Arthur Catterall
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Arthur Catterall (25 May 1883 – 28 November 1943) was an English concert violinist, orchestral leader and conductor, one of the best-known English classical violinists of the first half of the twentieth century. photo of Wills's cigarette card showing BBC Symphony Orchestra leader Arthur Catterall.


Early training

Arthur Catterall was born in
Preston, Lancashire Preston () is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston, Lancashire, City of Preston local government district. Preston ...
, the son of John Catterall, a painter and his wife Elizabeth, a cotton weaver. He was an extremely gifted musician in childhood. He first played the violin in public at a concert in Preston when he was 6 years old. He played the Mendelssohn violin concerto in Manchester at the age of 9. Catterall received his elementary education under the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
at St Ignatius Roman Catholic School, Preston until 1893 when he was accepted as a Boarder at
St Bede's College, Manchester St Bede's College is an Independent Roman Catholic co-educational day school for pupils between 3 and 18 years located on Alexandra Road South in Whalley Range, Manchester, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Confe ...
, during this time he also studied at the
Royal Manchester College of Music The Royal Manchester College of Music (RMCM) was a tertiary level conservatoire in Manchester, north-west England. It was founded in 1893 by the German-born conductor Sir Charles Hallé in 1893. In 1972, the Royal Manchester College of Mu ...
under Willy Hess in 1894 and under Adolph Brodsky in 1895. Catterall graduated from St Bede's at the age of 16 in 1898. In 1902, at the age of 18, he was invited to
Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
by Hans Richter and played at all of
Cosima Wagner Francesca Gaetana Cosima Wagner (; 24 December 1837 – 1April 1930) was the daughter of the Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt and Franco-German romantic author Marie d'Agoult. She became the second wife of the German composer Richard ...
's musical evenings in that season. He appeared at a Hallé Orchestra concert in 1903 playing
Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...
's concerto.


Orchestral leader

In 1909 Catterall became leader of the
promenade concerts The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...
at the
Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. Fro ...
.Eaglefield-Hull 1924. In 1911 he acquired the violin made by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, c. 1843, which had belonged to
Ferdinand David Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...
. In 1907 he was appointed Professor of violin at the Royal Manchester College of Music (a post he held for many years) and became leader of the Hallé Orchestra, where he remained until 1925. In 1913 he obtained the 'Baillot-Pommereau' 1694 instrument by
Antonio Stradivarius Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', as well as the colloqui ...
, and in September of that year performed the Violin Concerto BV 243 of
Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...
with the
Queen's Hall Orchestra The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it ...
under
Henry Wood Sir Henry Joseph Wood (3 March 186919 August 1944) was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introducing hundr ...
. He later gave the English premiere, also at a prom, of the (1911–1912) Violin concerto of
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (15 August 18751 September 1912) was a British composer and conductor. He was particularly known for his three cantatas on the epic 1855 poem ''The Song of Hiawatha'' by American Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Coler ...
, which had been dedicated to
Maud Powell Minnie "Maud" Powell (August 22, 1867 – January 8, 1920) was an American violinist who gained international acclaim for her skill and virtuosity. Biography Powell was born in Peru, Illinois. Her mother was Wilhelmina "Minnie" Bengelstraeter ...
.


Chamber music

In addition to his orchestral and teaching work, Catterall was active in chamber music throughout his career. In 1915
Frederick Delius file:Fritz Delius (1907).jpg, Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius (born Fritz Theodor Albert Delius; ; 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934) was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prospero ...
wrote a Sonata for violin and piano for Catterall and the pianist R.J. Forbes. He led the Catterall Players, an ensemble for chamber performance, which performed the Elgar quintet in 1921. He had connections with the London Chamber Music Players (led by
Albert Sammons Albert Edward Sammons CBE (23 February 188624 August 1957) was an English violinist, composer and later violin teacher. Almost self-taught on the violin, he had a wide repertoire as both chamber musician and soloist, although his reputation re ...
), with the pianist
William Murdoch (pianist) William David Murdoch (10 February 18889 September 1942) was an Australian pianist, composer and author. Early life and education Murdoch was born at Sandhurst (now Bendigo, Victoria (Australia), Victoria), the son of Andrew Murdoch, an ironfoun ...
and 'cellist W. H. Squire, and in 1910 founded and led a string quartet under his own name, known as the
Catterall Quartet Catterall is a village and civil parish in the borough of Wyre, Lancashire, England. Historically in the Amounderness Hundred, it is situated on the A6 between Lancaster and Preston, a short distance from the town of Garstang, and Myerscough ...
. In this John S. Bridge played 2nd violin, Frank S. Park (viola) and Johan C. Hock (cello). Hans Keller described their work as 'imaginative'. From 1926 to 1931 Laurance Turner was second violin in the quartet.''Who's Who in Music''
/ref> The quartet made recordings for
His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...
in the early 1920s, including Beethoven's op 18 nos 1 (1922–1923) and 2 (1923–1924),
Arensky Anton Stepanovich Arensky (; – ) was a Russian composer of Romantic classical music, a pianist and a professor of music. Biography Arensky was born into an affluent, music-loving family in Novgorod, Russia. He was musically precocious and ha ...
2nd Quartet op 35a, and the Brahms Quartet no 1 (June 1923). They also recorded Beethoven op 130 at full length by the acoustic process, but this remained unissued. Catterall also played in a Trio called The Manchester Trio. At the same time Catterall was recording for
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
as a soloist in complete versions of
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's Concerto no 5 in A minor K219, and
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
's concerto for two violins with John S. Bridge, both under the direction of
Hamilton Harty Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty (4 December 1879 – 19 February 1941) was an Irish composer, conductor, pianist and organist. After an early career as a church organist in his native Ireland, Harty moved to London at about age 20, soon becoming a ...
, c. 1924. The quartet also transferred to recording for Columbia. He recorded the Brahms violin sonata in D minor with Murdoch in November 1923. He also recorded by the electrical microphone process after 1925. In the 1933 Columbia catalogue the standard recording of Tchaikovsky's Trio no 2, op 50 (on 12 sides) was by Catterall, Murdoch and Squire.


