John Thomas Rees (14 November 1857 – 14 October 1949) was a Welsh musician and composer who was notable for winning a prize at the

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

in 1895. John Thomas Rees was born 14 November 1857 at Llwynbedw. The son of Thomas and Hannah (née Morgan) Rees, he began working as a mine pit boy at age nine. During the time he worked in the mines, Rees studied the Tonic-Solfa system, earning an advanced certificate. Rees also taught music while he was a colliery worker; one of his pupils was

Daniel Protheroe Daniel Protheroe (5 November 1866 – 25 February 1934), was a Welsh composer and conductor, born at Cwmgiedd, Brecknockshire. After success at the National Eisteddfod at a young age, he immigrated to the US, where he was educated. He is bes ...

. Rees worked in the mines until the age of twenty-one; at that time, he gained some notability as the composer of a

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...

he entered into a

Treherbert Treherbert () is a village and community situated at the head of the Rhondda Fawr valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historically part of Glamorgan, Treherbert is a former industrial coal mining village which was at its eco ...

eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...

competition. A small fund was established by Rees' friends for his studies at

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

with

Joseph Parry Joseph Parry (21 May 1841 – 17 February 1903) was a Welsh composer and musician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, he is best known as the composer of "Myfanwy" and the hymn tune "Aberystwyth", on which the African song "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" i ...

. When these funds ran low, Rees was faced with the possibility of leaving the university until David Jenkins arranged for him to teach Solfa classes in Pen-y-garn. Rees travelled to

Emporia, Kansas Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 ...

in 1882; he then entered the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

, where he received a

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescr ...

degree in 1889. Rees later held a teaching position at the university while he again visited North America. Rees settled in Pen-y-Garn; he married Elizabeth Davies there in 1881. He taught adult music classes, conducted local choirs, was a part-time music teacher in nearby

Tregaron Tregaron ( "town of St Caron") is an ancient market town in Ceredigion, Wales, astride the River Brenig, a tributary of the River Teifi. Tregaron is northeast of Lampeter. According to the 2011 Census, the population of the ward of Tregaron wa ...

and a part-time lecturer at University of Wales, Aberystwyth. While teaching at Pen-y-garn, Rees continued composing. His composition for string quartet won the top prize at the national eisteddfod at

Aberdare Aberdare ( ; cy, Aberdâr) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tyd ...

, with the judges declaring it to be the best composition ever submitted there. He again won first prize at a national competition for the best musical arrangement of a

Psalm The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

for orchestra, soli and chorus. Rees also edited various collections of hymns and songs. He died on 14 October 1949, aged 81.

Works

*''Duw sydd noddfa'' *''Y Teulu Dedwydd'' *''Crist yr Andes'' *''Hosannah'' *''Christos'' *''String Quartet'' *'' Y Trwbadŵ'' *''Hillsides of Wales''

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rees, John Welsh composers Welsh male composers 1857 births 1949 deaths 20th-century Welsh musicians 19th-century Welsh musicians 19th-century British male musicians 20th-century British male musicians 20th-century British musicians