Godfrey Ridout (6 May 1918 in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

– 24 November 1984 in Toronto) was a

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composer, conductor,

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

, and writer.

Life and career

Ridout was a descendant of Thomas Ridout, the first Surveyor General of Upper Canada during the administration of Lieutenant Governor

John Graves Simcoe Lieutenant-General (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 u ...

. He attended

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

with John Beckwith. During his time at the Toronto University, he was a pupil of Ettore Mazzoleni (conducting), Weldon Kilburn (piano), and Charles Peaker (organ and counterpoint) at its Conservatory of Music. He then taught on the conservatory faculty from 1940 to 1948. He left there to join the faculty at

Toronto University The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, t ...

, where he taught until 1982. Among his notable pupils were Walter Babiak, Walter Buczynski, Hugh Davidson, Alan Detweiler, Ben McPeek, Welford Russell, Alfred Strombergs, and Charles Wilson.Godfrey Ridout
at

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He contributed articles to numerous Canadian music publications, notably serving as the assistant editor of both ''Canadian Music'' (1940–1941) and '' Canadian Review of Music and Art'' (1942–1943). From 1973 to 1984 he was the author of the

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toron ...

's program notes. As a conductor he served as the music director of the Eaton Operatic Society from 1949 to 1958. He was also highly involved with the Toronto Gilbert & Sullivan Society of which he was made an honorary vice-president. As a composer, Ridout is chiefly remembered for his symphonic and choral works.

describes him thus:

"Essentially an eclectic, Ridout yet did not lack for individuality. His music, though intensely felt, is prevailingly sunny and affirmative; it eschews the 'doom and gloom' manner and self-conscious profundity of much 20th-century concert fare. Ridout liked fun in music and could not easily resist concluding a work with a 'good tune'. He saw no need to strive for ever-new styles, or for a progress through styles, or for the role of musical inventor; style for him was a means of communication, not the 'message' itself. In this aloofness from contemporary conformity, Ridout may be perceived to be more original than many innovators and one of the determined communicators of his day."

In 1946, Ridout conducted ''Two Etudes for String Orchestra'', after making alterations suggested by TSO music director Ernest MacMillan. In 1961, he composed one of his notable works, ''Fall Fair'' and on March 13, 1974, was in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's first ever concert at the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

and the UK premiere of his Two Etudes for String Orchestra. This was Ridout's first visit to England and arguably the peak of his career. His Etudes were followed by a young Radu Lupu playing Schumann's Piano Concerto.

Selected works

;Opera *''The Lost Child'', Opera in 3 acts for television (1976); libretto by John Reid ;Orchestral *''Festal Overture'' (1939) *''Two Etudes'' for string orchestra (1946) *''Music for a Young Prince'' (1959) *''Fall Fair'' (1961) *''La Prima Ballerina: Overture'' (1967) *''La Prima Ballerina: Suite No.1'' (1967) *''La Prima Ballerina: Suite No.2'' (1967) *''Frivolités Canadiennes'' (1973) *''Jubilee'' (1973) *''George III His Lament'', Variations on a Well-known Tune (1975) *''Kids' Stuff'' (1978) *''No Mean City: Scenes from Childhood'' (1983) ;Band *''Partita accademica'' (1969) *''Tafelmusik'' (1976) ;Concertante *''Ballade'' for viola and string orchestra (1938) *''Concerto Grosso'' for violin, piano and string orchestra (1974) *''Ballade II'' for viola and string orchestra (1980) *''Concerto Grosso No.2'' for solo brass quintet and orchestra (1980) ;Chamber music *''Movement'' for string quartet, Op.4 (1949) *''Introduction and Allegro'' for violin, cello, and wind quintet (1968) *''A Birthday Fantasy'' for flute, clarinet and bassoon (1982) *''Fanfare'' for brass and percussion (1984) ;Organ *''Three Preludes on Scottish Tunes'' (1959) *''Prelude for Organ'' for ''Four Sonnets'' (1968) *''March'' (1969) *''Two Hymn Tune Improvisations'' (1977) ;Piano *''Junior Boogie'' (1957) *''Prelude in F'' (1958) *''Presto'' from ''Ontario Variations'', 4 Variations on a theme by Jack Behrens (1979) ;Vocal *''Cantiones Mysticae'' for voice and piano or orchestra (1953); words by

John Donne John Donne ( ; 1571 or 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under Royal Patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's, D ...

*''The Ascension'', Cantiones Mysticae No.2 for soprano, trumpet and string orchestra (1962) *''In Memoriam Anne Frank'' for soprano or tenor and orchestra (1965); words by Bruce Attridge *''Folk Songs of Eastern Canada'' for voice and piano or chamber orchestra (1967) *''The Seasons'', Song Cycle for tenor and piano quintet (1980); words from ''Poetical Sketches'' by

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

*''Exile'', Melodrama for female narrator and 9 instruments (1984); text from ''Roughing It in the Bush'' by

Susanna Moodie Susanna Moodie ( Strickland; 6 December 1803 – 8 April 1885) was an English-born Canadian author who wrote about her experiences as a settler in Canada, which was a British colony at the time. Family Susanna Moodie was born in Bungay, on th ...

*''Two Songs'' for soprano and oboe; words by

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

;Choral *''Come Rejoicing'' for mixed chorus and organ (1952) *''Esther'', Choral Ballad in 5 parts for baritone, soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra (1952) *''Ave Maria'' for women's chorus (1954) *''We'll Rant and We'll Roar: The Ryans and the Pittmans'' for mixed chorus (1958); words by W. H. Le Messurier *''The Shepherd's Watch'', Christmas Chorus for soprano and mixed chorus (1959) *''The Dance'' for mixed chorus and orchestra (1960); text from

Carmina Burana ''Carmina Burana'' (, Latin for "Songs from Benediktbeuern" 'Buria'' in Latin is a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces are mostly bawdy, irreveren ...

*''J'entends le moulin'' for mixed chorus and piano (1960) *''Pange lingua'' for mixed chorus and orchestra (1960); Latin words by

St. Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest, the foremost Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the Western tradition. A Doctor of the Church, he wa ...

*''Sainte Marguerite'' for mixed chorus and piano (1960) *''Two Christmas Carols'' for soprano and women's chorus (1960) *''Four Sonnets'' for mixed chorus and orchestra (1964); words by J. E. Ward *''A General Invitation to Praise God'' for mixed chorus and organ (1964); words by

George Wither George Wither (11 June 1588 O.S. (21 June 1588 NS) – 2 May 1667 O.S. (12 May 1667 NS)) was a prolific English poet, pamphleteer, satirist and writer of hymns. Wither's long life spanned one of the most tumultuous periods in the history of En ...

*''When Age and Youth Unite'' for mixed chorus and orchestra (1966); words by

Claude Bissell Claude Thomas Bissell (February 10, 1916 – June 21, 2000) was a Canadian author and educator. Biography He was the eighth president of the University of Toronto from 1958 to 1971. He played a major part in the expansion of the University ...

*''The Christmas Story'' for narrator, chorus and orchestra (1967) *''J'ai cueilli' la belle rose'' for unison children's chorus and piano (or orchestra) (1967) *''I'll Give My Love an Apple'' for unison children's chorus and piano (or orchestra) (1967) *''

She's Like the Swallow "She's Like the Swallow" (Roud 2306) is a folksong from Newfoundland. According to folklorist Neil V. Rosenberg, the song "appears never to have been widely known and sung in oral tradition" and the popularized version of the song differs signific ...

'' for unison children's chorus and piano (or orchestra) (1967) *''The Domage of the Wise'', 3 Partsongs for mixed chorus (1968) *''The Dream of the Rood'', Cantiones Mysticae No.3 for baritone or tenor, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ (1972) *''Spirit Is Flesh This Night'' for mixed chorus (1976); words by John Reid *''The Faithless Nelly Gray'', Pathetic Ballad for soprano, children's chorus and piano (1979); words by

Thomas Hood Thomas Hood (23 May 1799 – 3 May 1845) was an English poet, author and humorist, best known for poems such as "The Bridge of Sighs (poem), The Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt". Hood wrote regularly for ''The London Magazine'', '' ...

*''Holy Is the True Light'' for mixed chorus and organ (1980); words by

Jeremias Gotthelf Albert Bitzius (4 October 179722 October 1854) was a Swiss novelist, best known by his pen name of Jeremias Gotthelf. Biography Bitzius was born at Murten, where his father was pastor. The Bitzius family had once belonged to the Bernese patric ...

and Sarum Diurnal *''Whence Is This Fragrance?'', Old French Tune for women's chorus

References

External links

Godfrey Ridout at the Canadian Music Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridout, Godfrey 1918 births 1984 deaths 20th-century Canadian classical composers Canadian male classical composers Canadian male conductors (music) The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni Academic staff of The Royal Conservatory of Music Academic staff of the University of Toronto Musicians from Toronto 20th-century Canadian conductors (music) 20th-century Canadian male musicians

Life and career

Selected works

See also

References

External links