File NLW MS 11720C. - Letters of Dr. Joseph Parry,

Identity area

Reference code

NLW MS 11720C.

Title

Letters of Dr. Joseph Parry,

Date(s)

  • 1878-1879, 1936 / (Creation)

Level of description

File

Extent and medium

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Joseph Parry (1841-1903), musician and composer, was born in Merthyr Tydfil within a musical and choral environment. In 1854 the family moved to Pennsylvania, where Parry worked in iron rolling-mills while studying music in his spare time. His successes in composition competitions at the National Eisteddfod of Wales during 1863-1864 led to the establishment of a fund which enabled Parry to study at the Royal Academy of Music from 1868 to 1871. Having gained his degree, Parry returned to the United States, where he established a private music school before, in 1874, being appointed professor and head of the new department of music at University College, Aberystwyth, a post he held for the following six years. In 1878 he gained a Mus. Doc. (Cantab.) degree. From 1881 to 1888 Parry served as organist of Ebenezer Chapel, Swansea, and as head of a musical college which he founded, and from 1888 until his death in 1903 he was lecturer in music at University College, Cardiff. Parry was a prolific composer of songs, choruses, anthems, hymns, and some instrumental works. He wrote several operas, of which 'Blodwen' (1880) enjoyed some five hundred performances by 1896. Among Parry's other major works are the oratorios 'Emmanuel' (1880) and 'Saul' (1892), and the cantata 'Nebuchadnezzar' (1884). His hymn-tune 'Aberystwyth' has become a classic.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Nine holograph letters from [Dr.] Joseph Parry, U[niversity] C[ollege] of Wales [Aberystwyth], to W[illiam] R[oderick] Williams [chemist] of Pentre, Pontypridd [previously of Maes-teg], 1878-1879 (performances of the writer's opera 'Blodwen' at Maes-teg and Bridgend); together with annotations, 1936, by the recipient's son Roderick G. Williams [Bridgend].

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Conditions governing access

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions noted on the 'Modern papers - data protection' form issued with their readers' tickets.

Conditions governing reproduction

Usual copyright laws apply.

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

English.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

The description is also available in Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971

Allied materials area

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Notes area

Note

Title based on contents.

Note

Preferred citation: NLW MS 11720C.

Alternative identifier(s)

Virtua system control number

vtls004912196

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Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales

Rules and/or conventions used

Description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

Archivist's note

Description compiled by Bethan Ifans for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS. The following source was used in the compilation of this description: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971).

Accession area

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Physical storage

  • Text: NLW MS 11720C.