William Denis Browne
Encyclopedia
William Charles Denis Browne (3 November 1888 – 4 June 1915), primarily known as Billy to family and as Denis to his friends, was a British
composer
, pianist
, organist
and music critic of the early 20th century. He and his close friend, poet Rupert Brooke
, were commissioned into the Royal Naval Division together shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. Denis Browne was killed in action during the Gallipoli Campaign.
service record
, and his record at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
(CWGC).
There is similar confusion over his death date. He received what were presumed to be his fatal wounds on 4 June 1915, but was not officially reported "wounded and missing" until 7 June 1915, and it is this date which is recorded by the CWGC as the date of death, although his service record gives both dates.
, Warwickshire
on 3 November 1888; his parents were of Anglo-Irish
descent. His father had been a land agent
and had served as a juror in the Phoenix Park Murders
trial. A grandfather had been Dean
of Emly (the cathedral was demolished in 1877), and a great-grandfather was a Member of Parliament
for Mayo
and younger brother of the 1st Marquess of Sligo
.
He showed early musical talent, and by the age of 15 was running the choir
and playing the organ
for all Sunday services at the church his family attended. He attended Greyfriars Preparatory School
in Leamington and in 1903 took up a Classics
scholarship at Rugby
, having turned down one for mathematics at Harrow
. It was at Rugby that Denis Browne first met Rupert Brooke
, son of a master and a year older, and they greatly influenced each other. In 1906, Denis Browne pestered Brooke to write a poem for him to set to music for Easter Day. Brooke eventually did so, the result being "A song in praise of Cremation written to my lady on Easter Day"; Brooke was impressed with Denis Browne's musical setting of it.
, having again obtained a scholarship, and following Brooke who had gone up to King's
the previous year. At Cambridge he continued his musical activities, and also took part (with Brooke) in student theatrical productions.
At Cambridge he also became acquainted with a number of other musicians, including Arthur Bliss
, Cecil Armstrong Gibbs
, Clive Carey
, Steuart Wilson
and Ralph Vaughan Williams
. Perhaps more significantly the Cambridge don
Edward Joseph Dent
rated him "by far the cleverest of the musicians" then at the university.
His results in his BA
were disappointing, which saw the end of the civil service career for which his father had hoped. Given this, and with some persuasion from his friends, he persuaded his father to allow him to undertake further studies in music. In 1910 Denis Browne became organ scholar
at Clare, and masterminded the installation of a new organ. In this period at Cambridge, he studied composition with Charles Wood
, organ with Alan Gray, and piano with Ursula Newton (a former pupil of Ferruccio Busoni
). Many of his compositions at time were premiered by the college choir or orchestra. He also became known as a promising conductor. He sang in the chorus which premiered Vaughan Williams incidental music The Wasps
, and also played through Hugh the Drover
and On Wenlock Edge whilst Vaughan Williams was still working on them.
as an assistant music master and school organist in April 1912, Vaughan Williams wrote him a reference describing him as having "a most musical nature and his artistic judgement and perception are remarkable". He formally graduated with distinction in May 1912. He immediately improved musical standards at Repton noticeably.
He and Wilson visited Busoni in Berlin
. He became a favoured student of Busoni but excessive piano practice led him to injure his hand, suffering from either tenosynovitis
or neuritis (with the possibility of paralysis). As a result, in December 1912 he resigned his position at Repton.
He then took up the position as organist at Guy's Hospital
(in succession to Carey) in early 1913, supplementing his income with various freelance positions. These included teaching at Morley College
(deputising for Gustav Holst
), assorted choral conducting positions, and acting as accompanist to Carey, Wilson and the French soprano Jane Bathori-Engel. He also became known as a critic, writing for the Blue Review, The New Statesman
, The Daily Telegraph
and The Times
. In his Grove article, Hugh Taylor describes Denis Browne's criticism as "reveal[ing] a brilliant musical mind".
Denis Browne had stayed in touch with Brooke, and through him met Edward Marsh. Denis Browne became part of Marsh's Georgian circle
, establishing himself as a particular favourite during Brooke's overseas travels in 1913 and 1914, although Denis Browne and Marsh had differing views of the musical merits of Igor Stravinsky
's ballet The Rite of Spring
.
