Blue plaque honour for conductor

A RENOWNED Welsh conductor who gave up his profession after his son contracted meningitis has been commemorated in his hometown.

The life of Richard Williams, who was recognised as a leading light of choral singing in South Wales for more than 70 years, was honoured with a blue plaque unveiled in Tonyrefail.

He created “hugely successful” individual choirs for men, women and children, and two of his internationally famous groups sang at the ceremony with family and friends near the site of his former music centre in the village.

Historian Dean Powell, who led the ceremony, said: “Richard Williams provided a lasting legacy of musicmaking in this part of South Wales and as many as three generations of the same family sang in one of his successful choirs. With overseas tours, celebrity concerts and a host of recording contracts, Richard Williams’ choirs continue to stand as a testimony to his tireless efforts in nurturing Welsh culture in the communities of the county borough.”

The two groups – the Richard Williams Singers and Gentlemen Songsters – both performed before a packed audience at Thomastown Community Centre, where they were joined by Callum Howells, who left Gary Barlow’s Let It Shine television talent show to perform in She Loves Me on the West End with Les Dennis earlier this year.

The plaque was unveiled by Margaret Tegg, the new mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taff, who was joined by Mr Williams’ daughters Sian, Margaret and Helen. Supporting the venture was Ann Barrett of the Rhondda Civic Society who helped plan the entire project.

Mr Williams was a born entertainer, recognised in the 1938 National Eisteddfod for his talents and at the age of 15 began touring with a troupe of singers around the music halls of the UK before returning home to join the fledgling Welsh National Opera.

His musical career ended when his baby son – also named Richard – contracted meningitis, making him profoundly deaf and Mr Williams, appalled by the facilities to help children with this condition, decided to educate his son himself.

With a part-time job selling insurance helping to keep the family going, he devoted the rest of his time to music and formed the Gentleman Songsters in 1951, followed by the Richard Williams Singers in 1965 and the Richard Williams Junior Singers in 1966.

Daughters Sian, Margaret and Helen all joined the ranks under the baton of their father and have enjoyed a lifetime of music together.

Each achieved remarkable success, with frequent broadcasts, recording sessions and tours of Europe and North America.

They performed before royalty and Mr Williams continued to train young singers at his Tonyrefail Music Centre.

At the age of 54 he qualified as a teacher, and in 1977 was awarded the MBE for his services to music in the community.

In 1993, the Open University in Wales honoured him with a Degree of Master of the University. Mr Williams died in December 2007.