * ''Cân y Llanc Chwerthinllyd'' (c. 1922) * ''Einioes'' (Rhys Jones) (1922) * ''A Song for St David's Day'' (Lewis Davies) (c. 1922) * ''Enter These Enchanted Woods'' (
George Meredith George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first, his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but Meredith gradually established a reputation as a novelist. '' ...
) (1923) * ''Saith o ganeuon ar gywyddau Dafydd ap Gwilym ac eraill'' (Various) (c. 1923). Contents: "Y Nos", "Y Gwlith", "Miwsig", "Elen", "Dau Filgi", "Claddu'r Bardd o Gariad", "Hiraeth am yr Haf" * ''Y Bwthyn Bach To Gwellt'' (Thomas Lloyd) (c. 1923) * ''Dirge in Woods'' (George Meredith) (1924) * ''Dwy Gân i Fariton'' (Wiliam Llŷn, Robert Ellis) (1926). Contents: "O Fair Wen", "Berwyn" * ''Stafell Gynddylan'' (attrib.
Llywarch Hen Llywarch Hen (, "Llywarch the Old"; c. 534 – c. 608), was a prince and poet of the Brythonic kingdom of Rheged, a ruling family in the Hen Ogledd or "Old North" of Britain (modern southern Scotland and northern England). Along with Taliesin, A ...
) (c. 1926) * ''Ten Welsh Folk Songs'' (Traditional, trans. David Vaughan Thomas) (1928). Traditional melodies arranged by Vaughan Thomas * ''
Ymadawiad Arthur ''Ymadawiad Arthur'' ('The Passing of Arthur') is a Welsh language, Welsh-language poem, some 350 lines in length, by T. Gwynn Jones. It won its author the Chairing of the Bard, Chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, National Eisteddfod in ...
'' ( T. Gwynn Jones) (1930) * ''Caledfwlch'' (T. Gwynn Jones) (c. 1931) * ''Ffarwel fy Ngeneth'' (
Ebenezer Thomas Ebenezer Thomas (August 1802 – 17 February 1863), better known to Welsh speakers by his bardic name of Eben Fardd, was a Welsh teacher and poet. Eben Fardd was born in Llanarmon, Caernarvonshire, the son of a weaver, and educated at local sch ...
) (c. 1933) * '' Yr Wylan Deg'' (
Dafydd ap Gwilym Dafydd ap Gwilym ( 1315/1320 – 1350/1370) is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and among the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd’s poetry also offers a unique window into the transcultural movement of cultural pract ...
) (1950)


Vocal duet

* ''Ylloer'' (David Vaughan Thomas) (1924)


Footnotes


References

* * * * * * * * *


External links


Vaughan Thomas's ''Saith o Ganeuon''
sung by
York Bowen Edwin York Bowen (22 February 1884 – 23 November 1961) was an English composer and pianist. Bowen's musical career spanned more than fifty years during which time he wrote over 160 works. As well as being a pianist and composer, Bowen was a tal ...

Vaughan Thomas's ''Allegro vivace''
played by Zoë Smith {{DEFAULTSORT:Vaughan Thomas, David 1873 births 1934 deaths Staff at Monkton Combe School 20th-century British classical composers 20th-century British classical pianists 20th-century Welsh male musicians 20th-century British organists 20th-century Welsh educators 20th-century Welsh musicians Academics of Trinity College of Music Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford British music educators Choral composers British mathematics educators People educated at Llandovery College People from Neath Port Talbot Welsh classical composers Welsh classical organists Welsh classical pianists Welsh male classical composers Welsh schoolteachers Welsh male songwriters