Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1878-1949 / (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.151 cubic metres (67 volumes).
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
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.
Archival history
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.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated by Dr T. Ifor Rees, son of J. T. Rees, in 1950 and 1968.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
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.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Action: All records donated to the National Library of Wales have been retained..
Accruals
Accruals are not expected.
System of arrangement
Arranged in the order in which the papers were donated as NLW MSS 16841-50, 19923-76, and 20974-76.
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
Welsh, 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
Publication note
Many of the works in this archive have been published.
Notes area
Note
Title supplied from contents of fonds.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Project identifier
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
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 J. T. Rees Music MSS; Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1941-1970 (London, 2001);