Gervase Hughes
Encyclopedia
Gervase Alfred Booth Hughes (1 September 1905 – July 1984) was an English composer, conductor and writer on music. From 1926 to 1933, Hughes pursued a career as a conductor and chorus master, principally at the British National Opera Company
, and also co-produced Shakespeare plays
. He left the musical profession in 1933, raising a family and working first as an executive in a railway company and later running luxury European tours. From 1960 to 1972 he published a series of books on musical subjects, beginning with a study of the music of Arthur Sullivan
, published in 1960.
, England, the son of Alfred Hughes, a university professor, and his wife Hester, née Booth. He was educated at Malvern College
and Corpus Christi College, Oxford
, where he was active in the Oxford University Opera Club for whom he composed a light opera. He graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts
and Bachelor of Music
in 1927.
From 1926 to 1929 Hughes was on the staff of the British National Opera Company
and conducted Carmen
, Faust
and Samson et Dalila. The company gave several performances of his one-act operetta, Castle Creevey, in 1928–30, and the score was published by Novello & Co. In 1929–30 along with Sir Thomas Beecham
and Jack Westrup
, he was one of three conductors of the London Opera Festival, for which he arranged and conducted Handel
's Giulio Cesare
, its first British performance since the composer's lifetime. Herman Klein
in The Gramophone
commented that the costumes, the lines and the acting "made the audience rock with laughter," but added, "One reservation should be made, however, and that applies to the admirable work of Mr. Gervase Hughes, both in arranging the score and conducting the efficient orchestra, including the faultless accompaniments played upon the harpsichord by Mr. Boris Ord
." Between 1926–33 he was associated with Sir Frank Benson and Oscar Asche
in Shakespeare productions, presented under the management of "Gervase Hughes Ltd".
In 1933 Hughes gave up music as a profession, though he continued to compose. He married Gwyneth Edwards, formerly an operatic soprano
, in April 1934, and the couple had two daughters. From 1934–46 Hughes worked as an executive for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
. From 1947–59 he ran a specialist travel agency offering European tours in Rolls-Royce
cars. In 1960 he embarked on a new career as an author of books on musical subjects, publishing eight books in the next twelve years. In 1967 he was appointed a Vice-President of the Gilbert and Sullivan
Society, a post he held until his death.
Hughes died in July 1984 at the age of 78.
His later books were The Pan
Book of Great Composers (1964), reissued in an expanded version as Fifty Famous Composers (1972); Great Composers of the World (1964); The Handbook of Great Composers (1965); Dvořák
: His Life and Music (1967); Sidelights on a Century of Music: 1825–1924 (1969); and (with Herbert Van Thal
) an anthology, The Music Lover's Companion (1971).
Hughes was a contributor to Opera
magazine, Monthly Musical Record, Railway Magazine and other periodicals.
, Imogen's Choice, which was staged in Liverpool
in 1929. He started another, based on Twelfth Night, but it was not completed. He wrote three operettas: Castle Creevey, Penelope and Venetian Fantasy. He also composed orchestral works, works for the piano, and songs.
British National Opera Company
The British National Opera Company presented opera in English in London and on tour in the British provinces between 1922 and 1929. It was founded in December 1921 by singers and instrumentalists from Sir Thomas Beecham's Beecham Opera Company , which was disbanded when financial problems over...
, and also co-produced Shakespeare plays
Shakespeare's plays
William Shakespeare's plays have the reputation of being among the greatest in the English language and in Western literature. Traditionally, the 37 plays are divided into the genres of tragedy, history, and comedy; they have been translated into every major living language, in addition to being...
. He left the musical profession in 1933, raising a family and working first as an executive in a railway company and later running luxury European tours. From 1960 to 1972 he published a series of books on musical subjects, beginning with a study of the music of Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
, published in 1960.
Biography
Hughes was born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England, the son of Alfred Hughes, a university professor, and his wife Hester, née Booth. He was educated at Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
and Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
, where he was active in the Oxford University Opera Club for whom he composed a light opera. He graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
in 1927.
