Idloes Owen
Encyclopedia
Evan Idloes Owen principal founder of the Welsh National Opera Company
in Glamorgan. His parents Richard and Jane originally came from Llanidloes
a market town in Montgomeryshire mid-Wales. They moved to Merthyr Vale, to seek work in the valley mines further south. There were six children in the Owen family, two elder brothers John and Thomas, sisters Hannah and Mary, Idloes himself and a younger brother called Christmas. He and his brothers followed their father into the coal mines at the age of 12.
Idloes was later diagnosed with tuberculosis and after leaving the mines, was able to pursue his passion for music. There was a strong community spirit in the mining village, and his neighbours in Merthyr Vale recognised his musical ability, and raised money to send him to Music College to develop his talent.
He later moved to Cardiff and became a composer, arranger and conductor, and performed with the pre-war Lyrian Singers in Cardiff. He was considered at this time to be one of the finest singing teachers in Wales, Geraint Evans
was one of his pupils. Amongst his musical arrangements were ‘Down Among The Dead Men’, based on an old English Melody for a Male Chorus, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, a Welsh piece ‘I Toriad Y Wawr’ (The Break Of Dawn). During the early part of the war in the 1940's he was instrumental in providing Mai Jones
, who was working for the BBC in Cardiff with a musical score, composed initially by a friend and fellow Lyrian singer Thomas Morgan. It was (the now famous Welsh Standard) 'We'll Keep a Welcome'. Later conducting the Lyrian singers in 1951 he achieved the ‘Melody Maker
’ song charts with the same song, narrated by Tom Jones (singer)
.
Company. He became its first Conductor, General Manager and Musical Director. In November 1943, at a gathering of a small group of music lovers, at his home in Llandaff
, he was instrumental in forming ‘The Lyrian Grand Opera Company’. A month later at its first general meeting the name was changed to The Welsh National Opera Company. It was formed from members of the old Cardiff Grand Opera Company, the BBC Welsh Singers and the Lyrian Singers. The company gave early performances in 1945 with concerts and operatic excerpts at various venues in Cardiff
.
One of his former students Mollie Hair remembers him as a quiet, patient and understated man, who never lost his temper and was completely dedicated to music. Whilst the miners, policemen and shopkeepers who made up the chorus, had wonderful voices, he persuaded Mollie to work as a coach to bring visual grace to their operatic performances.
The first full season of opera came after the war in April 1946 at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Cardiff. Owen as Musical Director conducted the first performance - Cavalleria Rusticana
, which included the Welsh tenor Robert Tear
who started his career as a schoolboy in this performance.
In 1948 the Welsh National Opera
became a limited company and established another centre in Swansea
. In 1951 the company made its first tour of Wales. In January 1950 Idloes Owen invited an astute businessman Bill Smith a former secretary of the defunct Cardiff Grand Opera to be his partner to develop the potential of the new company. Smith immediately responded by booking the young Charles Mackerras
as conductor to take charge of The Tales of Hoffman that season. They shared a passion to make the WNO stand comparison with any other opera company in the world and in 1952 they staged Verdi’s Nabucco
. With its Biblical story, the opera needed a superb chorus, Verdi’s third opera was ideal for WNO, and it was the Company’s first in-house production.
In April 1953 they toured with it for their first performances outside Wales opened at the Bournemouth
Pavilion. The New Theatre had become the company’s Cardiff base in 1954, but without a permanent home WNO still had to tour to survive. A production of I Pagliacci had been chosen, but tragically, Idloes Owen died in Cardiff that year at the age of 59 and it was never staged.
The following year his company under the music director Vilém Tauský
gave its first performances in London at Sadler’s Wells theatre in Islington. They performed two Verdi opera’s ‘Nabucco
’ and ‘I Lombardi alla prima crociata
’ and Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin
, to many curtain calls and rave reviews.
Early life
Idloes Owen, was born in late 1894 in the mining village of Merthyr ValeMerthyr Vale
Merthyr Vale is a linear village in the Welsh county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. Lying on the A4054 road it is on the east bank of the River Taff opposite Aberfan.-Ynys Owen:...
in Glamorgan. His parents Richard and Jane originally came from Llanidloes
Llanidloes
Llanidloes is a town along the A470 road and B4518 road in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire , Mid Wales.It is the first town on the River Severn...
a market town in Montgomeryshire mid-Wales. They moved to Merthyr Vale, to seek work in the valley mines further south. There were six children in the Owen family, two elder brothers John and Thomas, sisters Hannah and Mary, Idloes himself and a younger brother called Christmas. He and his brothers followed their father into the coal mines at the age of 12.
