Mervyn Roberts
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William Henry Mervyn Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 November 1906 Abergele, Denbighshire, Wales |
| Died | 12 July 1990 (aged 83) |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge Royal College of Music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician & teacher |
| Father | John Roberts |
| Relatives | Trevor Roberts (brother) John Roberts (paternal grandfather) William Sproston Caine (maternal grandfather) |
Mervyn Roberts (23 November 1906 – 12 July 1990), full name William Henry Mervyn Roberts, was a Welsh composer, best known for his piano music. Eiluned Davies regarded him as one of 'Y Pump Cymreig' (The Welsh Five) along with Denis ApIvor, Daniel Jones, Grace Williams and David Wynne, all born in the first two decades of the 20th Century.[1][2]
Roberts was born into an aristocratic family in Abergele, Denbighshire - he was the second son of the first Lord Clwyd.[3] He studied English and history at Trinity College, Cambridge from 1925 until 1928, and then at the Royal College of Music with R. O. Morris, Gordon Jacob and Arthur Alexander. He was most successful as a composer during the 1940s and 1950s, when a number of his works were published. He was an occasional teacher, a contributor to music journals and during the war worked in the Civil Service. In 1947 he married the pianist Eileen Easom.[4] From 1963-67 he taught piano at Christ's Hospital, Horsham.[5]