William Mathias; Wrote Music for Royal Events

Welsh composer William Mathias, whose works included an anthem sung at the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and two pieces for Queen Elizabeth II’s 1977 silver jubilee, has died. He was 57.

Mathias died of cancer Wednesday at his home on the north Wales island of Anglesey, his family said.

Mathias was among the leading creative musicians of the past half-century in Wales. He composed in traditional forms, mainly in tonal harmony.

In later life he frequently visited the United States, and in 1987 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of music by Westminster Choir College, Princeton.

Born at Whitland in southwest Wales, he won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music. His clarinet sonatina was performed at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival in 1957 while he was still a student.

He was senior music lecturer at Edinburgh University in Scotland in 1968, but then returned to Wales for a professorship in the music department at the University College of North Wales. He was named head of the department in 1970 and retained the post until his retirement in 1988.

He founded the North Wales Music Festival in 1972 and remained its artistic director until his death.