Idris Lewis (21 November 1889 – 15 April 1952) was a Welsh

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

. He worked on the

film scores A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

of a number of productions during the 1930s, when he was employed by

British International Pictures Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appro ...

. He was the Director of Music for the Welsh Region of the BBC.

Biography

Idris Lewis was born in Birchgrove near

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 ...

on 21 November 1889, the son of a coal miner. He was interested in music as a child, and when he was sixteen he won a scholarship to study at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

in London. In 1911 and 1912, after completing his studies at the Royal College, Lewis toured India and the Far East, giving piano recitals. He became assistant director at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresa ...

in London, and musical director at the

Lyric Lyric may refer to: * Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song * Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view * Lyric, from t ...

and Gaiety Theatres. He was also organist at the Charing Cross Road Welsh Presbyterian Chapel and conductor of the London Welsh Choral Society and of the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. In 1927 he joined the film company

, where he was the musical director from 1931 to 1937. While there he arranged the music for several films. His work on the 1934 film '' Blossom Time'' starring

Richard Tauber Richard Tauber (16 May 1891, Linz – 8 January 1948, London) was an Austrian lyric tenor and film actor. He performed the tenor role in numerous operas, including ''Don Giovanni'' by Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte. Early life Richard Tauber was b ...

brought Lewis to the attention of the BBC, and in 1936 he became the first Music Director of the Welsh Region of the BBC in Cardiff, where his assistants were to include the composers

Mansel Thomas Mansel Treharne Thomas, (12 June 1909 – 8 January 1986) was a Welsh composer and conductor, who worked mainly in South Wales. He was one of the most influential musicians of his generation, known as a composer, conductor and adjudicator. He ...

and

Arwel Hughes Arwel Hughes OBE (25 August 1909 – 23 September 1988) was a Wales, Welsh orchestral conducting, conductor and composer. Life and career Hughes was born in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham and was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and at ...

. At the BBC Lewis was responsible for several radio series of popular vocal music, including ''Melys Lais'' and ''Cenwch im yr hen ganiadau''. In addition to his film compositions, Lewis composed songs and arranged works for male voice choir. His song cycle ''Alun Mabon'' is a setting of a pastoral poem in Welsh by

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 ...

(1832–1887), and includes ''Cân Yr Arad Goch'' which has become well known and has been recorded by singers including

Bryn Terfel Bryn Terfel Jones (; born 9 November 1965), is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially primarily associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and ''Don Giovanni,'' but he has subsequ ...

. Idris Evans died at his home in Cardiff on 15 April 1952.

Selected filmography

* ''

Why Sailors Leave Home ''Why Sailors Leave Home'' is a 1930 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Leslie Fuller, Peter Bernard and Eve Gray. The screenplay concerns a British sailor on shore leave in the Middle East who ends up being mistaken for ...

'' (1930) * '' Love Lies'' (1931) * ''

Brother Alfred ''Brother Alfred'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Gene Gerrard, Molly Lamont and Elsie Randolph. It is based on the 1913 play of the same title by P.G. Wodehouse and Herbert Westbrook. It was shot at the ...

'' (1932) * ''

Let Me Explain, Dear ''Let Me Explain, Dear'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Gene Gerrard and Frank Miller and starring Gerrard, Viola Lyel and Claude Hulbert. It was adapted from the play '' A Little Bit of Fluff'' by Walter Ellis. It was made by Britis ...

'' (1932) *''

Strip! Strip! Hooray!!! ''Strip! Strip! Hooray!!!'' is a 1932 British short comedy film directed by Norman Lee and starring Ken Douglas, Betty Norton and Albert E. Raynor. It was made by British International Pictures at Elstree Studios as a second feature.Chibnall ...

'' (1932) * '' Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' (1932) * ''

Letting in the Sunshine ''Letting in the Sunshine'' is a 1933 British comedy crime film directed by Lupino Lane and starring Albert Burdon, Renee Gadd and Molly Lamont. It was based on a story by Anthony Asquith.Sutton p.218 The film was made by British International ...

'' (1933) * ''

Radio Parade ''Radio Parade'' is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Richard Beville and Archie de Bear and featuring an ensemble cast including Florence Desmond, Claude Hulbert, Jeanne De Casalis and the comedy double act Clapham and Dwyer. A revu ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Blarney Stone The Blarney Stone () is a block of Carboniferous limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about from the centre of Cork (city), Cork City, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the ...

'' (1933) * '' Money Talks'' (1933) * '' Blossom Time'' (1934) * '' Heart's Desire'' (1935) * ''

It's a Bet ''It's a Bet'' is a 1935 British comedy drama film directed by Alexander Esway and starring Gene Gerrard, Helen Chandler and Judy Kelly. It was made at Elstree Studios by British International Pictures. The film's sets were designed by the art ...

'' (1935)

References

Bibliography

* Taves, Brian. ''P.G. Wodehouse and Hollywood: Screenwriting, Satires and Adaptations''. McFarland, 2006.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Idris 1889 births 1952 deaths Welsh composers Welsh male composers Welsh conductors (music) Welsh film score composers British male conductors (music) British male film score composers 20th-century Welsh musicians 20th-century Welsh composers 20th-century British conductors (music) 20th-century Welsh male musicians Musicians from Swansea Principal conductors of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales