Archives of Welsh composers

The names of the composers are listed below, in alphabetical order, with direct links to catalog descriptions of their papers. It is a selective list only - the collection grows every year. To access archives that have not yet been cataloged online, please contact us by email

You can also browse and search NLW Archives and Manuscripts and make requests to view items in the Library.

A selection of composers' manuscripts has been digitized for the Tŷ Cerdd 'Discover Welsh Music' website.
Each composer has their own page where you can explore their manuscripts, learn about their lives and listen to their works. The composers include:

• Dilys Elwyn-Edwards,
• Alun Hoddinott,
• William Mathias,
• Joseph Parry,
• Grace Williams,
• Daniel Jones,
• Morfydd Owen,
• Mansel Thomas,
• David Vaughan Thomas,
• E. T. Davies,
• R. S. Hughes,
• David de Lloyd
• Daniel Protheroe,
• Thomas Osborne Roberts
• Meirion Williams
• Hughes a’i Fab (Publishers)

For more information about the musicians visit The Welsh Biography Online.

The site contains brief biographies presenting individuals (including musicians) who made an important contribution to national life in Wales or more widely.

The names of the composers are listed below, in alphabetical order, with direct links to catalogue descriptions of their papers at the National Library of Wales. Where a catalogue is not yet online, it is noted that the Catalogue is forthcoming.

• Ap IVOR, Denis
• BURTCH, Mervyn (Catalogue is forthcoming.)
• DAVIES, Eiluned (1913-99). (Catalogue is forthcoming.)
• DAVIES, Hubert
• de LLOYD, David
• EWYN-EDWARDS, Dilys
• EVANS, David
• EVANS, Emlyn
• GEORGE, William
• GLYN, Gareth, Ga'i fenthyg ci?
• GRIFFITHS, Gilmor
• GRIFFITHS, T. E. Teasdale
• HARDING, Kenneth
• HARRIES, David (1933-2002) (Catalogue is forthcoming.).
• HENSALL, Dalwyn, ‘Gloria’
• HODDINOTT, Alun
• HENLEY, W. E.
• HUGHES, Richard Samuel (pt. William John Parry Manuscripts)
• HUGHES-JONES, Dr Llifon
• JAMES, Evan
• Evan James's Tune Book (Evan James MS 1)  contains the earliest version of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau', in the hands of the composer.
• JAMES, Terry (1933-2016) (Catalogue is forthcoming.)
• JENKINS, David
• JONES, Daniel
• JONES, David Rees (‘Pencerdd Cynlais’; 1885-1978) (Catalogue is forthcoming.).
• JONES, David William (Treorci)
• JONES, Joseph David
• JONES, Joseph David (Sir Haydn Jones Papers)
• JONES, W. Bradwen
• LEWIS, David (Llanrhystyd) - (Lewis, Llanrhystyd Manuscripts)
• LEWIS, John (‘Eos Glyn Wyre’) - (Lewis, Llanrhystyd Manuscripts)
• LLOYD-HOWELLS, David (1)
• LLOYD-HOWELLS, David (2)
• MATHIAS, William
• METCALF, John
• MORGAN, Hilda
• MOULE-EVANS, David
• OWEN, William, Prysgol
• PARRY, Dr Joseph
• Many manuscripts by Joseph Parry have been digitised (e.g. An orchestral overture, [1874x1880] NLW MS 9284E) Search the main NLW catalogue for ‘Joseph Parry’ then choose ‘ available online’ .
• PARROTT, Ian  (Catalogue is forthcoming.)
• PRICE, R. Maldwyn
• PRICHARD, Ernest L. M.
• PROTHEROE, Daniel
• REES, John Thomas
• REES, William Thomas (‘Alaw Ddu’)
• REYNOLDS, Peter
• RICHARDS, Henry Brinley
• (NLW MSS 8284D)
• (NLW MSS 8285C)
• (NLW MSS 21592E)
• RICHARDS, Ted (‘Iorwerth Maldwyn’)
• ROBERTS, Dr Caradog
• ROBERTS, Thomas Osborne
• TANN, Hilary
• THOMAS, D. ‘Afan’, Cwmafan
• THOMAS, David Vaughan
• THOMAS, John (‘Pencerdd Gwalia’)
• THOMAS, Mansel
• TREHARNE, Bryceson
• WILLIAMS, Gareth Mitford
• Gosodiadau cerdd dant Gareth Mitford Williams
• Cerdd i Hil Wen
• 'Yr ysbryd sanctaidd'
• Cerdd dant
• WILLIAMS, Grace
• WILLIAMS, J. A. A., Lerpwl
• WILLIAMS, John Glyndyrus
• WILLIAMS, William Sidney Gwynn