Marsh used his influence as Private Secretary
to Winston Churchill
(then First Lord of the Admiralty) to obtain Brooke a commission
. Brooke refused to take it unless Denis Browne was also commissioned, which happened by mid-September 1914. They both became temporary Sub-Lieutenant
s in the newly formed Royal Naval Division, joining the Anson
Battalion of the 2nd Naval Brigade
. They participated in the abortive Antwerp Expedition in October 1914, before being transferred to the Hood
Battalion, to join the force being assembled for the Gallipoli landings. They travelled on the Grantully Castle, Denis Browne passed his time playing duets with F. S. Kelly and directing the band of the Hood Battalion. Brooke died during the journey, contracting septicaemia after an insect bite. Denis Browne chose the site of his grave on Skyros
, writing:
Denis Browne saw action in the Dardanelles
, and was wounded in the neck on 8 May 1915. He recuperated in Egypt, and rejoined his unit in early June, despite not being fully fit. During the Third Battle of Krithia
he took part in an attack on Turkish
trenches on 4 June 1915 during which he was wounded first in the shoulder and then the stomach. It was not possible to evacuate him, but he passed his wallet to a petty officer
, to be returned home.
His body was never recovered, he is commemorated on the CWGC memorial on Cape Helles
.
In an earlier letter to Dent, Denis Browne had asked him to destroy any compositions, "that did not represent Denis Browne at his best". Aided by Vaughan Williams and Wilson in sorting through Denis Browne's work, Dent burnt most of the compositions, those that remain are now held in the archives of Clare College, and the music and manuscript collections of the British Library
.
In 1918, Marion Scott
pressed Dent to allow performance of the remaining works (having first established that Denis Browne's mother wished to see them performed). After some initial resistance, a concert was arranged at Wigmore Hall
on 24 April 1918.
A small selection of Denis Browne's surviving songs have been recorded, by Graham Trew, Martyn Hill, Ian Bostridge
and Christopher Maltman. On 11 November 2007, his Magnificat
and Nunc Dimittis
in G major
was performed in a BBC Radio 3
broadcast of Choral Evensong
for Remembrance Day
, given by the Choir of Clare College, and on 21 May 2009 the same station broadcast Maltman's recording of "To Gratiana dancing and singing", following Andrew Motion
reading his own poem "The Grave of Rupert Brooke". Denis Browne is mostly remembered for his friendship with poet Rupert Brooke
, from their years together at Rugby School
and the University of Cambridge
. He set several of Brooke's poems to music, although these settings have not survived. Fellow soldier and poet Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
dedicated a poem to Browne in his 1916 volume of poems entitled Battle, and other Poems.
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...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and music critic of the early 20th century. He and his close friend, poet Rupert Brooke
Rupert Brooke
Rupert Chawner Brooke was an English poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War, especially The Soldier...
, were commissioned into the Royal Naval Division together shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. Denis Browne was killed in action during the Gallipoli Campaign.
Name and death date ambiguities
According to his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB), his surname was Denis Browne. Despite this, both the ODNB and Grove Music Online list him as Browne, as does his Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
service record
Service record
A service record is a collection of either electronic or printed material which provides a documentary history of a person's activities and accomplishments while serving as a member of a given organization...
, and his record at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
(CWGC).
There is similar confusion over his death date. He received what were presumed to be his fatal wounds on 4 June 1915, but was not officially reported "wounded and missing" until 7 June 1915, and it is this date which is recorded by the CWGC as the date of death, although his service record gives both dates.
Early life
Denis Browne was born in Leamington SpaLeamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
on 3 November 1888; his parents were of Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
descent. His father had been a land agent
Land agent
Land agent may be used in at least three different contexts.Traditionally, a land agent was a managerial employee who conducted the business affairs of a large landed estate for a member of the landed gentry of the United Kingdom, supervising the farming of the property by farm labourers and/or...
and had served as a juror in the Phoenix Park Murders
Phoenix Park Murders
The Phoenix Park Murders were the fatal stabbings on 6 May 1882 in the Phoenix Park in Dublin of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Henry Burke. Cavendish was the newly appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, and Burke was the Permanent Undersecretary, the most senior Irish civil servant...
trial. A grandfather had been Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Emly (the cathedral was demolished in 1877), and a great-grandfather was a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Mayo
Mayo (UK Parliament constituency)
Mayo was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.-History :...
and younger brother of the 1st Marquess of Sligo
Marquess of Sligo
Marquess of Sligo is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for John Browne, 3rd Earl of Altamont. The Marquess holds the subsidiary titles of Baron Mount Eagle, of Westport in the County of Mayo , Viscount Westport, of Westport in the County of Mayo , Earl of Altamont, in the...