Idloes was later diagnosed with tuberculosis and after leaving the mines, was able to pursue his passion for music. There was a strong community spirit in the mining village, and his neighbours in Merthyr Vale recognised his musical ability, and raised money to send him to Music College to develop his talent.
He later moved to Cardiff and became a composer, arranger and conductor, and performed with the pre-war Lyrian Singers in Cardiff. He was considered at this time to be one of the finest singing teachers in Wales, Geraint Evans
Geraint Evans
Sir Geraint Llewellyn Evans was a Welsh baritone or bass-baritone noted for operatic roles including Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and the title roles in Falstaff and Wozzeck...
was one of his pupils. Amongst his musical arrangements were ‘Down Among The Dead Men’, based on an old English Melody for a Male Chorus, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, a Welsh piece ‘I Toriad Y Wawr’ (The Break Of Dawn). During the early part of the war in the 1940's he was instrumental in providing Mai Jones
Mai Jones
Mai Jones , was a Welsh songwriter, entertainer and radio producer.She was born in Newport, the daughter of a railway stationmaster. Having won a scholarship to study music at the University of Wales, Cardiff, she went on to the Royal College of Music...
, who was working for the BBC in Cardiff with a musical score, composed initially by a friend and fellow Lyrian singer Thomas Morgan. It was (the now famous Welsh Standard) 'We'll Keep a Welcome'. Later conducting the Lyrian singers in 1951 he achieved the ‘Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
’ song charts with the same song, narrated by Tom Jones (singer)
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
.
Founding the Welsh National Opera
His greatest success and legacy came with the founding of the Welsh National OperaWelsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
Company. He became its first Conductor, General Manager and Musical Director. In November 1943, at a gathering of a small group of music lovers, at his home in Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
, he was instrumental in forming ‘The Lyrian Grand Opera Company’. A month later at its first general meeting the name was changed to The Welsh National Opera Company. It was formed from members of the old Cardiff Grand Opera Company, the BBC Welsh Singers and the Lyrian Singers. The company gave early performances in 1945 with concerts and operatic excerpts at various venues in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
One of his former students Mollie Hair remembers him as a quiet, patient and understated man, who never lost his temper and was completely dedicated to music. Whilst the miners, policemen and shopkeepers who made up the chorus, had wonderful voices, he persuaded Mollie to work as a coach to bring visual grace to their operatic performances.
The first full season of opera came after the war in April 1946 at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Cardiff. Owen as Musical Director conducted the first performance - Cavalleria Rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
, which included the Welsh tenor Robert Tear
Robert Tear
Robert Tear, CBE was a Welsh tenor and conductor.Tear was born in Barry, Glamorgan, Wales, UK, the son of Thomas and Edith Tear. He attended Barry Boys' Grammar School and during this period sang in the chorus of the first Welsh National Opera's production of 'Cavalleria Rusticana' in April 1946...
who started his career as a schoolboy in this performance.
In 1948 the Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
became a limited company and established another centre in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. In 1951 the company made its first tour of Wales. In January 1950 Idloes Owen invited an astute businessman Bill Smith a former secretary of the defunct Cardiff Grand Opera to be his partner to develop the potential of the new company. Smith immediately responded by booking the young Charles Mackerras
Charles Mackerras
Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan...
as conductor to take charge of The Tales of Hoffman that season. They shared a passion to make the WNO stand comparison with any other opera company in the world and in 1952 they staged Verdi’s Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue...
. With its Biblical story, the opera needed a superb chorus, Verdi’s third opera was ideal for WNO, and it was the Company’s first in-house production.
In April 1953 they toured with it for their first performances outside Wales opened at the Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
Pavilion. The New Theatre had become the company’s Cardiff base in 1954, but without a permanent home WNO still had to tour to survive. A production of I Pagliacci had been chosen, but tragically, Idloes Owen died in Cardiff that year at the age of 59 and it was never staged.
The following year his company under the music director Vilém Tauský
Vilém Tauský
Vilém Tauský CBE was a Czech conductor and composer.-Life:Vilém Tauský was from a musical family: his Viennese mother had sung Mozart at the Vienna State Opera under Gustav Mahler, and her cousin was the operetta composer Leo Fall.Tauský studied with Leoš Janáček and later became a repetiteur at...
gave its first performances in London at Sadler’s Wells theatre in Islington. They performed two Verdi opera’s ‘Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue...
’ and ‘I Lombardi alla prima crociata
I Lombardi alla prima crociata
I Lombardi alla prima crociata is an operatic dramma lirico in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on an epic poem by Tommaso Grossi. Its first performance was given at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 11 February 1843...
’ and Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin
Lohengrin
Lohengrin is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival , he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, is a version of the Knight of the...
, to many curtain calls and rave reviews.
Sources
- National Library of Wales, Welsh National Opera Company Records, Reference code(s): GB 0210 WELANY