St Tydfil’s Church Memorial Windows

The article transcribed below appeared in the Cardiff Times 120 years ago today (13 May 1899).

MERTHYR PARISH CHURCH

Memorial Windows

On Sunday afternoon the dedication of five stained glass memorial windows which have been placed in the restored parish church of Merthyr took place at a service conducted by the rector (Rev. Di. Lewis).

The west window in the tower was given by Sir W. T. Lewis, Bart., in memory of the local “captains of industry”; the south aisle window was presented by Mr and Mrs Frank James, in memory of the late Miss Florence James, their daughter, and the three chancel windows were the gifts of Miss Williams, Maesgruddiad, and Mrs Brewer, Danygraig, Mon.

In the chancel, which is of an apsidal form, and the roof of which is groined, the lancets are about nine feet high, in the three central lancets are, placed three stained glass memorial windows by the well-known artist, Mr Kempe, London. The subjects are the Crucifixion. The central window is divided into three panels above is a canopy of peals of bells ringing, whilst the central panel depicts Our Lord on the Cross, the lower of the panels showing a pelican which is represented according to the old myth as feeding its young with its own blood by picking its breast, this being meant as emblematical of the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. The right hand window has a canopy with bells ringing, the second panel is that of the Blessed Virgin at the Cross, and the third or lowest panel has an angel holding a shield on which are painted some of the instruments of the Passion.

The left hand window has also a similar canopy of bells, the central panel depicting St. John at the foot of the Cross. In the third panel there is an angel holding a shield, on which again are painted the other instruments of the Passion. In these three panels there are scrolls with suitable texts in Latin from Holy Scripture. The windows present a very pleasing appearance, and are regarded as a very becoming decoration of the sanctuary. They were given by Miss Williams and Mrs Brewer, in memory of some of the members of the Maesgruddiad family.

In the south aisle is a handsome window divided into three panels. In the central panel is depicted St. Cecilia playing on an instrument of music. This window has beautiful Romanesque decorations. It was presented by Mr and Mrs Frank James. The next window in the tower was given by Sir W. T. Lewis, Bart., and is considered to be a very interesting work of art. It was designed by Mr Newbury, London. It incorporates subjects characteristic of the industries of the district, and is in that respect a bold departure from the conventional treatment of subjects in memorial glass. It is mainly the conception of the rector, but it appears there are ancient examples of such treatment.

The stained glass window is divided into three panels formed by a light framing of Norman detail. The upper panel, which comprises the main portion of the window, illustrates Luke ii. 1-4, where Jesus teaches the disciples to pray, and has two angels above holding a scroll on which is written the first portion of the Lord’s Prayer, and on the panel below the picture continues, Give us this day our daily bread.”

The smaller panels, which form a base to the window, are filled with subjects relating to the industries of the district. The left panel indicates a pit’s mouth with machinery, on which is inscribed “The thing that is hid bringeth He forth to light”, and on the right blast furnaces are illustrated – “As for the earth, out of it cometh bread” – and underneath the wharfing and loading of coal and iron are depicted. These two panels are decoratively treated, and it has been the artist’s endeavour to combine the many interesting details as the space permits. At the sill of the window are the arms of the donor, Sir Wm. T. Lewis, Bart. Underneath is a handsome brass plate three feet square, on which are engraved the names of 37 of the “captains of industry”.

 

The inscription reads as follows:-

“Efe a gyffwrdd a’r mynyddoedd a hwy a fygant”

Psalm 104, v. 32.

The above Window is erected to the Glory of God and to perpetuate the memory of the following

“CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY”

with whom Sir William Thomas Lewis, Bart., has been associated in the development of the Minerals of the District, i.e.:-

William Adams, Ebbw Vale Works.
George Brown, Nixon’s Collieries.
Crawshay Bailey, Nantyglo and Aberaman.
William Southern Clark, Aberdare.
The Crawshays of Cyfarthfa and Hirwain Works.
Tom Cumow, Plymouth Works.
The Davises of Blaengwar.
William Davies, Lewis Merthyr Collieries.
Sir George Elliot, Bart., Aberaman.
The Evanses of Dowlais.
The Formans of Penydarren Works.
Anthony Hill, Plymouth Works.
Thomas Howells, Lletty Shenkin Collieries.
Christopher James, Llwyncelyn, Rhondda.
William Jenkins, Consett (formerly Dowlais).
R Johnson, Rhymney.
William Jones, Cyfarthfa Works.
The Josephs, Plymouth Works.
The Kirkhouses, Cyfarthfa Works.
Lewis Lewis, The Graig and Lletty Shenkin Colllieries.
Lewis Thomas Lewis, Plymouth Collieries.
Lewis Thomas Lewis, Cadoxton Lodge, Neath.
The Llewelyns of Hirwain and Pontypool.
The Martins of Dowlais and Penydarren Works.
William Menelaus, Dowlais.
John McConnochie, Cardiff.
Captain Ralph Pomeroy, Cardiff.
Robert T. Rees, the Graig and Lletty Shenkin Collieries.
Daniel Rees, the Graig and Lletty Shenkin Collieries.
The Thomases of Waunwyllt.
The Waynes, Gadlys Works.
David Williams, Ynyscynon.
Edward Williams, Middlesbrough (formerly Dowlais).
John Williams, Lletty Shenkin Collieries.
William Williams, Cyfarthfa Works.
W.H. Williams, Lewis Merthyr Collieries.
George Wilkinson, Cwmpennar Collieries.