.
He showed early musical talent, and by the age of 15 was running the choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and playing the organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
for all Sunday services at the church his family attended. He attended Greyfriars Preparatory School
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
in Leamington and in 1903 took up a Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
scholarship at Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, having turned down one for mathematics at Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. It was at Rugby that Denis Browne first met Rupert Brooke
Rupert Brooke
Rupert Chawner Brooke was an English poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War, especially The Soldier...
, son of a master and a year older, and they greatly influenced each other. In 1906, Denis Browne pestered Brooke to write a poem for him to set to music for Easter Day. Brooke eventually did so, the result being "A song in praise of Cremation written to my lady on Easter Day"; Brooke was impressed with Denis Browne's musical setting of it.
University
In 1907 Denis Browne proceeded to Clare College, CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, having again obtained a scholarship, and following Brooke who had gone up to King's
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
the previous year. At Cambridge he continued his musical activities, and also took part (with Brooke) in student theatrical productions.
At Cambridge he also became acquainted with a number of other musicians, including Arthur Bliss
Arthur Bliss
Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, CH, KCVO was an English composer and conductor.Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army...
, Cecil Armstrong Gibbs
Cecil Armstrong Gibbs
Cecil Armstrong Gibbs was an English composer. A monument on the north chancel wall of the church of St John the Baptist, Danbury, Essex states that "He lived, worked and is buried in Danbury".He studied with Edward Dent at Trinity College, Cambridge, and with Charles Wood and Ralph Vaughan Williams...
, Clive Carey
Clive Carey
Francis Clive Savill Carey CBE , known as Clive Carey, was a British baritone, singing teacher, composer, opera producer and folk song collector.-Biography:Clive Carey was born at Sible Hedingham, Essex in 1883...
, Steuart Wilson
Steuart Wilson
Sir James Steuart Wilson was an English singer, known for tenor roles in oratorios and concerts in the first half of the 20th century....
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...
. Perhaps more significantly the Cambridge don
University don
A don is a fellow or tutor of a college or university, especially traditional collegiate universities such as Oxford and Cambridge in England.The term — similar to the title still used for Catholic priests — is a historical remnant of Oxford and Cambridge having started as ecclesiastical...
Edward Joseph Dent
Edward Joseph Dent
Edward Joseph Dent, generally known by his initials as E. J. Dent was a British writer on music....
rated him "by far the cleverest of the musicians" then at the university.
His results in his BA
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...
were disappointing, which saw the end of the civil service career for which his father had hoped. Given this, and with some persuasion from his friends, he persuaded his father to allow him to undertake further studies in music. In 1910 Denis Browne became organ scholar
Organ scholar
An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at an institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and administrative experience....
at Clare, and masterminded the installation of a new organ. In this period at Cambridge, he studied composition with Charles Wood
Charles Wood (composer)
Charles Wood was an Irish composer and teacher.Born in Armagh, Ireland, he was the fifth child and third son of Charles Wood Sr. and Jemima Wood. His father was a tenor in the choir of the nearby St. Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh , and later worked as the Diocesan Registrar of the church...
, organ with Alan Gray, and piano with Ursula Newton (a former pupil of Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
). Many of his compositions at time were premiered by the college choir or orchestra. He also became known as a promising conductor. He sang in the chorus which premiered Vaughan Williams incidental music The Wasps
The Wasps (Vaughan Williams)
The Wasps is incidental music composed by the British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1909. It was written for a production of Aristophanes' The Wasps at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was Vaughan Williams' first of only two forays into incidental music...
