Gwilym Richards

Gwilym Richards was a Welsh tenor.Who’s Who in Music (1934) gives the following information:

Richards, Gwilym, A.R.A.M. b: Zynysddn, Wales 1870. e: R.A.M. Married. s: 1. s.s: Voice production, singing (tuition). a: 105 North Side, Clapham Common, S.W.4. t: Battersea 1369

His birthplace may actually be Ynysddu, as this is within 10 miles of Caerleon, from where we find the following wedding record:

St Cadoc’s Church, Caerleon:

6 Jan 1902
Gwilym Richards, Age: 30 batchelor, Professional Singer. 24 Lavender Gardens Clapham Father: Llewellin Richards Smith
Maude Beatrice Parry,  Age: 23 spinster, Cln Father: Thomas Parry JP
Witness: ? Parry, Bertha H Parry, F Lyndon Cooper
Banns

Note that the age given in the wedding record does not quite match that in Who’s Who.

Richards recorded 7 edison cylinders:

13614 – April 1907 – Once (Hervey)
13626 – May 1907 – Without You (Joseph & MacEvoy)
13639 – June 1907 – Dear old home across the sea
13673 – Sept 1907 – The home that’s home for me (Pether & Leigh)
13687 – Oct 1907 – The old sweet melody (Carr Hardy & Cherry)
13703 – Nov 1907 – Lalla Rookh – I’ll sing thee songs of Araby (Clay & Gillis)
13716 – Dec 1907 – I love you (Aarons & Smith)

Verdi – Il Trovatore – Home to our mountains; Miserere
Carrie Lanceley, soprano
Gwilym Richards, tenor
with Orchestra
Mediafire link for Verdi – Il Trovatore – duets with Lanceley and Richards

(This is a zip file – left click the link, download the file, then unzip when downloaded)

Pioneer 135
Matrices 2522, 2523
Recorded 1914, London

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