Clarke, Passacaglia on an Old English Tune for Viola Rebecca Clarke got a one-line entry in the 1980 edition of Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians informing us that she was an English violist married to the composer John Friskin. Interest in women composers exploded … Read more
Finzi, Channel Firing Last November, around Veteran’s Day, we featured several works that dealt with World War I. George Butterworth’s 1911 setting of Housman’s The Lad’s in Their Hundreds presaged the death of so many, including Butterworth himself. We also featured Ivor Gurney’s In Flanders … Read more
Ireland, Sea Fever English composer John Ireland (1879-1962) studied composition with Charles Villiers Stanford at the Royal Conservatory. Introverted and timid, Ireland found Stanford’s exacting standards and sometimes harsh demeanor intimidating, but he credited Stanford with giving him a solid foundation. Ireland would join the … Read more
Vaughan Williams, Bredon Hill The collection of 63 poems by A. E. Housman (1859-1936) entitled A Shropshire Lad became a favorite source for song texts in England at the beginning of the 20th century. Major publishers initially turned it down, but Housman himself subsidized its … Read more
The Agincourt Carol I have spent the past week exploring military history in Western Europe. Time constraints have made it a superficial exploration in many ways. In some places, I was well prepared to understand what I was seeing. In others places, I have at … Read more
Warlock, Bethlehem Down Peter Warlock is the pseudonym of Philip Arnold Heseltine (1894-1930). Heseltine was born in London to a wealthy family. His father soon died and his mother was remarried to a landowner in Wales. Heseltine’s Welsh roots would form part of his lifelong … Read more
Gurney, In Flanders Last week we featured a work by George Butterworth, a young English composer who was killed in action in World War I. Today, we look at Ivor Gurney (1890-1937), another English composer and contemporary of Butterworth. Gurney saw combat in World War … Read more
Butterworth, The Lads in Their Hundreds George Butterworth (1885-1916) was one of several the English composers who in the early 20th century collected folk songs and worked them into his compositions. We have already looked at his contemporaries Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Frank Bridge, … Read more
Britten, Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings I have previously mentioned my years, basically middle school through college, as a horn player. During that time, I frequently heard the name of Dennis Brain as the undisputed master of the instrument. Brain (1921-1957) had died quite … Read more
Stanford, Beati Quorum Via I often turn to Irish music in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. This year, I’m featuring a Latin motet by English composer Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924). Beati quorum via bears none of the marks of traditional Irish music. Sanford was, however, … Read more