Howard Ferguson (composer)
Encyclopedia
Howard Ferguson was a British
composer
and musicologist
. He composed instrumental, chamber, orchestral and choral works. While his music is not widely-known today, his Piano Sonata in F Minor (Op. 8) and his Five Bagatelles for piano (Op. 9) are still performed. His works represent some of the most important 20th-century music to emerge from Northern Ireland
.
heard him in 1922 and encouraged his parents to allow him to travel to London to become his pupil. Following studies at Westminster School
Ferguson entered the Royal College of Music
in 1924 to study composition with R. O. Morris
and Ralph Vaughan Williams
. He also studied conducting
with Malcolm Sargent
, and formed a friendship with fellow-student Gerald Finzi
.
His early compositions, such as his Octet of 1933 (scored for the same forces as Franz Schubert
's octet), met with considerable success.
During World War II
, Ferguson helped Myra Hess
run the popular, morale-boosting series of concerts at the National Gallery
. From 1948 to 1963 he taught at the Royal Academy of Music
, his students there including Richard Rodney Bennett
and Cornelius Cardew
. He regarded Bennett as having an astonishing natural talent, though lacking a personal musical style.
After writing The Dream of the Rood in 1958-9, Ferguson simply gave up composing (saying that in his relatively few works he had 'said' all he wanted to say) in order to concentrate on musicology. His editions of early keyboard music and the complete piano sonata
s of Schubert are authoritative.
In his later years he lived in Cambridge.
, who recorded the Piano Sonata in 1942, and Jascha Heifetz
who recorded the first violin sonata in 1966. In addition,a live recording of Discovery, performed by Kathleen Ferrier
and Ernest Lush in 1953, has been issued by Decca (475 6060).
More recent recordings include:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and musicologist
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
. He composed instrumental, chamber, orchestral and choral works. While his music is not widely-known today, his Piano Sonata in F Minor (Op. 8) and his Five Bagatelles for piano (Op. 9) are still performed. His works represent some of the most important 20th-century music to emerge from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Biography
Ferguson was born in Belfast. His musical talent was apparent early. The pianist Harold SamuelHarold Samuel
Not to be confused with Harold Samuel, Baron Samuel of Wych Cross Harold Samuel was a distinguished English pianist and pedagogue. He was one of the first pianists of the 20th century to focus purely on the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, and was known for his academic and cerebral approach...
heard him in 1922 and encouraged his parents to allow him to travel to London to become his pupil. Following studies at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
Ferguson entered the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
in 1924 to study composition with R. O. Morris
R. O. Morris
Reginald Owen Morris , almost universally cited in sources and referred to even by his friends by his initials, as 'R.O. Morris', was a British composer whose compositions have been overshadowed by his formidable reputation as a teacher.He was born in York...
and Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
. He also studied conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
with Malcolm Sargent
Malcolm Sargent
Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works...
, and formed a friendship with fellow-student Gerald Finzi
Gerald Finzi
Gerald Raphael Finzi was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a song-writer, but also wrote in other genres...
.
His early compositions, such as his Octet of 1933 (scored for the same forces as Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's octet), met with considerable success.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Ferguson helped Myra Hess
Myra Hess
Dame Myra Hess DBE was a British pianist.She was born in London as Julia Myra Hess, but was best known by her middle name. At the age of five she began to study the piano and two years later entered the Guildhall School of Music, where she graduated as winner of the Gold Medal...
run the popular, morale-boosting series of concerts at the National Gallery
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
. From 1948 to 1963 he taught at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, his students there including Richard Rodney Bennett
Richard Rodney Bennett
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, CBE is an English composer renowned for his film scores and his jazz performance as much as for his challenging concert works...
and Cornelius Cardew
Cornelius Cardew
Cornelius Cardew was an English experimental music composer, and founder of the Scratch Orchestra, an experimental performing ensemble. He later rejected the avant-garde in favour of a politically motivated "people's liberation music".-Biography:Cardew was born in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire...
. He regarded Bennett as having an astonishing natural talent, though lacking a personal musical style.
After writing The Dream of the Rood in 1958-9, Ferguson simply gave up composing (saying that in his relatively few works he had 'said' all he wanted to say) in order to concentrate on musicology. His editions of early keyboard music and the complete piano sonata
Piano sonata
A piano sonata is a sonata written for a solo piano. Piano sonatas are usually written in three or four movements, although some piano sonatas have been written with a single movement , two movements , five or even more movements...
s of Schubert are authoritative.
In his later years he lived in Cambridge.
