Grace Williams (1906–77)
Composer; Music teacher
Works published by MoV
Psalm 150 (Welsh or English) (SS & organ)
Psalm 150 (Welsh or English) (SS & organ)
Beautifully written for the tessitura of trebles or girls, this anthem was commissioned for the 25th anniversary of the Welsh League of Youth and was initially published by Brython Press in 1947. Originally a setting in Welsh, Williams subsequently annotated her manuscript to include an English equivalent, with extensively different rhythms. Both versions are presented here enabling a choice of languages and providing a valuable addition to the repertoire of Welsh-language sacred music. A new organ part has been constructed from the original piano part, as befits the grandeur of the setting. Reminiscent of the twentieth century English Pastoral School, Williams’ penchant for syncopated rhythms, triplets, surprising key-changes and parallel harmony are all in evidence, as is her love of lyricism heard in the vocal lines and accompaniment alike.
Psalm 150 (Welsh or English) (SS & organ)
This work is published in our anthology Volume 2 and as a licenced digital pdf
To order the sheet music click on the buttons below.
Perusal score coming soon
(August 2025)
Grace Williams (1906–77)
Grace Williams was one of the first professional Welsh composers of the twentieth century to attain significant national recognition, and many of her remarkably distinctive pieces are directly inspired by Wales and its culture. Born in Barry, Glamorganshire, she studied music at Cardiff University (1923–1926), later studying composition at the Royal College of Music (1926–1930) with Ralph Vaughan Williams, and in Vienna with Egon Wellesz (1930–1931). She particularly enjoyed writing for orchestra, and her gift for this medium is apparent in her early overture Hen Walia (1930) and the Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes (1940). Williams worked as a successful composer and music teacher in London for many years, but returned to live and work in Barry in 1947. This homecoming sparked a new and vital phase of her creative development. Her Penillion, for orchestra, (1955), for example, is a highly original orchestral adaptation of the metrical and melodic characteristics of traditional Welsh penillion singing (an improvised line over a given melody). Her expanded musical vocabulary energised other significant works for orchestra including the powerful Symphony no. 2 (1956), the Trumpet Concerto (1963) and Ballads, for orchestra (1968). She became more interested in writing more choral and vocal music in her later years. Her choral suite The Dancers (1951) is a radiant example of her skill at handling the choral medium, as is the exquisite Ave Maris Stella (1973) for mixed chorus.
(Tŷ Cerdd – Music Centre Wales)
All about Grace Williams