Edgar Leslie Bainton (14 February 18808 December 1956) was a British-born, latterly Australian-resident composer. He is remembered today mainly for his liturgical anthem ''And I saw a new heaven'', a popular work in the repertoire of

Anglican church music Anglican church music is music that is written for Christian worship in Anglican religious services, forming part of the liturgy. It mostly consists of pieces written to be sung by a church choir, which may sing ''a cappella'' or accompanied b ...

, but during recent years Bainton's other musical works, neglected for decades, have been increasingly available in commercial recordings.

Early life and career

Bainton was born in Hackney, London, the son of George Bainton, a Congregational minister, and his wife, Mary, née Cave. Bainton later moved with his family to

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

and he showed early signs of musical ability playing the piano; he was nine years old when he made his first public appearance as solo pianist. He was awarded a music scholarship to King Henry VIII Grammar School in Coventry in 1891, and in 1896 he won an open scholarship to the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

to study

theory A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

with

Walford Davies Sir Henry Walford Davies (6 September 1869 – 11 March 1941) was an English composer, organist, and educator who held the title Master of the King's Music from 1934 until 1941. He served with the Royal Air Force during the First World War, du ...

. In 1899 he received a scholarship to study

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

with Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. At college he became friends with George Dyson, William Harris and especially

Rutland Boughton Rutland Boughton (23 January 187825 January 1960) was an English composer who became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music. He was also an influential communist activist within the Communist Party of Gre ...

, whose friendship and support continued throughout Bainton's career. Bainton kept a notebook listing nearly all his compositions, the first entry being his first known surviving work, '' Prelude and

Fugue In classical music, a fugue (, from Latin ''fuga'', meaning "flight" or "escape""Fugue, ''n''." ''The Concise Oxford English Dictionary'', eleventh edition, revised, ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson (Oxford and New York: Oxford Universit ...

in B minor for piano'', written in 1898.Tunley, David (revised Michael Jones). 'Bainton, Edgar (Leslie)' in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001)
/ref> In 1901 Bainton became piano professor at the

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

Conservatory of Music. He became involved in the local musical scene, composing, playing and conducting and in 1905, he married a former student, Ethel Eales, with whom he had two daughters. Ethel was an excellent pianist and singer, and a founder member of the Newcastle Bach ChoirJones, Michael. Notes to Naxos CD NX 1377 (2017)
/ref> He became the Principal of the Conservatory in 1912, and acquired property for its expansion. Alfred Wall was on the staff there, and Bainton also became friendly with William Gillies Whittaker.Borthwick, Mary. ''The Life and Musical Achievements of William Gillies Whittaker'', Durham University Thesis (2007)
/ref> The family lived at

Stocksfield Stocksfield is a small village situated close to the River Tyne, about west of Newcastle upon Tyne in the southern part of Northumberland, England. There are several smaller communities within the parish of Stocksfield, including Branch ...

, near

Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden nearby, and close to Hadrian's Wall. Hexham was the administra ...

. Bainton would take long country walks, frequently accompanied by

Wilfred Gibson Wilfred Gibson (28 February 1942 – 21 October 2014) was an English violinist, session musician, and early member of the Electric Light Orchestra. Early life Wilfred Gibson was born on 28 February 1942 in Dilston, Northumberland. He received ...

, who introduced Bainton into the literary circle surrounding

Gordon Bottomley Gordon Bottomley (20 February 187425 August 1948) was an English poet, known particularly for his verse dramas. He was partly disabled by tubercular illness. His main influences were the later Victorian Romantic poets, the Pre-Raphaelites and Wi ...

. Bainton set many of Bottomley's poems and wrote an opera to one of his lyric dramas. He introduced his local area to previously unknown works by

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams ( ; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

and

Arnold Bax Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral music ...

, among others. He developed friendships with poet Elliott Dodds and cathedral organist William Ellis.

Prisoner of war and freedom

In the summer of 1914 Bainton visited Germany to attend the

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...

, but was arrested after war broke out. As a male

enemy alien In customary international law, an enemy alien is any alien native, citizen, denizen or subject of any foreign nation or government with which a domestic nation or government is in conflict and who is liable to be apprehended, restrained, secur ...

of military age he was sent to the civilian detention camp at Ruhleben, near Berlin, where he remained for the next four years. Bainton was put in charge of all the music at the camp and became acquainted with Ernest MacMillan, Edward Clark and

Arthur Benjamin Arthur Leslie Benjamin (18 September 1893 in Sydney – 10 April 1960 in London) was an Australian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. He is best known as the composer of ''Jamaican Rumba'' (1938) and of the '' Storm Clouds Cantata'', fea ...

, among other later successful musicians. He maintained many of these friendships throughout his career. In March 1918 his health deteriorated and he was sent to

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

to recuperate. Following the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...

