Rootham, Cyril (Bradley)
Rootham, Cyril (Bradley)
Rootham, Cyril (Bradley) , English organist, teacher, and composer; b. Bristol, Oct. 5, 1875; d. Cambridge, March 18, 1938. He studied music with his father, Daniel Rootham (1837–1922). He won classical and musical scholarships at St. John’s Coll., Cambridge (B.A., 1897; Mus.B., 1900; M.A., 1901; Mus.Doc, 1910), and finished at the Royal Coll. of Music in London under Stanford, Parratt, and Barton. He was organist (from 1901) and a lecturer (from 1913) at St. John’s Coll., Cambridge; also conductor of the Univ. Musical Soc. there (1912–36). His career as a composer was very much bound to the musical life of Cambridge. He brought out his opera, The 2 Sisters, there on Feb. 14, 1922; also wrote For the Fallen for Chorus and Orch. (1919) and Brown Earth (London, March 14, 1923). His 2nd Sym., Revelation (with a choral ending), was performed posthumously by the BBC, March 17, 1939. Other works include Pan, rhapsody for Orch. (1912), String Quintet (1909), String Quartet (1914), Septet for Viola, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Harp (1930), and Piano Trio (1931).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire