Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1747-1933 (accumulated [1900x1967]) / (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
137 volumes.
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The music publishing company of Snell & Sons, Swansea, Glamorgan, was established by D. J. Snell in 1900. The firm has always taken great interest in purchasing the publishing rights of Welsh compositions, and has long enjoyed a reputation as the largest publisher of Welsh music in the world. The Company have acquired music manuscripts from many leading Welsh composers.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
NLW MSS 9298-9299; Messrs Snell & Sons; Swansea; Purchase (with NLW MSS 9281-9297); October 1934
NLW MSS 19761-19896; Snell and Sons (per Deloitte, Plender, Griffiths & Co. as Public Receiver); Swansea; Purchase; May 1967
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Manuscripts, mainly [19 cent., second ½]-1933, of the work of Welsh composers, mostly autograph, comprising holographs, copies and drafts of scores and sets of orchestral parts and also lyrics, including works by John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia), Dr Joseph Parry, David Jenkins, W. T. David and others. The collection also includes part of a Mass and a Te Deum by Giovanni Bononcini, 1747.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Action: All records purchased by the National Library of Wales have been retained..
Accruals
Accruals are possible.
System of arrangement
Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 9298-9299, 19761-19896.
Arranged at NLW by composer.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions set out in information provided when applying for their Readers' Tickets, whereby the reader shall become responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to any processing by them of personal data obtained from modern records held at the Library.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright laws apply.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
English, Welsh, Latin.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales. A superseded catalogue is also available in hard copy at NLW. This is more detailed than the current catalogue in some respects, and includes descriptions of former Snell MSS 67, 74-76, 83, 86-89, 92-94 and 122, which are no longer part of the collection.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Most of the works in the archive have been published, but publication rarely extended to the full score; the practice was for performers to hire the full score and orchestral parts (or 'band parts') from the publisher.
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of fonds.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Project identifier
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Jenkins, D. (David), 1848-1915 -- Manuscripts (Subject)
- Parry, Joseph, 1841-1903 -- Manuscripts. (Subject)
- Thomas, John, 1826-1913 -- Manuscripts. (Subject)
- David, W. T. (William Thomas), 1864-1927 -- Manuscripts. (Subject)
- Parry, Joseph, 1841-1903 (Subject)
- David, W. T. (William Thomas), 1864-1927. (Subject)
- Thomas, John, 1826-1913 (Subject)
- Jenkins, D. (David), 1848-1915 (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Description follows ANW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
March 2003.
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Compiled by David Moore for the ANW project. The following sources were consulted in the compilation of this description: NLW, Handlist of Snell manuscripts; Snell & Sons website, March 2003;