, he became the first Englishman to conduct the Concertgebouw Orchestra, in two concerts of British music before returning to England. Bainton's life returned to normal and he returned to Newcastle to resume work at the Conservatory (which his wife Ethel had taken charge of in his absence). His choral works became features of the

Three Choirs Festival 200px, Worcester cathedral 200px, Gloucester cathedral The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester) and originally fe ...

s. Touring Australia and Canada from April 1930 to January 1931, he took a break from composing, and from August to December 1932 he visited

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, giving a piano recital for the Indian Broadcasting Company. The poet and musician

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

made him a guest in

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

and introduced him to

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk, rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several ...

. In 1933, Sir Edward Bairstow awarded him an honorary

Doctor of Music The Doctor of Music degree (DMus, DM, MusD or occasionally MusDoc) is a doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions, musical performances, and/or scholarly publications on music. In some institutions, the award is a ...

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

Australia

The New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music was impressed by his display of skills in 1930, and offered him the directorship in the summer of 1933. Accordingly, in 1934 Bainton and his family started a new life in Australia. Bainton conducted the choral and orchestral classes at the Conservatorium, and founded the Sydney Opera School. At the Conservatorium he taught Australian composers including Miriam Hyde. Expatriate Australian composer Vincent Plush (b. 1950) writes that when

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

applied for the position of teacher of harmony and theory at the Sydney Conservatorium in 1934, Bainton turned down the application on the grounds of "modernist ideas and dangerous tendencies." An anonymous colleague of Bainton's allegedly remarked that Schoenberg was Jewish. Coinciding with Bainton's arrival in Sydney were moves to form a permanent professional orchestra for the

Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is a ...

, which occasionally went under the name of the New South Wales Symphony Orchestra. It was later renamed the

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney. With roots going back to 1908, the orchestra was made a permanent professional orchestra on the formation of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932. ...

. Bainton conducted that ensemble's inaugural concert in 1934. He introduced music previously unheard in Australia, such as

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

's Symphony No. 2 in 1934; Bax's Third Symphony; and works by

Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

Sibelius Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

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 ...

, and Walton, among others. In 1944, the premiere production by the Conservatorium Opera School of Bainton's opera ''The Pearl Tree'' received acclaim from the press and public alike. An additional night's performance was given due to demand, and on this latter occasion a bust of Bainton was unveiled in the foyer. Australia then had a mandatory retirement age of 65, but Bainton continued to conduct (temporarily with the

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the New Zealand Government, per the New Zealand Symphony ...

), and gave lecture tours in Canada. In 1956, a heart attack severely affected his health, and on 8 December he died at

Point Piper Point Piper is a small, harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, east of the Sydney CBD, in the local government area known as the Municipality of Woollahra. Location The suburb of Point Piper sits ...

in Sydney. His wife had predeceased him by only a few months.Obituary, ''The Times'', 10 December, 1956, p. 14

Recordings

*''And I saw a new heaven'', anthem: The Sixteen/Harry Christophers, Universal 1795732 (2009) * Cello Sonata: Emma Ferrand, Jeremy Young, Meridian CDE 84565 (2008) * ''Christ In the Wilderness'', ''Night'', ''Open Thy Gates'': City Chamber Choir of London/Stephen Jones, British Music Society BMS 417CD (2010) * ''Epithalamion'', ''An English Idyll'': BBC Philharmonic/Martyn Brabbins, Chandos CHAN 10019 (2003) * ''Genesis'' (1st mvt. of Symphony No. 1 ''Before Sunrise''): Classico CLASSCD 404 (2002) * ''Miniature Suite'' for piano duo: Divine Art DDV 24154 (2012) * ''Paracelsus'', ''Pompilia'', ''Prometheus'', tone poems: Dutton CDLX 7262 (2011) * Songs: Susan Bickley, Christopher Gillett, Wendy Hiscocks, Naxos 8571377 (2017) * String Quartet in A major: Lochrian Ensemble, Dutton CDLX 7163 (2006) * Symphony No. 2: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley, Chandos CHAN 9757 (2000) * Symphony No. 3: Sydney Symphony Orchestra/Sir Bernard Heinze, Brolga LP BZM12 (1957) * Symphony No. 3: BBC Concert Orchestra/Vernon Handley, Dutton CDLX7185 (2007) * Viola Sonata: Martin Outram, Michael Jones, British Music Society BMS CD 415R (2004)

Musical works

Chamber music

* Quintet for Piano and Strings, Op. 9 (1904) (Lost) * String Quartet, Op. 26 (1911) (Lost) * String Quartet in A major (1919) * Sonata for Viola and Piano (1922) * Sonata for Cello and Piano (1924)

Chorus and orchestra

* ''The Blessed Damozel'' (lyrics by

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...

