JOHN HAYDN DAVIES MBE
CONDUCTOR 1946-1969
CONDUCTOR EMERITUS 1969-1991
VICE PRESIDENT 1971-1991
LIFE MEMBER
John Davies was born on February 3, 1905 in the village of Blaencwm to Daniel and Lucy Davies. His father was a stonemason from Rhydlewis in Cardiganshire. John received his education at the local school in Blaencwm, Tonypandy Grammar School and Caerleon Technical College. Having completed his course at Caerleon he returned to Blaencwm as a teacher, becoming headmaster in 1955. In 1960 he was appointed headmaster of Bodringallt Primary School in Ystrad and retired in 1970.
As a young boy John Davies interested himself in tonic solfa classes, began to play the violin and joined the local amateur orchestra. His performances he described as “playing with more delight than technical skill”. This experience and knowledge of solfa proved of great value when in 1933, aged 28, he was faced by his first body of male singers – the Blaenselsig Male Voice Choir. From 1935 to 1947 he conducted with notable success the Blaencwm Choral Society in their annual performances of oratorios. The acme was the first ever performance with brass band – the Park and Dare Workmen’s Band under its director, Haydn Bebb, of Handel’s Messiah.
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John was appointed Assistant Conductor under Arthur Davies to the Treorchy & District Male Voice Choir in 1938, accompanied by his friend Tom Jones as pianist. The Choir disbanded in 1943 but when it reformed three years later John was appointed its full time conductor and under his distinguished leadership the Treorchy Male Choir achieved international fame.
Pioneering the post-war renaissance in male voice choirs, it was under his baton the Choir gained a huge reputation in the choral arena, winning eight first prizes at the National Eisteddfod, and remained unbeaten with five first prizes at the Miners' Eisteddfod. In total the Choir won twenty two competitions out of twenty seven entries. Choristers and friends were delighted when in 1961 the Queen honoured him with the award of MBE. Seldom had the honour been more richly deserved or more widely acclaimed.
During his tenure as conductor he also adjudicated at local, semi national and the National Eisteddfod, and served on the Music Committee of the Eisteddfod. He took a keen interest in the history of the Rhondda Valleys, especially in its proud choral traditions. He was also a prominent and active member of the Blaen-y-Cwm Welsh Chapel, for whom he was Secretary from 1947 to 1984.
Good conductors are born, not made and rarely are all the qualities required to make a great conductor met in one man. John Haydn Davies was such a man. The ultimate choral maestro, John was loved and respected by all who knew him and his greatest legacy is that of the world-famous Treorchy Male Choir.
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