Move to London

After many years teaching at the Manchester College, Catterall became professor at the
Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...
in London. Among his pupils were Harry Blech, Margaret Jones Wiles, Walter Appleyard, Eugene Genin, Arthur Leavins, Laurance Turner, Gloria Pashley, and also Olive Zorian (1916–1965) (founder and leader of the Zorian Quartet which pioneered works by
Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten as o ...
in 1943–44 and those of
Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...
soon afterwards). After leaving the Hallé orchestra he concentrated on solo work, performing for example the Beethoven concerto under
Thomas Beecham Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, (29 April 18798 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philh ...
with the
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
in March 1927. He also developed as a conductor, taking the third concert of the 1929
Delius file:Fritz Delius (1907).jpg, Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius (born Fritz Theodor Albert Delius; ; 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934) was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prospero ...
Festival at the Queen's Hall (Eventyr, Cynara, Piano concerto, Arabesk and Appalachia). In 1929, Catterall became the founding leader of the
BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. The ...
, though the proms were at first led by his assistant violin Charles Woodhouse. When the orchestra first appeared in full strength (115 players), on 22 October 1930, at the Queen's Hall in its inaugural concert with the ''
Flying Dutchman The ''Flying Dutchman'' () is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the sea forever. The myths and ghost stories are likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Dutch East India C ...
'' overture, Brahms' Fourth Symphony, the Saint-Saëns cello concerto (with Guilhermina Suggia) and
Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
's Symphonic Fragments from ''
Daphnis et Chloé ''Daphnis et Chloé'' is a 1912 ballet and orchestral concert work, subtitled ''symphonie chorégraphique'' (choreographic symphony), for orchestra and wordless chorus by Maurice Ravel. It is in three main sections, or ''parties'', and a dozen s ...
'', under
Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult, CH (; 8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was a British conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family, he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London ...
, Catterall led the orchestra. In 1932,
Granville Bantock Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (7 August 186816 October 1946) was a British composer of classical music. Biography Granville Ransome Bantock was born in London. His father was an eminent Scottish surgeon.Hadden, J. Cuthbert, 1913, ''Modern Music ...
dedicated his second violin sonata to Catterall (the first having been to
Albert Sammons Albert Edward Sammons CBE (23 February 188624 August 1957) was an English violinist, composer and later violin teacher. Almost self-taught on the violin, he had a wide repertoire as both chamber musician and soloist, although his reputation re ...
). Catterall retired from his position with the BBC Orchestra in 1936, to devote his time to solo work and teaching. He formed another chamber orchestra for young string players, The Catterall String Orchestra, led from 1940 to 1943 by Audrey Catterall (b. 1917). He remained busy into the first years of the war, still a champion of contemporary composers. He performed the Brahms double concerto (with cellist Thelma Reiss) and gave the English premiere of
Felix Weingartner Paul Felix Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg (2 June 1863 – 7 May 1942) was an Austrian Conducting, conductor, composer and pianist. Life and career Weingartner was born in Zadar, Zara, Kingdom of Dalmatia, Dalmatia, Austrian Empire (now ...
's Sinfonietta (with Reiss and violist
Bernard Shore Bernard Shore (17 March 1896 – 2 April 1985) was an English viola player and author. Early life Shore studied at the Royal College of Music from 1912, with Sir Walter Alcock (organ) and Thomas Dunhill (composition), but his time there was int ...
) under Weingartner's baton at a
Royal Philharmonic The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, England. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagemen ...
concert in February 1939. He was memorably associated with the cellist Antonia Butler in a prom performance at the Queen's Hall of the Brahms double concerto in August 1940. After an air-raid warning was heard and the audience was obliged to remain indoors, the musicians improvised an all-night concert. The work of the Catterall Quartet (with Audrey Catterall as second violin) continued, for on 5 February 1942 it gave the first performance of the String Quartet in G minor ('Kenilworth'), op 99, by
Armstrong Gibbs Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (10 August 1889 – 12 May 1960) was a prolific and versatile English composer. Though best known for his choral music and, in particular, songs, Gibbs also devoted much of his career to the amateur choral and festival move ...
at
Windermere Windermere (historically Winder Mere) is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the List of lakes and lochs of the United Ki ...
. On 8 July 1942 he gave the world premiere of the Violin concerto dedicated to him by E.J. Moeran, under Henry Wood, and repeated his performance, with Wood, for the Royal Philharmonic concert of 5 December 1942. He died in London in November 1943: Moeran was present at the death or soon after.Moeran chronology website
/ref> An Arthur Catterall Cup for violin or viola concerto performance is competed for in the
Feis Ceoil Feis Ceoil ( ; "Festival of Music") is an Irish music organisation which holds an annual competitive festival of classical music. It was first organised in Dublin in 1897 by Dr. Annie Patterson and Edward Martyn for the purpose of stimulating mus ...
.


Sources and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Catterall, Arthur English violinists English male violinists 1883 births 1943 deaths Musicians from Preston, Lancashire People educated at St Bede's College, Manchester Academics of the Royal Academy of Music 20th-century British violinists 20th-century English male musicians Leaders of the BBC Symphony Orchestra