Laura Evans-Williams (7 September 1883 – 5 October 1944) was a Welsh soprano singer.

Early life and education

Laura Evans was born in Henllan, Denbighshire in the north-east Wales and was the eldest child of a castrator (1901 census), John Evans, and his wife Ellen Evans. Her sister was the director Eleanor Evans. Evans-Williams was educated at Howell's School, Denbigh and later the Royal Academy of Music where she studied under the guidance of Edward Iles who helped to develop her voice.^[1]

Career

She started her career as a contralto singer and won prizes at several eisteddfodau. She performed in the 1911 edition of The Proms in the event's 28th day. Evans-Williams also performed operatic arias and Welsh folk-songs, and toured extensively with fellow contralto singer Clara Butt during World War I.^[1][2]

In 1910, Evans-Williams was featured as soloist in Edward Elgar's Caractacus in London, with Merlin Morgan conducting.^[3]

Evans-Williams had been invited to give the performance of the National Eisteddfod's traditional chairing song at the 1917 event held in Birkenhead, but she sang I Blas Gogerddan when it was announced the winner of the chair, Ellis Evans (Hedd Wyn), had been killed in battle. Evans-Williams had already lost her beloved brother, Stanley at Ypres in 1916 and would lose her elder brother, Hugh George at Peronne in 1918.^[4] She sang the chairing song when the Eisteddfod moved to Wrexham sixteen years later, and received an encore.^[1]

Evans-Williams undertook a concert tour of the United States in 1925–1926.^[5] She was the first Welsh artist to broadcast from Savoy Hill.^[1]

Personal life

Laura Evans-Williams moved back to Colwyn Bay in 1940 after living in London and taught singing until she died on 5 October 1944. Evans-Williams was survived by her two children - Mair and Tudor; she was buried at Henllan. Her husband R.T. Williams, a London draper, originally from Henllan has died in 1916, aged 42 years ^[1]

References