an invitation to play at the Aldeburgh Festival the following year. Britten wrote the harp part in several of his major pieces with Ellis in mind, particularly A Midsummer Night's Dream, the War Requiem and the Church Parables. Britten also wrote his Harp Suite, Op. 83, for Ellis in 1969. Ellis appeared in many first recordings of Britten's pieces, often with Britten himself conducting. When Britten had to withdraw, due to heart surgery, from accompanying his partner, the tenor Peter Pears, on the piano, Ellis came to accompany Pears, and Britten wrote new pieces for them, including Canticle V: The Death of St Narcissus (1974) and A Birthday Hansel (1975). Compositions and writings Ellis's own compositions drew on his Welsh heritage, including settings of Welsh folksongs for tenor and harp and settings of medieval Welsh strict metre poems. Diversions for two harps includes a cerdd dant setting of Dylan Thomas' poem "And death shall have no dominion". His writings include The Story of the Harp in Wales (1991) (a revision of an earlier publication in Welsh), which traces the harp's development and discusses some famous harpists. Discography Source: Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano; Debussy: Sonatas; Ravel: Introduction and Allegro, 1988, London/Decca Masterworks for the Harp, 1993, Boston Skyline Diversions, 1994, Sain Mathias: Clarinet Concerto; Harp Concerto; Piano Concerto, 1995, Lyrita Harp Concertos, 1997, London 17th & 18th-Century Harp Music, 2008, L'Oiseau-Lyre 19th & 20th-Century Harp Music, 2008, L'Oiseau-Lyre Debussy & Ravel: String Quartets; Cello Sonata; Introduction & Allegro, 2016, Alto Songs with Harp, Eloquence Handel: Jephtha; Rodrigo; Concertos for Lute & Harp; Concerto Grosso, HWV 318, Decca/Eloquence References External links Osian Ellis (Harp, Arranger) – Bach Cantatas Website Warner, Matt: Tributes to harp legend Osian Ellis, The Leader'', 15 January 2021 Welsh classical harpists Welsh classical composers Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Academics of the Royal Academy of Music Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 1928 births 2021 deaths People from Flintshire Welsh male classical composers