Abbot Alan William Rees, O.S.B. (1 February 1941 – 2 October 2005)^[1] was a Welsh Roman Catholic monk, organist, and composer of choral and organ music. From 1986-1993, Rees was abbot of Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire.

Biography

Rees was born in Morriston, near Swansea, to Hilda and John Rees.^[1] He attended both an Anglican church with his mother, and a Welsh baptist church with his father.^[1] He attended Dynefor Grammar School, and later studied music and education at University College Cardiff.^[1]

Rees began a musical career as organist and director of the choir at Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral, where he worked from 1963 until 1968.^[1] He then began a novitiate at Belmont Abbey, became a monk four years later, and was ordained two years later.^[1] He directed the music there, and taught at the school.^[1] He became abbot of the abbey in 1986, a position he held until he resigned in 1993 due to the pressures of the role and his mental health.^[1][2] He was the ninth person to hold the position.^[3]

Rees died suddenly after a fall in 2005.^[1] The coroner recorded a death of suicide, as he likely jumped from a landing.^[4] Rees had suffered from depression for much of his life, and attempted suicide the year before.^[4]

Selected compositions

• English Mass^[5]
• Congress Mass, for the National Pastoral Congress in Liverpool, 1980
• Cardiff Mass, for Pope John Paul II's visit to Britain, 1982^[1]
• "A Winter Rose", carol

References