Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1826-1997 (mainly 1928-1970) / (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.657 cubic metres (47 boxes, 13 volumes, 2 folders)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Grace Williams (1906-1977), composer, from Barry, Glamorgan, studied music at University College, Cardiff, the Royal College of Music in London, with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gordon Jacob, and in Vienna with the composer Egon Wellesz. She became a teacher at Camden School for Girls, as well as a visiting lecture at Southlands College of Education. After the Second World War she worked for the Schools Department of the BBC until retiring due to ill health in 1947. S he became a part-time member of staff at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. She wrote songs, arrangements and incidental music, often as commissions. In 1966, she was awarded the John Edwards Memorial Prize. She died in 1977. She was a close friend of Vivien Cutting, teacher and poet, a fellow-teacher at Southlands College, Wimbledon Park. Her papers passed to her sister, Mrs Marian Glyn Evans.
Archival history
Some of the papers were held at the Welsh Music Information Centre, University College, Cardiff.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Deposited by Mrs Marian Glyn Evans between 1987 and 1997.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Musical manuscripts of the composer Grace Williams, [1928]-1992, including orchestral scores of her works, [1932]-1973, concertos for solo instruments and orchestra, 1950-1973; scripts and scores for narrator and orchestra, 1946-1963; incidental and chamber music scores, [1930s]-1970; choral music scores [1928]-1975; film and incidental music, 1948-1970; personal and miscellaneous papers, 1826-1936; and poetry by Vivien Cutting, 1947-[1967]; note on the papers, by A. J. Heward Rees, 1997.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Action: All records have been retained.
Accruals
Accruals are not expected.
System of arrangement
Arranged at NLW by type and date.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright regulations apply.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title supplied from contents of fonds. The fonds contains some earlier papers collected by Grace Williams pre-dating her birth, and notes on the papers added after her death.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Project identifier
Access points
Subject access points
- Composers -- Wales -- Manuscripts.
- Composers -- Wales -- 20th century.
- Ballets -- Wales -- 20th century.
- Music -- Wales -- 20th century.
- Choruses, Secular -- Wales -- 20th century.
- Concertos -- Wales -- 20th century.
- Orchestral music -- Wales -- 20th century.
- Poetry, Modern -- 20th century
- Dramatic music -- Wales -- 20th century.
- Barry (Wales)
- Cardiff (Wales)
Place access points
Name access points
- Williams, Grace, 1906-1977 -- Archives. (Subject)
- Williams, Grace, 1906-1977 -- Manuscripts. (Subject)
- Cutting, Vivien. (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
April 2003
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Compiled by Annette Strauch for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of the description: NLW, Schedule of Grace Williams Musical Manuscripts; Stevens Meic (ed.), The Arts in Wales (Welsh Arts Council, 1979). A bibliography and list of recordings can be found in Boyd, Malcom, Grace Williams (Cardiff, 1996);