William Mathias

MATHIAS, William James. b. Whitland, Pembrokeshire, 1 November 1934; d. Anglesey, 29 July 1992. Mathias studied at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and at the Royal Academy of Music with Sir Lennox Berkeley. He established himself as one of the most distinctive and accessible composers of his generation and became particularly celebrated for his church and choral music. In 1981 he composed an anthem ‘Let the People Praise Thee, O God’ (Psalm 67) — for the Wedding in St. Paul’s Cathedral on 29 July of The Prince of Wales and Diana Spencer. His wider output includes 3 symphonies, 3 piano concertos, 3 string quartets, 3 large-scale choral and orchestral works — This Worlde’s Joie,...