Snell & Sons Collection of Music Manuscripts,

This material is held atNational Library of Wales / Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru

  • Reference
    • GB 210 MSSNELL
  • Alternative Id.
      (alternative) vtls003844354
      (alternative) ANW
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1747-1933 (accumulated [1900x1967]) /
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English, Welsh, Latin.
  • Physical Description
    • 137 volumes.
  • Location
    • ARCH/MSS (GB0210)

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.

Administrative / Biographical 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.

Arrangement

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 9298-9299, 19761-19896.
Arranged at NLW by composer.

Access Information

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.

Acquisition Information

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

Note

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.

Title based on contents of fonds.

Other 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.

Archivist's Note

March 2003.

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;

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright laws apply.

Appraisal Information

Action: All records purchased by the National Library of Wales have been retained..

Accruals

Accruals are possible.

Related Material

See also NLW, Snell & Sons Records (being a further group of records donated to the National Library of Wales in June 1993) and NLW, Dr Joseph Parry Manuscripts, including further manuscripts purchased from Snell & Sons.

Bibliography

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.

Additional Information

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales