Chevalier Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d'h ...

William Henry Grattan Flood (baptised 1 November 1857 – 6 August 1928) was a noted Irish author, composer, musicologist and historian. As a writer and ecclesiastical composer, his personal contributions to Irish music produced enduring works, although he is regarded today as controversial due to the inaccuracy of some of his work. As a historian, his output was prolific on topics of local and national historical or biographical interest. In 1917, Flood was awarded the papal cross

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice ''Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'' ("For Church and Pope" in Latin) is a decoration of the Holy See. It is currently conferred for distinguished service to the Catholic Church by lay people and clergy. History The medal was established by Leo XII ...

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (; ; born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, ; 21 November 1854 – 22 January 1922) was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His pontificate was largely overshadowed by World War I a ...

and in 1922 was elevated by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

to the Order of St Gregory with the title ''Chevalier'', thereafter he was often called "Chevalier Flood".

Biography

Flood was born in

Lismore, County Waterford Lismore () is a historic town in County Waterford, in the province of Munster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Originally associated with Mo Chutu of Lismore, Saint Mochuda of Lismore, who founded Lismore Abbey in the 6th century, the town develop ...

, Ireland. His family had a great influence on his education. He was born to William and Catherine (FitzSimon) Flood, the Master and Matron of the Lismore Union Workhouse. He had one older sister (Maria), and five brothers (Francis (his twin brother), Patrick, Frederick, George and James (who died in infancy). Flood received his elementary education at his grandfather's (Andrew FitzSimon) boys academy in Lismore, and was given music lessons by his aunt, Elizabeth FitzSimon. He quickly became an accomplished pianist and, at the age of nine, was invited to give a recital for the

Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has b ...

Lismore Castle Lismore Castle () is a castle located in the town of Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland. It belonged to the Earls of Desmond, the Earls of Cork, and then to the Cavendish family from 1753. It is currently the Irish home of the Duke of Devonsh ...

. He entered

Mount Melleray Mount Melleray, also spelled Mountmelleray (), is a townland situated in the Knockmealdown Mountains near Cappoquin, County Waterford, Ireland. It is in the civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Lismore and Mocollop in the barony (Ireland), ...

in 1872 and graduated in 1876. During this time, he received private tuition in music from Sir

Robert Prescott Stewart Sir Robert Prescott Stewart (16 December 1825 – 24 March 1894) was an Irish composer, organist, conductor, and teacher – one of the most influential (classical) musicians in 19th-century Ireland. Biography Stewart was born in Dublin; his gr ...

(1825–1894) and developed proficiency on other musical instruments. He was organist of St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral in Belfast (1878–82), the Cathedral of the Assumption in Thurles, County Tipperary (1882–8), Monaghan Cathedral (1888–94) and St. Aidan's Cathedral,

Enniscorthy Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the Blackstairs Mountains and Ireland's longest beach, Curracloe. The Plac ...

(from September 1895). A devout Catholic, Flood entered St. Patrick's in

Carlow, County Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...

and spent several years studying for the priesthood. He taught music at the Jesuit Colleges of Tullabeg, County Offaly (1882–4),

Clongowes Wood College Clongowes Wood College SJ is a Catholic voluntary boarding school for boys near Clane, County Kildare, Ireland, founded by the Jesuits in 1814. It features prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel '' A Portrait of the Artist ...

(from 1884), St MacCartan's College, Monaghan (from 1888), and

St. Kieran's College St Kieran's College (Coláiste Chiaráin) is a Roman Catholic secondary school, located on College Road, Kilkenny, Ireland. History St Kieran's College was founded in Kilkenny, in the diocese of Ossory in 1782, after the passing of the Cath ...

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

. During his long residency at Enniscorthy (1895–1928) Flood authored the majority of his musical compositions and historical publications. Flood was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music (DMus) from the Royal University of Ireland in 1907. While he was organist and musical director at St. Aidan's Cathedral in Enniscorthy. He transcribed the

Wexford Carol The Wexford Carol or the Enniscorthy Carol () is a traditional religious Irish Christmas carol originating from Enniscorthy in County Wexford. The subject of the song is the nativity of Jesus Christ. W. H. Grattan Flood transcription "T ...

from a local singer and had it published in

The Oxford Book of Carols ''The Oxford Book of Carols'' is a collection of sheet music, vocal scores of Christmas carols and carols of other seasons. It was first published in 1928 by Oxford University Press and was edited by Percy Dearmer, Martin Shaw (composer), Mart ...

, putting Enniscorthy into most carol books around the world. In December 1898, he married Margaret Delaney and, over the next 12 years, the couple had six children, including Catherine (Kathleen), Mollie, Agnes, William, Patrick and Margaret (Rita). Following his death, his daughter, Kathleen, assumed the position of organist at St. Aidan's until her death in 1956. Flood is a highly controversial figure in Irish musicology. He has undoubtedly inspired a lot of more recent research, but "his appreciation of detail was enthusiastic rather than thorough, and the contents of his books were often distorted by his national and religious commitment". Although he is known to have had access to sources in the Public Record Office which burnt down in the

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...

in 1922, "he renders himself untrustworthy by the fact that, where his sources can be checked, he sometimes misquotes or misinterprets them; and he is too ready to jump to conclusions which are presented as if they were facts." On the other hand, he wrote "at a time when it .e. Irish musicwas either scorned or ignored, except by a few enthusiasts." Flood's most adventurous claims included an "Irish Ancestry of

Garland A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. In contemporary times ...

, Dowland, Campion and

Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version of Shakespeare's ...

". Therefore, his writings on musical history may need to be met with some caution.

Selected publications

Musicology *''A History of Irish Music'' (Dublin: Browne and Nolan, 1905; 2/1906, 3/1913; Repr. Shannon: Irish University Press, 1970) *''The Story of the Harp'' (London: Walter Scott & New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905; Repr. Boston, 1977) *''The Story of the Bagpipe'' (London: Walter Scott & New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1911) *''William Vincent Wallace. A Memoir'' (Waterford: At the offices of the Waterford News, 1912) *''John Field, Inventor of the Nocturne'' (Dublin: Martin Lester, 1921) *''Introductory Sketch of Irish Musical History'' (London: William Reeves, n.d.

922 __NOTOC__ Year 922 ( CMXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Summer – Battle of Constantinople: Emperor Romanos I sends Byzantine troops to repel another Bulgaria ...

*''Early Tudor Composers'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press & London: Humphrey Milford, 1925) *''John and William Neale, Music Printers, 1721–1741'' (Wexford: Bibliographical Society of Ireland, 1928) *Articles in ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', Grove's ''Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (5 vols., London, 1904–1910), ''Music and Letters'', ''Musical Herald'', ''Musical Opinion'', ''

Musical Quarterly ''The Musical Quarterly'' is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928. Sonneck was succeeded by a number of editors, including C ...

'', ''The Musical Times''. General and local history *''History of Enniscorthy'' (Enniscorthy: Flood, 1898) *''Memoir of Father James Dixon'' (Melbourne: The Australian Catholic Truth Society, 1912) *''History of the Diocese of Ferns'' (Waterford: Downey, 1916) *Articles in ''Archivium Hibernicum'' (1912–5), ''The Athenaeum Saturday Review'', ''Ave Maria'', ''

The Catholic Encyclopedia ''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...

'', ''Cork Archaeological Journal'', ''Cork Historical Journal'', '' Ecclesiastical Review'', '' English Historical Review'', ''

Irish Theological Quarterly ''Irish Theological Quarterly'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes systematic, moral, and historical theology as well as sacred scripture. It was established by Walter McDonald and Dr. John Harty in 1906, published by ...

'', ''Irish Ecclesiastical Record'', ''The Irish Monthly'', ''The Irish Rosary'', ''Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society'', ''

Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland is an Irish learned society whose aims are "to preserve, examine and illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of the arts, manners and customs of the past, as connected with the antiquities, langua ...

'', ''The Month'', ''The Past'', ''The Review of English Studies'', ''Studies'', ''Waterford Archaeological Journal'', etc.

Compositions

Worklist from Boydell (2013), p. 395; with additions taken from the online catalogues of th
National Library of Ireland
and th
British Library
Church music *''O salutaris hostia'', London, 1882 *''Benediction Service: In honorem Sancti Stanislai'', London, 1882 *''Benediction Service: In honorem Sancti Cuthberti'', Newbury: A. Cary, 1889 *''Mass in Honour of Saint Aidan'' op. 32, Leipzig: C.G. Röder, 1889Modern edition in: ''A Historical Anthology of Irish Church Music'' (= ''Irish Musical Studies'' vol. 6), ed. G. Gillen & A. Johnstone (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2001), pp. 180–8. *''Mass in Honour of Saint Carthage'', unpublished, n.d. *''Mass in Honour of Saint Wilfred'', unpublished, n.d. *Clongowes Wood College Song (1914) *''Praised Be Jesus Christ Our King'' (Patrick Brennann), London: Novello and Co., 1927 *''Consider Well'' (date?), carol for unaccompanied male voice choir with optional soprano solo, Wendover: Roberton Publications, 1976 *Many madrigals, hymns, organ transcriptions etc. Songs *''Evening Shades'' (Frederick H. Houston), London, 1882 *''The Mississippi River'' (L.M. Mills), Dublin: Cramer, Wood & Co., 1910 *''The Boys of Kerry'' (J.F. Fuller), Dublin: Pigott & Co., c.1915 *''Irishmen All'' *''Our Loved Ones Far Away'' (T.D. Sullivan) Editions *''Moore's Irish Melodies'' (Dublin, 1910) *''The Spirit of the Nation'' (Dublin, 1911) *''Songs and Airs of O'Carolan'' (Dublin, 1913) *''The Armagh Hymnal'' (Dublin: Catholic Truth Society of Ireland, 1915) *''Ireland's Own Song Book'' (Dublin, 1917)

Memorial

A memorial in the form of a limestone Celtic Cross, with a Celtic Harp carved on it was raised in Enniscorthy shortly after Chevalier Flood's death. It bears the inscription:

ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF CHEVALIER WILLIAM HENRY GRATTAN FLOOD, ENNISCORTHY, IN RECOGNITION OF HIS INVALUABLE SERVICES TO IRISH MUSIC AND LITERATURE. DIED AUGUST 6TH 1928. ”Irish orators of rival fame – Combine to mould his memorable name; – But music was his first love and his last – And links in him our present with our past." — Epitaph by
Alfred Perceval Graves Alfred Perceval Graves (22 July 184627 December 1931), was an Anglo-Irish poet, songwriter and folklorist. He was the father of British poet and critic Robert Graves. Early life Graves was born in Dublin and was the son of The Rt Rev. Cha ...
.

Bibliography

* Obituaries in ''The Irish Times'', 7 August 1928; ''Irish Independent'', 7 August 1928; ''The Irish Book Lover'' 17 (1928), 26. * Flood, William Grattan: "William Henry Grattan Flood: Renowned Irish Musicologist", in: ''The Capuchin Annual'' (Dublin, 1974), pp. 56–62. * Boydell, Barra: "Flood, W(illiam) H(enry) Grattan", in: The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland, ed. H. White & B. Boydell (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013), p. 394–8.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flood 1857 births 1928 deaths 19th-century Irish classical composers 19th-century Irish historians 19th-century musicologists 20th-century Irish classical composers 20th-century Irish historians Alumni of Carlow College Irish classical composers of church music Contributors to the Catholic Encyclopedia Irish musicologists Knights of St. Gregory the Great Musicians from County Waterford People from Enniscorthy People from Lismore, County Waterford People educated at Mount Melleray School 1880s in Irish music 1890s in Irish music 1900s in Irish music 1910s in Irish music 1920s in Irish music