Bardd y Brenin, Edward Jones (1752–1824) (gcf10063)

__NOTOC__ Edward Jones (March 1752 – 18 April 1824) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

ist,

bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise t ...

, performer,

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

, and collector of music.Joan Rimmer
"Edward Jones's Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards, 1784: A Re-Assessment"
''The

Galpin Society The Galpin Society was formed in October 1946 to further research into the branch of musicology known as organology, i.e. the history, construction, development and use of musical instruments. Based in the United Kingdom, it is named after the emin ...

Journal'', Vol. 39 (September 1986), pp. 77-96 He was commonly known by the

bardic name A bardic name (, ) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The Welsh term bardd ("poet") originally referred to the Welsh poets of the Middle Ages, who m ...

of "Bardd y Brenin", which he took in 1820, when King

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

, his patron, came to the throne. Jones was born in

Llandderfel Llandderfel is a village and a sparsely populated community in Gwynedd, Wales, near Bala, formerly served by the Llandderfel railway station. The community also includes the settlements of Glan-yr-afon, Llanfor, Cefnddwysarn and Frongoch. T ...

, near

Bala Bala may refer to: Places India *Bala, India, a village in Allahabad, India * Bala, Ahor, a village in the Jalore district of Rajasthan * Bala, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India Romania * Bala, Mehedinți, a commune in Mehedinţi ...

, and is remembered for his three-volume work, the ''Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards''. He first came to London in 1775, and was patronised by prominent Welshmen and by

Charles Burney Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicist a ...

. He played in the Bach-Abel concerts which were London’s first subscription concert series, started in 1765. He became harp tutor to several wealthy families, and in about 1790 was made Harp-Master to the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

. In 1805 he moved into the Office of the Robes,

St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Altho ...

. Jones suffered significant financial difficulties in his later life and, as well as seeking loans, was forced to sell some of his collection. The remainder of his library was sold at auction the year following his death.

Works

#''The Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards'' (1784) #''The Bardic Museum'' (1802) Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards; Preserved by Tradition from very remote antiquity. To the Bardic tunes are added Variations for the Harp, Piano-forte, Violin or Flute... Likewise a general history of the Bards, and Druids, from the earliest period to the present time. #''Lyric Airs'' (1804) consisting of Specimens of Greek, Albanian, Walachian, Turkish, Arabian, Persian, Chinese, and Moorish National Songs and Melodies (being the first selection of the kind ever yet offered to the public:) to which are added, Basses for the Harp, or Piano-forte. Likewise are subjoined, a few explanatory notes on the figures and movements of the Modern Greek Dances; with a short dissertation on the Origin of the Ancient Greek Music. Most respectfully dedicated to Mrs. Musters by the editor, Edward Jones, Bard to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. #''A Selection of most Admired and Original German Waltzes'', never before published; adapted for the Harp, or Piano-Forte. (1806) #''Hen Ganiadau Cymru: Cambro-British melodies, or the national songs, and airs of Wales; consisting of ... songs, euphonies, flowers, elegies, marches, ... harp, or the piano-forte, violin, or flute'', published 1820.Jones, E.
Hen Ganiadau Cymru: Cambro-British melodies, or the national songs, and airs of Wales; consisting of ... songs, euphonies, flowers, elegies, marches, ... harp, or the piano-forte, violin, or flute
accessed 15 August 2022 Three of his published works include frontispieces by

Thomas Rowlandson Thomas Rowlandson (; 13 July 175721 April 1827) was an English artist and caricaturist of the Georgian Era, noted for his political satire and social observation. A prolific artist and printmaker, Rowlandson produced both individual social an ...

Sources

Welsh Biography Online

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Edward 1752 births 1824 deaths Welsh harpists Welsh composers Welsh male composers Welsh-speaking musicians