Her father ran a shoe shop and he was a deacon in Ton Pentre' Jerusalem Chapel where Mary John would sing with their Band of Hope.

[1] She became a student of Clara Novello Davies[1] who had started the Royal Welsh Ladies' Choir.

[2] In 1893 two of her students, John and Elsie Drinkwater won a prize at the National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd singing 'Quis est homo?'

This led to an invitation for her choir to attend the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago that year.

He was assisted by a wooden platform and May John who had been part of a group touring North Wales revival meetings.