, and also played through Hugh the Drover
Hugh the Drover
Hugh the Drover is an opera in two acts by Ralph Vaughan Williams to an original English libretto by Harold Child. According to Michael Kennedy, the composer took first inspiration for the opera from this question to Bruce Richmond, editor of The Times Literary Supplement, around 1909–1910:"I...
and On Wenlock Edge whilst Vaughan Williams was still working on them.
Career
With the completion of his MusB, Denis Browne took a job at Repton SchoolRepton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
as an assistant music master and school organist in April 1912, Vaughan Williams wrote him a reference describing him as having "a most musical nature and his artistic judgement and perception are remarkable". He formally graduated with distinction in May 1912. He immediately improved musical standards at Repton noticeably.
He and Wilson visited Busoni in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He became a favoured student of Busoni but excessive piano practice led him to injure his hand, suffering from either tenosynovitis
Tenosynovitis
Tenosynovitis is the inflammation of the fluid-filled sheath that surrounds a tendon. Symptoms of tenosynovitis include pain, swelling and difficulty moving the particular joint where the inflammation occurs. When the condition causes the finger to "stick" in a flexed position, this is called...
or neuritis (with the possibility of paralysis). As a result, in December 1912 he resigned his position at Repton.
He then took up the position as organist at Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
(in succession to Carey) in early 1913, supplementing his income with various freelance positions. These included teaching at Morley College
Morley College
Morley College is an adult education college in London, England. It was founded in the 1880s and has a student population of 10,806 adult students...
(deputising for Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
), assorted choral conducting positions, and acting as accompanist to Carey, Wilson and the French soprano Jane Bathori-Engel. He also became known as a critic, writing for the Blue Review, The New Statesman
The New Statesman
The New Statesman is an award-winning British sitcom of the late 1980s and early 1990s satirising the Conservative government of the time...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. In his Grove article, Hugh Taylor describes Denis Browne's criticism as "reveal[ing] a brilliant musical mind".
Denis Browne had stayed in touch with Brooke, and through him met Edward Marsh. Denis Browne became part of Marsh's Georgian circle
Georgian Poetry
Georgian Poetry was the title of a series of anthologies showcasing the work of a school of English poetry that established itself during the early years of the reign of King George V of the United Kingdom....
, establishing himself as a particular favourite during Brooke's overseas travels in 1913 and 1914, although Denis Browne and Marsh had differing views of the musical merits of Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
's ballet The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...
.
War service
On the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Marsh used his influence as Private Secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
to Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
(then First Lord of the Admiralty) to obtain Brooke a commission
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
. Brooke refused to take it unless Denis Browne was also commissioned, which happened by mid-September 1914. They both became temporary Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
s in the newly formed Royal Naval Division, joining the Anson
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
Battalion of the 2nd Naval Brigade
Naval Brigade
A Naval Brigade is a body of sailors serving in a ground combat role to augment land forces.-Royal Navy:Within the Royal Navy, a Naval Brigade is a large temporary detachment of Royal Marines and of seamen from the Royal Navy formed to undertake operations on shore, particularly during the mid- to...
. They participated in the abortive Antwerp Expedition in October 1914, before being transferred to the Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
Battalion, to join the force being assembled for the Gallipoli landings. They travelled on the Grantully Castle, Denis Browne passed his time playing duets with F. S. Kelly and directing the band of the Hood Battalion. Brooke died during the journey, contracting septicaemia after an insect bite. Denis Browne chose the site of his grave on Skyros
Skyros
Skyros is an island in Greece, the southernmost of the Sporades, an archipelago in the Aegean Sea. Around the 2nd millennium BC and slightly later, the island was known as The Island of the Magnetes where the Magnetes used to live and later Pelasgia and Dolopia and later Skyros...
, writing:
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
, and was wounded in the neck on 8 May 1915. He recuperated in Egypt, and rejoined his unit in early June, despite not being fully fit. During the Third Battle of Krithia
Third Battle of Krithia
The Third Battle of Krithia , fought on the Gallipoli peninsula during World War I, was the final in a series of Allied attacks against the Ottoman defences aimed at capturing the original objectives of 25 April 1915...
he took part in an attack on Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
trenches on 4 June 1915 during which he was wounded first in the shoulder and then the stomach. It was not possible to evacuate him, but he passed his wallet to a petty officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
, to be returned home.
