Phyllis Kinney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phyllis Kinney
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Kinney in 2012
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| Born | July 4, 1922 Pontiac, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | June 2026 (aged 103) |
| Occupation | Singer, musicologist |
| Alma mater | Juilliard School |
| Notable works | Canu'r Cymry Welsh Traditional Music |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Phyllis Kinney (born July 4, 1922, died June 2026) was an American singer and historian. She became a top expert on traditional Welsh folk music. She studied at the famous Juilliard School. In the 1940s, she sang opera as a soprano with the Carl Rosa Opera Company.
After meeting her husband, Meredydd Evans, Phyllis learned all about the culture of Wales. She wrote, researched, and performed. This helped keep Welsh traditional music alive and popular. Her work and her husband's are now kept at the National Library of Wales.
Phyllis Kinney's Life and Musical Journey
Phyllis Kinney was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on July 4, 1922. After high school, she went to Michigan State College. There, a Welsh music teacher named Gomer Llewelyn Jones taught her. He had moved to America in 1934.
Mr. Jones made her very interested in Welsh music. She once said she barely knew about Wales before meeting him! By 1942, Phyllis was singing Welsh songs for audiences. Mr. Jones played the piano for her. He felt her singing helped people in Michigan understand Welsh culture. She graduated in 1943. Then, she earned a special scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York City.
In 1947, Phyllis became a main singer with the Carl Rosa Opera Company. She toured the United Kingdom with them that March. While in Bangor, Wales, she met Meredydd Evans. He was a Welsh folk musician. He sang in a popular group called Triawd y Coleg.
Phyllis learned to speak, read, and write Welsh. She also showed Meredydd folk music from other countries. They married on April 10, 1948. Their daughter, Eluned, was born in 1949.
Phyllis and Meredydd both worked for the BBC. They often sang together. The Western Mail newspaper said Phyllis sang in perfect Welsh, with a charming American accent. In June 1952, the family moved to America. Meredydd studied at Princeton University. In 1960, they moved back to Wales for good.
Phyllis and Meredydd put together collections of Welsh songs. These books became very important for understanding Welsh national music. In 1962, Phyllis sang opera-style on Meredydd's album, A Concert of Welsh Songs. It was his first album with instruments. Phyllis said it was like "tradition dressed up" for listeners.
In the 1980s, Phyllis and Meredydd lived in Cwmystwyth. They helped their community and taught Welsh to neighbors. Their home was a popular place for people to visit and learn. Living near the National Library of Wales helped them. They spent their retirement studying folk songs. Their research was often in the journal Canu Gwerin.
Phyllis received an honorary music degree from the University of Wales in 1991. In 1997, she and Meredydd became honorary fellows of Bangor University. In 2007, a special book was published for them. It had essays about Welsh music and culture. This book celebrated their huge contributions to Wales.
Being Welsh is like belonging to an exclusive club without membership. I can appreciate why Welshmen want to preserve their language. It's a beautiful, imaginative language.
In 2011, University of Wales Press published Phyllis's book, Welsh Traditional Music. It was a detailed history of Welsh music traditions.
Meredydd Evans passed away in 2015 at age 95. He and Phyllis had arranged to give their important papers to the National Library of Wales. These are now part of the Welsh Music Archive. In 2019, Phyllis and Meredydd received the Welsh Music Prize Inspiration Award.
Phyllis turned 100 on July 4, 2022. The National Library hosted an event called Phyllis Kinney: 100 to celebrate. Her daughter Eluned and harpist Elinor Bennett were there. Phyllis passed away in June 2026, at 103 years old.
Books by Phyllis Kinney
- Canu'r Cymry Welsh Folk-Song Society
- Canu'r Cymry II Welsh Folk-Song Society
- Caneuon Chwarae 1 Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin, 1973
- Caneuon Chwarae II Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin, 1974
- Welsh Traditional Music Welsh Traditional Music, 2011