Selected compositions
- Op. 1 Two Ballads, for baritone and orchestra (1928-32)
- Op. 2 Violin Sonata No.1 (1931)
- Op. 3 Three Mediaeval Carols, for voice and piano (1932-33)
- Op. 4 Octet, for clarinet, bassoon, string quartet and double-bass (1933)
- Op. 5a Partita, orchestral version (1935-36)
- Op. 5b Partita, version for two pianos or piano four hands (1935-36)
- Op. 6 Four Short Pieces, for clarinet or viola and piano (1932-36)
- Op. 7 Four Diversions on Ulster Airs, for orchestra (1939-42)
- Op. 8 Piano Sonata in F minor (1938-40)
- Op. 9 Five Bagatelles for piano (1944)
- Op. 10 Violin Sonata No.2 (1946)
- Op. 12 Concerto for piano and strings (1950-51)
- Op. 13 Discovery, song-cycle to words by Denton WelchDenton WelchMaurice Denton Welch was an English-American writer and painter, admired for his vivid prose and precise descriptions.-Biography:...
for voice and piano (1951) - Op. 14 Three Sketches, for flute and piano(1932, revised 1952)
- Op. 16 Overture for an Occasion for orchestra (1952-53)
- Op. 17 Five Irish Folksongs, for solo voice and piano (1954)
- Op. 18 Amore Langueo, for tenor, chorus and orchestra (1955-56)
- Op. 19 The Dream of the Rood, for soprano, chorus and orchestra (1958)
- Love and Reason for counter-tenor and piano (1958)
Recordings
Ferguson's music has had many distinguished interpreters. These have included Myra HessMyra Hess
Dame Myra Hess DBE was a British pianist.She was born in London as Julia Myra Hess, but was best known by her middle name. At the age of five she began to study the piano and two years later entered the Guildhall School of Music, where she graduated as winner of the Gold Medal...
, who recorded the Piano Sonata in 1942, and Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz was a violinist, born in Vilnius, then Russian Empire, now Lithuania. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time.- Early life :...
who recorded the first violin sonata in 1966. In addition,a live recording of Discovery, performed by Kathleen Ferrier
Kathleen Ferrier
Kathleen Mary Ferrier CBE was an English contralto who achieved an international reputation as a stage, concert and recording artist, with a repertoire extending from folksong and popular ballads to the classical works of Bach, Brahms, Mahler and Elgar...
and Ernest Lush in 1953, has been issued by Decca (475 6060).
More recent recordings include:
- Hyperion CDA66130 (1984) Piano version of the Partita and the Piano Sonata, performed by Howard ShelleyHoward ShelleyHoward Gordon Shelley OBE is a British pianist and conductor. He was educated at Highgate School and the Royal College of Music...
and Hilary MacNamara. - EMI 0777 7 64738 2 6 (1986) Concerto for piano and strings and Amore langueo performed by Howard ShelleyHoward ShelleyHoward Gordon Shelley OBE is a British pianist and conductor. He was educated at Highgate School and the Royal College of Music...
(piano), Martyn Hill (tenor), the London Symphony Chorus and the City of London SinfoniaCity of London SinfoniaThe City of London Sinfonia is an English chamber orchestra based in London. In London, the CLS performs regularly at Cadogan Hall and St Paul's Cathedral. It is also the resident orchestra at Opera Holland Park. The CLS has annual residencies in four towns in Southern England: Ipswich, King's...
, conducted by Richard HickoxRichard HickoxRichard Sidney Hickox CBE was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music.-Early life:Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family...
. - Chandos CHAN 9082 (1992). Contains Two Ballads, the orchestral version of the Partita and The Dream of the Rood. Performed by Anne Dawson (soprano), Brian Rayner Cook (baritone), the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Richard HickoxRichard HickoxRichard Sidney Hickox CBE was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music.-Early life:Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family...
. - Chandos CHAN 9316 (1995). Contains the two violin sonatas, Three Medieval Carols, Four Short Pieces, Love and Reason, Discovery, Three Sketches, and Five Irish Folksongs. Performed by Sally Burgess (mezzo-soprano), Reiner Schneider-Waterberg (countertenor), John Mark AinsleyJohn Mark AinsleyJohn Mark Ainsley is an English lyric tenor. Known for his supple voice, Ainsley is particularly admired for his interpretations of baroque music and the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
(tenor), David Butt (flute), Janet Hilton (clarinet), Lydia Mordkovitch (violin) and Clifford Benson (piano). - Naxos 8.55729 (2005) Concerto for piano and strings performed by Peter Donohue and the Northern SinfoniaNorthern SinfoniaThe Northern Sinfonia is a British chamber orchestra, based initially in Newcastle upon Tyne, and currently in Gateshead. For the first 46 years of its history, the orchestra gave the bulk of its concerts at the City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2004, the orchestra has been resident at The...
.