J. T. Rees Papers,

Music manuscripts, 1878-1949, of J. T. Rees, comprising original full scores, draft scores and sets of orchestral parts for the bulk of his considerable output, including anthems, quintets, overtures, cantatas, choral works, songs and hymn-tunes, notably Duw sydd noddfa, Y trwbadwr, Y teulu dedwydd, String quartet, Hillsides of Wales and Christos.

John Thomas Rees (1857-1949), musician, was born at Llwynbedw, near Cwmgïedd, Breconshire. He had little education, and began work as a pit-boy in the South Wales coalfield at the age of nine. He learnt music whilst working in the mines, and began to give lessons when he was 17, mastering sol-fa under the tuition of D. W. Lewis (1845-1920) between 1876 and 1879. At the age of 21, Rees entered a cantata for an eisteddfod at Treherbert, Glamorgan, and in 1879 his friends raised funds which enabled him to study under Joseph Parry (1841-1903) at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire. Resources soon ran out, but the good offices of David Jenkins (1848-1915) enabled Rees to teach sol-fa at Pen-y-garn, near Aberystwyth, before moving to Emporium, Kansas, USA, in 1882. Although he retained his transatlantic connection long enough to gain a degree in Music at the University of Toronto in 1889, Rees returned to Pen-y-garn in 1883, acting as tutor to an adult music class, conductor of rural choirs, and later as part-time lecturer at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and part-time music teacher at Tregaron County School. His composition for string quartet, Duw sydd noddfa which, like much of his work, was on a religious theme, won the prize in its category at the Aberdare National Eisteddfod in 1895, and Rees subsequently became known throughout Wales as a composer, conductor and eisteddfod adjudicator. He lived at Bow Street, near Aberystwyth, until his death in 1949.

Arranged in the order in which the papers were donated as NLW MSS 16841-50, 19923-76, and 20974-76.

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Donated by Dr T. Ifor Rees, son of J. T. Rees, in 1950 and 1968.

John Thomas Rees (1857-1949), musician, was born at Llwynbedw, near Cwmgïedd, Breconshire. He had little education, and began work as a pit-boy in the South Wales coalfield at the age of nine. He learnt music whilst working in the mines, and began to give lessons when he was 17, mastering sol-fa under the tuition of D. W. Lewis (1845-1920) between 1876 and 1879. At the age of 21, Rees entered a cantata for an eisteddfod at Treherbert, Glamorgan, and in 1879 his friends raised funds which enabled him to study under Joseph Parry (1841-1903) at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire. Resources soon ran out, but the good offices of David Jenkins (1848-1915) enabled Rees to teach sol-fa at Pen-y-garn, near Aberystwyth, before moving to Emporium, Kansas, USA, in 1882. Although he retained his transatlantic connection long enough to gain a degree in Music at the University of Toronto in 1889, Rees returned to Pen-y-garn in 1883, acting as tutor to an adult music class, conductor of rural choirs, and later as part-time lecturer at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and part-time music teacher at Tregaron County School. His composition for string quartet, Duw sydd noddfa which, like much of his work, was on a religious theme, won the prize in its category at the Aberdare National Eisteddfod in 1895, and Rees subsequently became known throughout Wales as a composer, conductor and eisteddfod adjudicator. He lived at Bow Street, near Aberystwyth, until his death in 1949.

Title supplied from contents of fonds.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales.

March 2003.

Compiled by David Moore for the ANW project. The following sources were consulted in the compilation of this description: NLW, Handlist of J. T. Rees Music MSS; Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1941-1970 (London, 2001);

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Action: All records donated to the National Library of Wales have been retained..

After the death of J. T. Rees in 1949, these manuscripts appear to have remained in the custody of his son, T. Ifor Rees, until they were transferred to the National Library of Wales, where they were designated NLW MSS 16841-50, 19923-76, 20974-6.

Accruals are not expected.

Many of the works in this archive have been published.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales