Documents relating to the "Dolgellau Experiment, 1922-5" which relates to the formation of a school orchestra by Mr John Griffith

(i) "Carmen Scholae"

(ii) Programmes of school concerts from Christmas 1922 to March 1925. Note especially 41 (programme of Chamber Music Concert given to Elementary School children, 13 June 1924) and 52 (programme of St. David's Day Eisteddfod, 1925)

(iii) Newspaper notices of the experiment (54-62)

(iv) Letters (in draft) written by Mr Griffith to Sir Walford Davies (63) and to the Secretary of the Board of Education (Welsh Department) (64) - in amplification of the project

(v) Organised arrangements for concerts, time-tables etc. (65-74, 79-80)

(vi) Interspersed are references to the Orchestra's demonstration at the Wembley Exhibition in 1924, congratulations from neighouring schools etc. (75-77). 78 is a breezy letter from a Llandudno seller of instruments.

The moving spirit of this experiment was Mr John Griffith BSc, Head Master of the Dolgellau County (or Grammar) School till 1925 (he died at Bodfair, Bangor in 1934).

Mr Griffith was a gentlement of very wide and deep culture, a great reader of the Greek classics, an expert botanist, etc. He excelled as a musician with a particularly rich and varied background; he was one of the chief promoters of the Harlech Festival; he was for some years befoe his death, one of hte editors of the "Cerddor". In his latter years at Dolgellau he formed a School Orchestra, which was wonderfully successful, the "Dolgellau experiment"

Another catalogue description can be found here https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb222-bmssdex