), Op. 11 (with mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists). * ''Sunset at Sea'', Op. 20 (lyrics by Reginald Buckley), for chorus and orchestra * ''The Vindictive Staircase'', Op. 29 (lyrics by W. W. Gibson), a Humoreske for chorus and orchestra * ''A Song of Freedom and Joy'' (lyrics by

Edward Carpenter Edward Carpenter (29 August 1844 – 28 June 1929) was an English utopian socialist, poet, philosopher, anthologist, an early activist for gay rights and prison reform whilst advocating vegetarianism and taking a stance against vivise ...

), Op. 24 for chorus and orchestra * ''The Tower'' (lyrics by Robert Nichols), for chorus and orchestra * ''The Dancing Seal'' (lyrics by W.W.Gibson), a Humoreske for chorus and orchestra * ''A Hymn to God the Father'' (lyrics 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 ...

), for chorus and orchestra * ''Mignon's Requiem'' (lyrics by

Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

and Carlyle), for boys' voices, chorus and orchestra * ''The Transfiguration of Dante'', Op. 18, for soloists, chorus and orchestra * ''To The Name above every name'', (lyrics by

Richard Crashaw Richard Crashaw (c. 1613 – 21 August 1649) was an English poet, teacher, High Church Anglican cleric and Roman Catholic convert, who was one of the major metaphysical poets in 17th-century English literature. Crashaw was the son of a famous ...

), for soprano, chorus and orchestra

Church music

* ''And I Saw a New Heaven'' * ''Fantasia on the plainsong melody Vexilla Regis'' * ''Fiat Lux'' for "4-part chorus S.A.T.B." * ''Who can number the Sands of the Sea?'' for "S.A.T.B." * ''Open Thy Gates'' * ''Christ in the Wilderness'' * ''The Heavens Declare Thy Glory'' * ''A Babe is Born I Wys''

Piano

* Variations and Fugue in B minor, op.1 (1898) * ''The Making of the Nightingale'' (1921) * ''Gardens of the Sea'' (1924) * ''Willows'' (1927)

Songs and part songs

* ''Two Songs'' for Baritone and Orchestra, Op. 13 (Lyrics: Edward Carpenter) * ''An English Idyll'' (Lyrics:

Neville Cardus Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (2 April 188828 February 1975) was an English writer and critic. From an impoverished home background, and mainly self-educated, he became ''The Manchester Gua ...

) for Baritone and Orchestra. * ''Sweet Nightingale'' – English folk song, arranged Bainton * ''Music for a Tragedy'' * ''Music for film; 'Bush Policemen * ''Four Dances: Morris Dance, Minuet, Pavane, Valse'', Op. 21 * ''Celtic Sketches: Sea-Sorrow, Sea Rapture, Pharais'', Op.23

Symphonies and orchestral works

* Symphony No. 1 ''Before Sunrise'' for Contralto Solo, Chorus and Orchestra * Symphony No. 2 in D minor * Symphony No. 3 in C minor * Symphony in B-flat ''A Phantasy of Life and Progress'', Op. 5 (Lost) * Symphonic Poem: ''Pomplia'' * Symphonic Poem: ''Paracelsus (after Browning)'', Op. 8 * Suite: ''The Golden River'', Op. 16 * Overture-Phantasy: ''Prometheus'', Op. 19 * ''Three Pieces for Orchestra: Elegy, Intermezzo and Humoresque''. * ''Concerto Fantasia'' for Piano and Orchestra * ''Pavane, Idyll and Bacchanal'' for Strings * ''Rhapsody: Epithalamion'' * ''Eclogue for Orchestra''

Notes

References

* Jones, Michael. 'Bainton, Edgar Leslie (1880–1956)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 2004. Online database article number 58729.
Bainton, Helen. 'Bainton, Edgar Leslie (1880–1956)'
''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 7,

Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) is the book publishing arm of the University of Melbourne. The press is currently a member of the Association of University Presses. History MUP was founded in 1922 as Melbourne University Press to sell text ...

, 1979, pp. 146–147. * Jones, Michael
'Edgar Bainton (1880–1956): musical and spiritual traveller'
MusicWeb International, 1990. Retrieved 2011-10-10.

External links

The Edgar Bainton (UK) Society

Chandos UK has released 3 CDs of Edgar Bainton's music
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bainton, Edgar 1880 births 1956 deaths English composers Musicians from Coventry Composers from London Alumni of the Royal College of Music Academic staff of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music People educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry Pupils of Charles Villiers Stanford World War I civilian detainees held by Germany People from Stocksfield Musicians from Northumberland British emigrants to Australia Musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne People from the London Borough of Hackney