Arwel Hughes

Arwel Hughes OBE (25 August 1909 – 23 September 1988) was a Welsh orchestral conductor and composer.

Life and career Hughes was born in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham and was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and at the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams and C. H. Kitson. Following his studies at the RCM he became organist at the church of St Philip and St James, Oxford, and in 1935 returned to Wales to join the staff of the BBC's music department under Mansel Thomas. His duties included a great deal of conducting, and he used his position to champion the music of compatriots such as Grace Williams, David Wynne, and Alun Hoddinott; arguably to the detriment of his own musical legacy as a composer, though as a part of his role he was also called upon to compose, arrange and orchestrate music for live radio broadcasts.

He died on 23 September 1988 in Cardiff and was cremated at Thornhill Crematorium. and Pantycelyn, performed at the National Eisteddfod in Swansea in 1964. These exemplify his imagination and technical competence, combining the early twentieth century British tradition with his original harmonic language. The earlier Gweddi (A Prayer) from 1944 is a shorter work for soprano, chorus and strings, characteristically melodic.

For many years Arwel Hughes conducted performances by Welsh National Opera, and his own two operas, Menna, to a libretto by Wyn Griffith, a tragedy based on a Welsh folk legend; and Serch yw’r Doctor ("Love’s the Doctor"), a comedy adapted by Saunders Lewis from Molière's L'Amour médecin, were produced by WNO in 1953 and 1960 respectively. These works played an important role in the development of opera in Wales, and demonstrate Hughes' lyricism and melodic originality.

Hughes' orchestral writing includes a Fantasia for Strings which has received many performances. From the 1940s onwards, he produced a stream of works for orchestra including Suite for Orchestra, Prelude for Orchestra (dedicated to the Youth of Wales), Anatiomaros, and a symphony.

There are a quantity of songs and chamber music, including three string quartets, which have been recorded by the Maggini Quartet.

There are also many arrangements of folk songs and some incidental music for radio and television.

Principal works

Opera Menna (1950–51), libretto by Wyn Griffith (first performance 1953 at the Sophia Gardens Pavilion Cardiff by Welsh National Opera with Richard Lewis and Edith Osler) Serch yw'r Doctor (Love's the doctor), libretto by Saunders Lewis, after Molière's L'Amour médecin (first performance 1960 at the Sophia Gardens Pavilion Cardiff by Welsh National Opera)

Orchestral Fantasia, strings, 1936 Anatiomaros, 1943 Prelude for Orchestra, 1945 Suite, 1947 Symphony, 1971 Legend: Owain Glyndŵr, 1979

Choral Tydi a Roddaist (T. Rowland Hughes), chorus, piano, also arranged for female chorus, male chorus with orchestra, 1938 Gweddi (A Prayer) (liturgical text), S, chorus, strings (alternative version with full orchestra), 1944 Dewi Sant (Saint David) (A. T. Davies), oratorio, S, T, B, chorus, orchestra, 1950 Pantycelyn (text arr. A. T. Davies), oratorio, S, T, B, chorus, orchestra, 1963 Saint Francis (masque, G. James), S, T, narrator, chorus, orchestra 1965 Mab y Dyn (Son of Man) (cantata, biblical text), S, chorus, organ, 1967 The Beatitudes (biblical text) S, (T) TTBB, organ In memoriam (Psalm 121), chorus, organ, 1969 Psalm 148, male chorus, 1970 Mass for Celebration, S, A, male chorus, orchestra without woodwind, 1977 Gloria Patri, SATB, orchestra, 1986

Chamber String Quartet No 1 (1948) String Quartet No 2 (1976) String Quartet No 3 (1983) Unfinished quartet 1932