Gibbs, Cecil Armstrong

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Gibbs, Cecil Armstrong

Gibbs, Cecil Armstrong, English composer; b. Great Braddow, near Chelmsford, Aug. 10, 1889; d. Chelmsford, May 12, 1960. He studied at Trinity Coll., Cambridge (B.A., 1911; Mus.B., 1913), and also took courses in composition with Charles Wood and Vaughan Williams and in conducting with Boult at the Royal Coll. of Music in London, where he also taught (1921-39). In 1934 he received the Cobbett Gold Medal for his services to British chamber music. His style adhered to the Romantic school; he was best known for his songs, many to texts by Walter De la Mare.

Works

STAGE The Blue Peter, comic opera (London, 1923); The Sting of Love, comic opera (1926); When One Isn’t There, operetta (1927); Twelfth Night, opera (1946-47); The Great Bell of Burley, children’s opera (1952); also incidental music. ORCH.: 3 syms.; Oboe Concerto; Essex Suite for String Quartet and Strings; The Enchanted Wood, dance phantasy for Piano and Strings (1919); Fancy Dress, dance suite (1935); A Spring Garland, suite for Strings (1937); Concertino for Piano and Strings (1942); Prelude, Andante, and finale for Strings (1946); Dale and fell, suite for Strings (1954); A Simple Concerto for Piano and Strings (1955); Threnody for Walter De la Mare for String Quartet and Strings (1956); A Simple Suite for Strings (1957); Shade and Shine, suite for Strings (1958); Suite for Strings (1958-59); Suite of Songs from the British Isles (1959); 4 Orch. Dances (1959). CHAMBER : 11 string quartets; 2 sonatas for Cello and Piano; Country Magic, piano trio (1922); Lyric Sonata for Violin and Piano (1928); Piano Trio (1940); Suite for Violin and Piano (1943); piano pieces. C h o r a 1 : La Belle Dame sans merci for Chorus and Orch. (1928); The Birth of Christ for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1929); The Highwayman for Chorus and Orch. (1932); The Ballad of Gil Morrice for Chorus and Orch. (1934); Deborah and Barak for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1936); Odysseus for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1937-38); The Passion According to St. Luke for Chorus and Organ (1945); Pastoral Suite for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1948-49); also anthems, motets, Psalms, part songs, carols, and about 150 songs.