Moeran's People and Places

Here are some short biographies or notes on those whose paths crossed with Moeran's - once again we have Barry Marsh to thank for their provision.

Moeran's People

Robert Sterndale Bennett
Director of Music at Uppingham Public School, Rutland, England.
January 1909 - M. comes under the influence of;
1911-12 encourages M. to compose; January
1919 - appoints M. to the post of assistant music master;
1928 - receives dedication of M’s song ‘Christmas Day in the Morning’.
March 1951 - Writes obituary of M. for Uppingham School Magazine.

(Captain) Michael Bowles b.1909
Studied at the Irish Army School of Music, and University College, Dublin Conductor of the Radio Eirann Orchestra, Dublin.
Music Director, Radio Eire, 1940-48.
Conductor, New Zealand National Orchestra, 1950-53.
Author of ‘The Art of Conducting’ (1959)
March 12, 1942 - Conducts first performance of M’s 2nd Rhapsody in its revised version, at Mansion House, Dublin.
March 5, 1944 - Gives the first Irish performance of the Violin Concerto with Nancie Lord as soloist, at the Capitol Theatre.
November 25, 1945 - Conducts first performance of the Cello Concerto with Peers Coetmore as soloist.

Arthur Catterall b.Preston, Lancashire, England, 1883. d. London 1943.
Violinist. Pupil of Brodsky at the Royal Manchester College of Music.
Leader of the Halle Orchestra, then BBC Orchestra, and of own String Quartet 1910-1925.
M. dedicates his Violin Concerto to, 1942;
Gives first performance of Violin Concerto at the Proms, July 8 1942
Performance reviewed in ‘The Times’ 9th July 1942
M. helps to sponsor a memorial to; (letter in ‘Musical Times’ January 1945)

Desire Defauw b. Ghent 1885. d. Gary, Indiana, USA 1960.
Violinist and conductor.
London debut 1910; had own String Quartet from 1913;
Conductor of the Brussels Conservatory Orchestra from 1920; established the Orchestre Nationale de Belgique 1937;
resident in the USA from 1939;
conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra 1943-1949.
M. dedicates his String Quartet in A Minor to; January 25 1923 - Defauw and Allied String Quartet give first performance at the Wigmore Hall, London.

Leslie Heward b. Liversedge, Yorkshire, England 1897. d.May 3rd 1943
"Succeeded Adrian Boult as director of the City of Birmingham Orhestra. Choirboy at Manchester Cathedral under Dr.Sydney Nicholson, with whom he studied the organ. He became assistant organist at Manchester. He has since become well-known through his conducting for the B.N.O.C. and later for the BBC. In 1925 he went to Cape Town as conductor of the orchestra there, and as programme director to the Cape Peninsular Broadcasting Corporation. He has conducted for films and gramophone recordings."
[from The Musical Times, May 1930]
January 13 1938 - first performance of M's Symphony in G minor given by, at a Royal Philharmonic Society Concert with the RPO.
January 14 1938 - review of the above in 'The Times'.
See 'Leslie Heward: A Memorial Volume' for Moeran's contribution to;

A. E. Housman
'Shropshire Lad' cycle of poems influences a whole generation of 20th Century English composers;
Shows general antipathy to composers' efforts - Vaughan Williams, Howells etc.
Midsummer 1916 - M. works on 'Songs from A Shropshire Lad' but these remain unpublished.
1922-1924 - M. composes 'Ludlow Town' cycle of 4 songs.
March 20 1925 - first performance of 'Ludlow Town' at the Wigmore Hall, London, sung by John Goss with Moeran (piano)
See reviews of the above in The Times, Telegraph, Morning Post, Daily Mail, Sunday Times, Observer, Manchester Guardian.
1926 - M. composes 'Far in a Western Brookland' and 'Tis Time I think by Wenlock Town'. See review of the above, by T.A., Musical Times issues January and March 1927.
1932 - M. composes 'Loveliest of Trees' 'Oh Fair Enough are Sky and Plain' (posth. publication 1957)