From 1926 to 1929 Hughes was on the staff of the British National Opera Company
British National Opera Company
The British National Opera Company presented opera in English in London and on tour in the British provinces between 1922 and 1929. It was founded in December 1921 by singers and instrumentalists from Sir Thomas Beecham's Beecham Opera Company , which was disbanded when financial problems over...
and conducted Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
, Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
and Samson et Dalila. The company gave several performances of his one-act operetta, Castle Creevey, in 1928–30, and the score was published by Novello & Co. In 1929–30 along with Sir Thomas Beecham
Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet CH was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras...
and Jack Westrup
Jack Westrup
Sir Jack Westrup was an English musicologist, writer, teacher and occasional composer.-Biography:Jack Allan Westrup was the second of the three sons of George Westrup, insurance clerk, of Dulwich, and his wife, Harriet Sophia née Allan. He was educated at Dulwich College, London 1917-22, and at...
, he was one of three conductors of the London Opera Festival, for which he arranged and conducted Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's Giulio Cesare
Giulio Cesare
Giulio Cesare in Egitto , commonly known simply as Giulio Cesare, is an Italian opera in three acts written for the Royal Academy of Music by George Frideric Handel in 1724...
, its first British performance since the composer's lifetime. Herman Klein
Herman Klein
Herman Klein was an English music critic, author and teacher of singing. Klein's famous brothers included Charles and Manuel Klein...
in The Gramophone
The Gramophone
Gramophone is a magazine published monthly in London by Haymarket devoted to classical music and jazz, particularly recordings. It was founded in 1923 by the Scottish author Compton Mackenzie...
commented that the costumes, the lines and the acting "made the audience rock with laughter," but added, "One reservation should be made, however, and that applies to the admirable work of Mr. Gervase Hughes, both in arranging the score and conducting the efficient orchestra, including the faultless accompaniments played upon the harpsichord by Mr. Boris Ord
Boris Ord
Boris Ord , born Bernhard Ord, was an English organist, composer and musical director best known as the choir master of King's College, Cambridge....
." Between 1926–33 he was associated with Sir Frank Benson and Oscar Asche
Oscar Asche
John Stange Heiss Oscar Asche , better known as Oscar Asche, was an Australian actor, director and writer, best known for having written, directed, and acted in the record-breaking musical Chu Chin Chow, both on stage and film, and for acting in, directing, or producing many Shakespeare plays and...
in Shakespeare productions, presented under the management of "Gervase Hughes Ltd".
In 1933 Hughes gave up music as a profession, though he continued to compose. He married Gwyneth Edwards, formerly an operatic soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, in April 1934, and the couple had two daughters. From 1934–46 Hughes worked as an executive for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
. From 1947–59 he ran a specialist travel agency offering European tours in Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
cars. In 1960 he embarked on a new career as an author of books on musical subjects, publishing eight books in the next twelve years. In 1967 he was appointed a Vice-President of the Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
Society, a post he held until his death.
Hughes died in July 1984 at the age of 78.
Books
Hughes's first book on musical subjects was The Music of Arthur Sullivan (1960), the first full-length study of the composer. The book received good reviews and was followed by a wider study of operetta in 1962 called Composers of Operetta (reissued in 1974).His later books were The Pan
Pan Books
Pan Books is an imprint which first became active in the 1940s and is now part of the British-based Macmillan Publishers owned by German publishers, Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group....
Book of Great Composers (1964), reissued in an expanded version as Fifty Famous Composers (1972); Great Composers of the World (1964); The Handbook of Great Composers (1965); Dvořák
Dvorák
- Dvořák or Dvorak :* Ann Dvorak , American film actress* Antonín Dvořák , Czech composer of Romantic music* August Dvorak , American psychologist, co-creator of the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard...
: His Life and Music (1967); Sidelights on a Century of Music: 1825–1924 (1969); and (with Herbert Van Thal
Herbert Van Thal
Herbert Maurice van Thal , better known as Bertie, was a bookseller, publisher, agent, biographer, and anthologist. His grandfather was a distiller , and was a director of the theatre proprieters, Howard and Wyndham...
) an anthology, The Music Lover's Companion (1971).
Hughes was a contributor to Opera
Opera (magazine)
Opera is a monthly British magazine devoted to covering all things related to opera.Based in London, the magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood. It was launched at the house of Richard Buckle, under the imprint 'Ballet Publications Ltd'...
magazine, Monthly Musical Record, Railway Magazine and other periodicals.
Music
Hughes completed one grand operaGrand Opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras, and lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events...
, Imogen's Choice, which was staged in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 1929. He started another, based on Twelfth Night, but it was not completed. He wrote three operettas: Castle Creevey, Penelope and Venetian Fantasy. He also composed orchestral works, works for the piano, and songs.