Legacy
The wallet was found to contain his last letter to Marsh:His body was never recovered, he is commemorated on the CWGC memorial on Cape Helles
Cape Helles
Cape Helles is the rocky headland at the south-westernmost tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey. It was the scene of heavy fighting between Turkish and British troops during the landing at Cape Helles at the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915....
.
In an earlier letter to Dent, Denis Browne had asked him to destroy any compositions, "that did not represent Denis Browne at his best". Aided by Vaughan Williams and Wilson in sorting through Denis Browne's work, Dent burnt most of the compositions, those that remain are now held in the archives of Clare College, and the music and manuscript collections of the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
In 1918, Marion Scott
Marion Scott (musicologist)
Marion Margaret Scott was an English violinist, musicologist, writer, music critic, editor, composer, and poet.-Biography:...
pressed Dent to allow performance of the remaining works (having first established that Denis Browne's mother wished to see them performed). After some initial resistance, a concert was arranged at Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
on 24 April 1918.
A small selection of Denis Browne's surviving songs have been recorded, by Graham Trew, Martyn Hill, Ian Bostridge
Ian Bostridge
Ian Bostridge CBE is an English tenor, well known for his performances as an opera singer and as a song recitalist.-Early life and education:...
and Christopher Maltman. On 11 November 2007, his Magnificat
Magnificat
The Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
and Nunc Dimittis
Nunc dimittis
The Nunc dimittis is a canticle from a text in the second chapter of Luke named after its first words in Latin, meaning 'Now dismiss...'....
in G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
was performed in a BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
broadcast of Choral Evensong
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...
for Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
, given by the Choir of Clare College, and on 21 May 2009 the same station broadcast Maltman's recording of "To Gratiana dancing and singing", following Andrew Motion
Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...
reading his own poem "The Grave of Rupert Brooke". Denis Browne is mostly remembered for his friendship with poet Rupert Brooke
Rupert Brooke
Rupert Chawner Brooke was an English poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War, especially The Soldier...
, from their years together at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He set several of Brooke's poems to music, although these settings have not survived. Fellow soldier and poet Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson was a British Georgian poet, associated with World War I but also the author of much later work.-Early work:...
dedicated a poem to Browne in his 1916 volume of poems entitled Battle, and other Poems.
Works
The surviving works are:- Songs:
- 2 Tennyson Settings, ?1909,Move Eastward, Happy Earth; The Snowdrop
- The isle of lost dreams (William SharpWilliam SharpWilliam Sharp may refer to:*William Sharp , English engraver*William Sharp , English-born lithographer and painter; lived in Boston, Massachusetts...
), ?1909 - Dream-Tryst (Francis ThompsonFrancis ThompsonFrancis Thompson was an English poet and ascetic. After attending college, he moved to London to become a writer, but in menial work, became addicted to opium, and was a street vagrant for years. A married couple read his poetry and rescued him, publishing his first book, Poems in 1893...
), 1909 - Diaphenia (Henry ChettleHenry ChettleHenry Chettle was an English dramatist and miscellaneous writer of the Elizabethan era.The son of Robert Chettle, a London dyer, he was apprenticed in 1577 and became a member of the Stationer's Company in 1584, traveling to Cambridge on their behalf in 1588. His career as a printer and author is...
), 1912 - Epitaph on Salathiel Pavy (Ben JonsonBen JonsonBenjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
), 1912 - To Gratiana dancing and singing (Richard LovelaceRichard LovelaceRichard Lovelace was an English poet in the seventeenth century. He was a cavalier poet who fought on behalf of the king during the Civil war. His best known works are To Althea, from Prison, and To Lucasta, Going to the Warres....
), 1913 - Arabia (Walter de la MareWalter de la MareWalter John de la Mare , OM CH was an English poet, short story writer and novelist, probably best remembered for his works for children and the poem "The Listeners"....
), 1914
- God is our Strength and Song (J. Montgomery), SSATB, 1912 (AnthemAnthemThe term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
) - Unpublished:
- The Comic Spirit, ballet, inc.; 3 songs
- Choral and orchestral music
Further sources
- Marsh, Edward, Rupert Brooke: A Memoir (published by Dodd, Mead and Company, 1922).