Heathcote Statham
"Organist of St.Mary's Church, Southampton, he has been appointed organist of Norwich Cathedral. Dr.Statham began his musical career as a choirboy at St.Michael's College, Tenbury, and studied under Geoffrey Shaw. From there he went on a scholarship to Caius College, Cambridge, and finally to the Royal College of Music, London, studying with Stanford, Bridge, Parratt and Charles Wood. Before going to Southampton he had held appointments at Calcutta Cathedral, and St.Michael's College, Tenbury. He took his A.R.C.O. in 1920, his F.R.C.O. in 1921, and obtained his Mus.Doc. degree in 1923. His published works include "The New Master", (a comic operetta for boys), Organ Rhapsody in C major, string quartet, Plantation Songs arranged for sopranos and violins, and '40 16th Century Rounds' for schools. He has transcribed from original manuscripts 14 anthems and a service in the Dorian Mode by Dr.John Blow."
[from the Musical Times, July 1st 1928]
April 4 1935 - gives the first performance of Moeran's Nocturne at the Norwich Festival.
See review of the above in the Musical Times, May 1935.
April 1935 - writes article for the April Musical Times edition 'E.J.Moeran's new work'.
October 1936 - see review of Nocturne performance at 1936 Norwich Festival.
January 1940 - see review of Nocturne performance in Norwich, conducted by;

Moeran's Places etc.

Hallé Orchestra
Early tradition of performing works by Bax and Moeran;
1924/1928 'In The Mountain Country' conducted by Hamilton Harty.
1939 - Symphony in G minor conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent.
1943 - Leslie Heward records the Symphony in G minor for the British Council.
1944 - John Barbirolli conducts 'In The Mountain Country' for the first time.
March 1946 - first Halle performance, by Albert Sammons, of the Violin Concerto.
October 1946 - first Halle performance of the Cello Concerto, by Peers Coetmore conductor, John Barbirolli.
1947 - M's Second Symphony (unfinished) commissioned by the Halle.
July 1 1948 - M. attends performance of 'Lonely Waters' at the Cheltenham Festival
October 6 1949 - Rhapsody No.1 performed at Manchester Milton Hall.

NORWICH (Norfolk, England)
1924 - Moeran shares the conducting of the Queen's Hall Orchestra for his own Second Rhapsody (commission) with Vaughan Williams at Norwich Festival revival.
1934 - Norwich Philharmonic Society commissions new work from M.;
April 4 1935 - first performance of M's Nocturne conducted by Heathcote Statham.
September 23 1936 - M. in Norwich for the second Norwich performance of Nocturne. M. plays the anvil in Patrick Hadley's 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' !
1947 - Sinfonietta performed in Norwich at the Norwich Festival. M. attends Sammons' second performance of Violin Concerto played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult (broadcast - Sammons recording)

PROMENADE CONCERTS (London, England)
September 6 1924 - M. conducts own Rhapsody No.1 at the Queen's Hall.
See reviews of, in the Musical News and Herald.
September 13 1929 - Henry Wood conducts the Rhapsody No.2 as part of British Composers' Night, at the Queen's Hall.
See reviews of, in the Manchester Guardian of 13/9/29;
See reviews of in the Sunday Tmes of 15/9/29;
See reviews of in the Times/Telegraph/Daily Mail/Observer of 15/9/29;
September 6 1934 - M's Farrago Suite performed.
See reviews of, 'Audax' July Musical Times issue;(about broadcast of;)
See review of, by F.H. in Musical Times issue of Thursday, 11th August 1938.
July 8 1942 - First performance of the Violin Concerto by Arthur Catterall conductor Henry Wood.
See review of, in the Times, of Thursday July 9th 1942.
August 19 1943 - First performance of the Rhapsody in F sharp minor for Piano and Orchestra by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henry Wood, with Harriet Cohen (piano) at the Royal Albert Hall.
See reviews of, The Times 20/8/43;
See reviews of, 'Cavalcade', August 28th 1943;
See reviews of, the Sunday Times 22/8/43;
See reviews of, E.B. in 'Music and Letters' October 1943;
See reviews of, 'Musical Opinion' September 1943;
See reviews of, Daily Mail 20/8/43;
See reviews of, Daily Telegraph 20/8/43.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC London, England.
September 1912 - July 1914 M.'s first period spent at, studying under Stanford. first compositions for piano Dance; Fields at Harvest
Mid Summer term 1914 - M. awarded a Council Exhibition.
Autumn 1914 - First World War interrupts his studies.
February 21 1920 - M. rejoins the college after a spell of teaching at Uppingham. Studies with John Ireland. Composes first chamber works. Works on 'In the Mountain Country'.
April 2 1921 - Leaves without a diploma or degree.
November 24 1921 - conducts student orchestra in the first performance of 'In The Mountain Country.' at a Patron's Fund Concert.
June 22 1922 - conducts student orchestra in the first performance of the Rhapsody No.1 at a Patron's Fund Concert.

More to come! In the meantime I've compiled a list of composer website links - do let me know if I've missed anyone crucial to the Moeran story or any vital websites related to the composers listed.

I'm also building a list of general links here, so do e-mail me if you've got a site you'd like to put here - andrew@moeran.com