Dr. Miss Mary Davies

Disgrifiad

Mary Davies was born in London of Welsh parents, her father, Mr. William Davies, being a bard, and as such rejoicing in the name of “Mynorydd,” and who for years acted as Precentor to the Welsh Chapel in Soho, and then held the same office at the Welsh Chapel in Charring Cross Road.

Her father instituted a class of teaching the elements of music and sight singing, and in this class his little daughter Mary was a pupil at nine years of age, and to this simple, natural source she looked back as to the altogether wholesome foundation of her musical education. When there she showed early signs of her mezzo-soprano voice.

When still little more than a child she sang at small Welsh concerts in London, and thus attracted the attention of Mr. Brinley Richards, who was so struck with talent that he offered to teach her piano for nothing, and soon after Madame Edith Wynne and Mrs Watts-Hughes, finding that she had a voice, very sweet tone, but not of great volume, lent their valuable aid to develop the organ in question.

When Mary Davies left R.A.M. she was elected first an Associate, and then in 1882 a fellow of the Institution. She married in March 1888, to a countryman and namesake Mr. William Cadwaladr Davies, who was the Secretary and Registrar of the University College of Bangor North Wales.

Welsh Folk-Song Society 1906

Miss Davies was one of the founders, with Dr. J. Lloyd Williams, of the Welsh Folk-Song Society. Wales was then under great obligation, to her for helping to carry on the work of Edward Jones “Bardd y Brenin,” and Jane Williams of Aberpergwm in collecting and arranging such beautiful and quaint songs as “Doli,” “Y Fwyalchen ddu Bigfelen,” “Tra bod dau,” “Y Gelynen,” “Gwcw Fach,” and “Suo-Gan.” The following are a few findings: “Y cobler du bach with yr esgid,” “Dacw nghariad lawr yn y berlllan” (a beautiful melody), “Wrth fynd efo Deio I Dywyn,” “Maes prydferthwch ail I Eden” (again a sweet melody in the minor) and many others.

She journeyed hundreds of miles through the country, climbed the rugged paths in North and South Wales, and been in the remotest parts of Lleyn and Plinlimmon to hear the old folk singing or mumbling old songs that no one knew but the but themselves, including the songs of the plough, the cradle, and the heart - songs dear to people such as, “Ffair Pwllheli,” “Dacw Dadi I’n mynd,” and “Torth o Fara.” To secure these old songs she carried a gramophone to get the recordings as actually sung by the old people.