Somervell, (Sir) Arthur

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Somervell, (Sir) Arthur (b Windermere, 1863; d London, 1937). Eng. composer. Teacher at RCM 1894–1901. From 1901, inspector of mus. to Board of Education and Scottish Education Dept. (chief inspector 1920–8). Prolific composer, his song-cycle Maud being of high quality. Possibly first to set Housman Shropshire Lad poems (1904). Knighted 1929. Works incl. sym., Normandy (symphonic variations for pf. and orch., 1912), Highland Concerto (pf. and orch., 1921), vn. conc. (1932), cl. quintet, 2 Masses, Ode on the Intimations of Immortality (Leeds Fest. 1907), song- cycles Maud and A Shropshire Lad, and solo songs.

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Somervell, (Sir) Arthur

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