Moses Davies (1799 – 6 January 1866) 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 ...

musician and composer. Davies was born in

Defynnog Defynnog, also known as Devynock in some historical documents, is a small village in the community of Maescar in the historic county of Brecknockshire, Wales, now lying within the unitary authority area of Powys. It lies immediately south of Se ...

Brecknockshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...

(now in

Powys Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...

), but in 1803 his parents moved to

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

, where he grew up. He was an able singer and took to studying, and later teaching, music. In 1827 he was appointed precentor of the

Calvinistic Methodist Calvinistic Methodists were born out of the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival and survive as a body of Christians now forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Calvinistic Methodism became a major denomination in Wales, growing rapidly in the 1 ...

chapel in Pontmorlais. He was a pioneer of music in

congregational church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

es in the Merthyr area and his innovative ideas saw women being used to sing treble parts. This provoked much opposition, and he resigned his post. However, in 1834 he was persuaded to resume his position and, except for a period in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

(from 1842 to 1848), he remained in the post until retirement. His compositions include 24 hymn-tunes, including "Bremhill", which was included in ''Caniadau Seion'' (R. Mills, 1840), and others included in''Telyn Seion'' (Rosser Beynon) and ''Haleliwia'' (Griffith Harries). He died in January 1866 and was buried in

Cefn-coed-y-cymmer Cefn-coed-y-cymmer () is a small community on the northwestern edge of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough in Wales. It is situated in the neck of land between the rivers Taf Fawr and Taf Fechan at their confluence (Welsh: 'cymer'). The village lies ...

. His son William was a noted sculptor, who used the pseudonym "Mynorydd". William's daughter, Mary Davies, was a singer and an important figure in the preservation of Welsh folk music.

References

1799 births 1866 deaths People from Powys People from Merthyr Tydfil 19th-century Welsh musicians Welsh Methodist hymnwriters 19th-century British composers {{UK-Christian-clergy-stub