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The National Library of Wales is home to many archives and manuscripts of Welsh composers.
Find more information through these main sources.
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:
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.
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:
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:
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).
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, 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.”