Reddwch i’w Llwch.

Diolchus Anrheg Syr William Thomas Lewis.

Barwnig, Mardy, Aberdar, 1896.

At the service an address was delivered by the Rector, who described the windows and adverted briefly to the subject of memorials in churches historically regarded. He referred also to the list of persons whose names were in the list of “Captains of industry” as pioneers of the trade of the district. Many of them risked all they had in their enterprises, and some of them lost all they had. He mentioned various improvements yet to be made before the parish church would be comfortably equipped, and announced that the offertory would be in aid of a fund for providing seats.

Idloes Owen – another Merthyr Musical Giant

Everyone will know of the Welsh National Opera, but how many people know that its founder was yet another Merthyr boy – Idloes Owen.

Idloes Owen

Idloes Owen was born in Merthyr Vale in 1894. His parents Richard and Jane, originally from Llanidloes, moved to Merthyr Vale where Richard secured a job at the Nixon Navigation Colliery. Richard and Jane had six children – John, Thomas, Hannah, Mary, Idloes and Christmas.

As a child, Idloes took an interest in music and began studying the piano and violin, as well as being a promising boy soprano. At the age of 12 however, Idloes left school and followed his father into the Colliery. His time underground was short-lived as he contracted tuberculosis, and was forced to leave the pit. The enforced change in his circumstances made Idloes determined to pursue a career in music.

His ambitions were dealt another blow with the sudden death of his father, rendering the family unable to financially support Idloes’ music career. The villagers in Merthyr Vale, aware of Idloes’ talent and ambition, embarked on a series of fund-raising concerts to raise enough money for the young man to go to Cardiff University to study music.

Having graduated, Owen embarked on a career as a composer, arranger, teacher and conductor, and in 1925 he became the choirmaster of the Lyrian Singers in Cardiff. This male voice choir were able to take advantage not only of the demand for concerts, but also of the growing demands of radio, that had launched in Cardiff in 1922. The Lyrian Singers became, effectively, a resident BBC choir. He was soon also considered to be one of the finest singing teachers in Wales – one of his pupils was a budding baritone named Geraint Evans.

Musical life in Cardiff between the wars was largely amateur, with no public funding. An embryonic National Orchestra of Wales had foundered just before the outbreak of the Second World War and Owen’s plan, in the early years of the war, to launch an orchestra of his own were blocked by the prior existence of the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra.

Strangely, the war years saw another even less known contribution by Owen to Welsh music. The credit for the popular song, We’ll Keep a Welcome in the Hillsides has always gone to Mai Jones, a musician who became a light entertainment producer with the BBC in 1941, but it was Owen who, in 1940, arranged the music from a score supplied by Thomas Morgan, a member of the Lyrian singers, set to lyrics written by Mai Jones and Lyn Joshua.

In November 1943 Owen met with John Morgan, a former baritone with the Carl Rosa Opera Company and Morgan’s fiancée, Helena Hughes Brown, where they decided to form a national opera company for Wales. Only days later, on 2 December, 28 people met at Cathays Methodist Chapel in Crwys Road, Cardiff, at which they all pledged a guinea and promised to pay sixpence a week to pay for the rental of a rehearsal rooms. This company – originally called the Lyrian Grand Opera Company before deciding on the name The Welsh National Opera Company, gave a number of concerts around Cardiff all the way through 1944 & 1945.

The company’s first full opera season took place in 1946 with the first performance on 15 April of Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci taking place at the Prince of Wales Theatre, with Idloes Owen as the conductor.

Poster for the first performance of the Welsh National Opera

Idloes Owen continued as the musical director until his untimely death in 1954, but the company he started has gone from strength to strength, and is now considered one of the finest regional opera companies in the world.