Meredydd Evans
| Meredydd Evans | |
|---|---|
| Born |
9 December 1919 Llanegryn, Merionethshire, Wales |
| Died | 21 February 2015 (aged 95) |
| Genres | Folk, Traditional, Welsh |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, TV producer, Academic professor, Activist, Music collector, editor |
Meredydd Evans (9 December 1919 – 21 February 2015) known colloquially as Merêd, was a collector, editor, historian and notable performer of folk music of Wales written in the Welsh language. His award-winning recordings of his own unaccompanied vocal performances and his published editions in collaboration with his American-born wife have helped to preserve Welsh musical legacy and promote it world-wide.
Born in Llanegryn in Merionethshire, Evans was brought up in Tanygrisiau. He attributes his first exposure to Welsh folk songs to his mother who sang to him when he was a child. His interest in Welsh music developed at the University College of North Wales, Bangor, under the influence of Mrs. Enid Parry. At Bangor, he was a frequent performer, often with Cledwyn Jones and Robin Williams and they later notably starred in Noson Lawen (he was the cwac cwac of Triawd y Buarth.)
A lifelong advocate of non violence, Evans faced a military tribunal to defend his conscientious objector status during World War II. Evans was given an unconditional discharge on religious grounds.
I maintain my Christian beliefs more than ever with these wars which occur today. The creation of the atomic bomb and weapons like that mean you wouldn't have a world war, but global destruction. There's nothing that could justify that.
I know there are people who believe in war as a way to sort out problems, that it's the best choice of a bad lot, and I respect their opinion. They have the right to believe it, but I can't agree.
Evans met Phyllis Kinney, an American singer whilst she was working in the UK. The couple married and moved to her home country. In 1954 he recorded an important selection of songs for Folkways Records in New York City while a Ph.D. Candidate in philosophy at Princeton University.
After his return to Wales, he and his wife edited three collections of Welsh songs described as "definitive reference-works for this genre of national song." Between 1963 and 1973 he returned to popular entertainment as Head of Light Entertainment for BBC Wales, and a producer of numerous popular television programmes including Lloffa, Fo a Fe, Ryan a Ronnie and Hob y Deri Dando.
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