The archives of music organizations and music publishers contain the manuscripts of many composers.

UW Aberystwyth Department of Music Archives 1883-1986. Manuscripts of individual composers:

• Charles Clements
• Jayne Davies
• W Hubert Davies
• Arthur Charles Edwards
• John Hearne
• John R Heath
• Gustav Holst
• John Hughes
• David de LLoyd
• Wiliams Mathias
• Per Nørgård
• Ian Parrott
• Nils H Peterson
• R Maldwyn Price
• Tom Price
• Karl Aage Rasmussen
• Jonathan Paul Stephens
• Mansel Thomas
• Howard Watt
• Griff Williams and Madam Griff Williams
• James Thomas Wiliams
• David Wynne

Archif Tŷ Cerdd

Musical manuscripts and miscellaneous papers, 1893- [1999], received at the closing of the Welsh Music Information Center in Cardiff, and more recently, containing a large number of music scores. The composers represented in the archive include:

• Robert Bruce
• W Emlyn Davies
• W Hubert Davies
• John Edwards (Welsh Teledic)
• Paul Corfield Godfrey
• J R Heath
• Arwel Hughes
• Richard Jones
• Idris Lewis
• W Rees Lewis
• John Eric Richards
• Trevor Roberts
• M F Robinson
• Dilys Elwyn Edwards
• Alun Hoddinott (D1/23, 24, 25 and D2/3)
• Ian Parrott
• Grace Williams  (Catalogue is forthcoming.)
• Daniel Jones  (Catalogue is forthcoming.)

Snell & Sons Collection of Music Manuscripts 1930s-1960s

The music publishing company of Snell & Sons, Swansea, Glamorgan, was established by D. J. Snell in 1900. The firm has always taken great interest in purchasing the publishing rights of Welsh compositions, and has long enjoyed a reputation as the largest publisher of Welsh music in the world. The Company have acquired music manuscripts from many leading Welsh composers, including the manuscripts of  W. T. David, David Jenkins, Joseph Parry, John Thomas and Daniel Protheroe).

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru / The National Eisteddfod of Wales. Compositions and adjudications

The National Eisteddfod archive contains a number of pieces, under a pseudonym, which have been sent to the National Eisteddfod's composition competitions over the years. Look in the Music section within the papers of each individual Eisteddfod.

E.g. here is the music section for the Llanrwst Eisteddfod, 1951

E.g. Here are the musical compositions for the Cardiff Eisteddfod, 2008

Hughes a’i Fab Papers

Hughes a'i Fab, Cyhoeddwyr (Publishers) was established by Richard Hughes (1794-1871) in 1820 as a printers and publishing company, specialising in religious, scholastic and music publications. In 1982, Hughes a'i Fab, Cyhoeddwyr was bought by S4C in order for them to publish Welsh language books based on new television programmes
Two boxes of songs in the series ref: D5
“Manuscripts of songs, [1896x1966] Manuscripts of songs submitted for consideration, 1932-1966; manuscripts for hire, [1900-1940] and accumulated manuscripts. 3 files.”

• Composers of Wales
• Tŷ Cerdd list of Welsh Composers
• Notes on composers by publishers Cwmni Cyhoeddi Gwynn
• Encore! Music exhibition  - online version of a National Library exhibition in 2005