Somervell, Sir Arthur

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Somervell, Sir Arthur

Somervell, Sir Arthur, English music educator and composer; b. Windermere, June 5, 1863; d. London, May 2, 1937. He studied the classics at King’s Coll., Cambridge (B.A., 1883), where he also took courses in music with Stanford; after further training at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1883–85), he studied at the Royal Coll. of Music in London (1885–87); then received private instruction from Parry. He taught at the Royal Coll. of Music (1893–1901); then was active as an inspector of music. He was knighted in 1929. He was at his best as a composer of vocal music.

Works

ORCH.: Normandy, symphonic variations (1912); Thalassa, sym. (1912); Highland Concerto for Piano and Orch. (1921); Violin Concerto (1932). VOCAL: Chora1: 2 Masses (1891, 1907); Joan of Arc (1893); Ode to the Sea (1897); Ode on the Intimations of Immortality (1907); Christmas, cantata (1926). Other Vocal: Song cycles. OTHER: Piano pieces; numerous educational pieces for schools; etc.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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