Glanville & Christine Price (1926-2022)

Professor Glanville Price (1928–2019) , Mrs Christine Price (1926–2022) 

Glanville and Christine were regular and familiar attendees at Bibliographical Group meetings and on Group outings for many years. Glanville had served as Chairman from 1978 to 1981, and addressed the Group on more than one occasion, his talks focusing on his work as a scholar and editor in the field of modern languages. Born in Rhaeadr, he graduated at Bangor, completing an MA there and going on to the University of Paris where he obtained a doctorate in 1956. He had a short spell as a schoolteacher in Llangollen, an experience which he claimed every university lecturer should have. This was followed by lectureships at St Andrews and Leeds, a chair at Stirling and a chair at Aberystwyth, which he held from 1972 until his retirement in 1995, after which he became a Research Professor, then Professor Emeritus. He published several books concerned with languages in Europe, including the Celtic languages, most notably his A Comprehensive French Grammar (5th ed., 2003). He also conceived and edited the Encyclopaedia of the Languages of Europe (1998). A longstanding member of the Philological Society, and a member of its Council for two terms, he was also chairman of the Modern Humanities Research Association from 1979 to 1990 and served as a member of the Broadcasting Council for Wales from 1980 to 1984. 

In all his activities Glanville was ably supported by his wife Christine, who was a native of Doncaster, where her father was a prominent local musician. Christine studied modern languages at Queen Mary College, London, and later went to study singing, and improve her French, in Paris. It was there that she met Glanville, and their happy union was to produce four children. In addition to her commitments as a wife and mother, Christine was active in music wherever the family lived, notably in Aberystwyth as a member of Cantorion Padarn and many other vocal ensembles where her pure, seraphic soprano voice was much appreciated. She also taught Spanish at St David’s University College, Lampeter and later worked as a counsellor at the Citizens’ Advice Bureau. It was said at her funeral that she was the peacemaker of the family, calming storms and reconciling differences: those who knew her and appreciated her warm and sunny personality could well believe that.  

When the time came for Glanville to move to a nursing home, Christine, ever supportive, elected to go with him. He died aged 91 on 22 December 2019; she died aged 96 on 17 October 2022. They will be much missed. 

Rhidian Griffiths