Thomas Dunhill
Encyclopedia
Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1 February 187713 March 1946) was an English
composer and writer on musical subjects. He is best-known for his song-cycle The Wind among the Reeds.
, London
. He attended the Royal College of Music
, London
, in 1893 and studied pianoforte under Franklin Taylor and composition under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford
. He won an open scholarship for composition in 1897. He became a music-master at Eton College
for several years, before becoming a professor at the Royal College of Music in 1905.
From 1907 to 1919 he gave concerts of chamber-music in London, the Thomas Dunhill Concerts, at which important chamber music by English composers was performed. He himself wrote chamber music and also songs and song-cycles. His song-cycle The wind among the reeds, for tenor voice and orchestra, was first performed by Gervase Elwes with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
at Queen's Hall
in 1912. His setting of W.B. Yeats
's 'The Cloths of Heaven' is deservedly famous. Elwes (with Frederick B. Kiddle
) recorded his song 'A Sea Dirge', a setting of Shakespeare's lyric Full fathom five.
In July 1918 Dunhill chaired the meeting of Directors on the Royal Philharmonic Society
which set out to reclaim democratic control of the Society's affairs when, during the Great War, they had largely fallen under the single, if highly benevolent, control of Thomas Beecham
and his secretary Donald Baylis.
He gave a concert of music by British composers in Belgrade
in 1922, and in 1924 contributed Serbian
articles to the Dent Musical Dictionary.
He died in Scunthorpe
, Lincolnshire
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer and writer on musical subjects. He is best-known for his song-cycle The Wind among the Reeds.
Life and career
Thomas Dunhill was born in HampsteadHampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He attended 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...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 1893 and studied pianoforte under Franklin Taylor and composition under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford
Charles Villiers Stanford
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford was an Irish composer who was particularly notable for his choral music. He was professor at the Royal College of Music and University of Cambridge.- Life :...
. He won an open scholarship for composition in 1897. He became a music-master at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
for several years, before becoming a professor at the Royal College of Music in 1905.
From 1907 to 1919 he gave concerts of chamber-music in London, the Thomas Dunhill Concerts, at which important chamber music by English composers was performed. He himself wrote chamber music and also songs and song-cycles. His song-cycle The wind among the reeds, for tenor voice and orchestra, was first performed by Gervase Elwes with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
at Queen's Hall
Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect T.E. Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it was the home of the promenade concerts founded by Robert...
in 1912. His setting of W.B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
's 'The Cloths of Heaven' is deservedly famous. Elwes (with Frederick B. Kiddle
Frederick B. Kiddle
Frederick B. Kiddle was a prominent English pianist, organist and accompanist.Kiddle was born at Frome, Somerset, and studied at the Royal College of Music under Sir Walter Parratt, Rockstro and Higgs...
) recorded his song 'A Sea Dirge', a setting of Shakespeare's lyric Full fathom five.
In July 1918 Dunhill chaired the meeting of Directors on the Royal Philharmonic Society
Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers and performers have taken part in its concerts...
which set out to reclaim democratic control of the Society's affairs when, during the Great War, they had largely fallen under the single, if highly benevolent, control of 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 his secretary Donald Baylis.
He gave a concert of music by British composers in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
in 1922, and in 1924 contributed Serbian
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
articles to the Dent Musical Dictionary.
He died in Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
.
Compositions
- The Wind among the Reeds (song-cycle, tenor and orch.)(1912)
- The King's Threshold (overture)
- Dance Suite for strings
- Variations on an old English tune (cello and orchestra)
- The Chiddingfold Suite (string orchestra)
- Tantivy TowersTantivy TowersTantivy Towers is a three-act light opera, written by A. P. Herbert and with music composed by Thomas Frederick Dunhill.It premiered on 16 January 1931 at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, and later transferred to the New Theatre. The play ran for six months, later touring England and being staged in...
- Elegiac variations in memory of Hubert ParryHubert ParrySir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet was an English composer, teacher and historian of music.Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is best known for the choral song "Jerusalem", the coronation anthem "I was glad" and the hymn tune "Repton", which sets the words...
(GloucesterGloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
Festival 1922) - Symphony in A minor (1916, Belgrade 1922)
- Quartet in B minor (pianoforte and strings)
- Quintet in E flat (pianoforte, wind and strings)
- Phantasy-trio (pianoforte, violin and viola)
- Phantasy Suite in six short movements (clarinet and pianoforte), Op. 91
- Phantasy string quartet
- Sonatas for violin and pianoforte, no 1 in D, no 2 in F.
- Songs and part songs (various)
- 3 children's cantatas (John Gilpin; Sea Fairies; The Masque of the Shoe)
- Pianoforte pieces for children (various)
- Pieces for violin; pieces for cello (various)
- Lyric Suite; bassoon and piano
- A Song of Erin
- Cornucopia; six miniatures for horn and piano
Writings
- Chamber Music: A Treatise for students (Macmillan, London 1913)
- "Edward German, An Appreciation" in Musical Times, Vol. 77, No. 1126 (Dec., 1936), pp. 1073-1077.
- Sullivan's Comic Operas - A Critical Appreciation (Edward Arnold, London 1928).
- Sir Edward Elgar (Blackie & Son, London, 1938)
Sources
- Arthur Eaglefield HullArthur Eaglefield HullArthur Eaglefield Hull was an English music critic, writer, composer and organist.Hull was initially a music student of Tobias Matthay and graduated with a Doctorate of Music from Oxford University...
(Ed), A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924) - R. Elkin, Royal Philharmonic (Rider & co., London 1946)