Edward Norman Hay (19 April 1889 – 10 September 1943) was a

Northern Irish The people of Northern Ireland are all people born in Northern Ireland and having, at the time of their birth, at least one parent who is a British Nationality Law, British citizen, an Irish nationality law, Irish citizen or is otherwis ...

composer and music critic.

Early life

Hay was born at 26 Newton Road,

Faversham Faversham () is a market town in Kent, England, from Sittingbourne, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2 road (Great ...

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, the second son of Joseph Hay, an

Inland Revenue The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation ta ...

official, who was the son of Edward Hay of

Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, No ...

County Londonderry County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...

(d. 1890), coachmaker, and Janet Robb (1864–1891) of

Alloa Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; , possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where some say it ceases to ...

, Scotland, the daughter of Andrew Robb (d.1900), a mill manager. His parents had married in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in 1884, and their first son, Francis Edward Cecil Hay, died in

Peebles Peebles () is a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was historically a royal burgh and the county town of Peeblesshire. According to the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 census, the population was 8,376 and the estimated population in ...

in 1885. Joseph and Janet moved to

shortly afterwards. His mother Janet died aged only 26 in January 1891 and was buried in North Merchiston Cemetery, Edinburgh, and the 1891 census finds Edward in the

Cottage Hospital A cottage hospital is a mostly obsolete type of small hospital, most commonly found in the United Kingdom. The original concept was a small rural building having several beds.The Cottage Hospitals 1859–1990, Dr. Meyrick Emrys-Roberts, Tern Publ ...

in Faversham. Edward moved across to Coleraine in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

shortly afterwards to be cared for by aunts. When young he contracted

polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

, which left him with a permanent limp, and apparently unable to walk until the age of 12.Byers Music. ''Norman Hay, a brief biography and a list of his works''
/ref>

Education and career

According to his own account he first studied the

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

at the age of eight, but around the age of ten "I was suddenly filled with a longing to play a

keyboard instrument A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument played using a keyboard, a row of levers that are pressed by the fingers. The most common of these are the piano, organ, and various electronic keyboards, including synthesizers and digital piano ...

... and I took a vow one evening not to sleep until I had learnt the notes of the bass staff". He went on to take

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

lessons and "during my five years with her he teacherI proceeded from

Clementi Clementi may refer to: People * Aldo Clementi (1925–2011), Italian composer * Carlo Mazzone-Clementi (1920–2000), Italian actor and mime * Cecil Clementi (1875–1947), British colonial administrator, Governor of Hong Kong and Straits Sett ...

and Dussek to the easier

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, with not one trashy piece in between. And I think the finest thing she ever did was to leave

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 ...

alone". Hay studied in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, with Francis Koeller and later with Charles John Brennan, Edred Martin Chaundy and Arthur Eaglefield-Hull. He took a bachelor's degree in music at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, and later a doctorate in music at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

for composition (1919). He also became a fellow of the

Royal College of Organists The Royal College of Organists (RCO) is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, with members worldwide. Its role is to promote and advance organ playing and choral music, and it offers music education, training and de ...

(1911). Returning to Ireland he was organist at St. Patrick's Parish Church, Coleraine from 1914 to 1916, and thereafter of Bangor Abbey Church in 1922. In 1922-3 he served as Head of Music at

Campbell College Campbell College located in Belfast, Northern Ireland and founded in 1894 comprises a preparatory school department (junior age) and a senior Northern Ireland 'Voluntary Grammar' school, the latter meaning, in terms of provision of education, a ...

, Belfast. From 1923 to 1924 he was the external examiner (degrees) at

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

and shortly before his death was lecturer in music at

Queen's University, Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...

. From 1926 he served as the music critic for

the Belfast Telegraph The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media, which also publishes the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent and various other newspapers and magazines in Ireland. Its ed ...

using the pseudonym "Rathcol". He also was the general editor and arranger of "Ulster Airs" for

BBC Northern Ireland BBC Northern Ireland is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcasting, public broadcaster in Northern Ireland. It is widely available across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. BBC Northern Ireland is one of the four BB ...

. He was also organist at Belmont Presbyterian Church, Belfast. He married Hessie Haughey from Coleraine at Fitzroy Avenue Presbyterian Church, Belfast, on 7 April 1920. They had two sons, Michael (1927–2004) and Joseph Norman Haughey Hay (1924–2007).

Death and legacy

Hay died in 1943 in

Portstewart Portstewart () is a small seaside town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,854 people in the 2021 United Kingdom census. It is a seaside resort, neighbouring both Coleraine in County Londonderry and Portrush in Cou ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. His obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' (13 September 1943) records that he "won the Carnegie Award for a String Quartet in A in 1918, and from 1923 to 1924 was external examiner for degrees in music at

. After working for the BBC for a time he was appointed in 1941 Lecturer on Music,

Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...

". It continued "Dr Hay's chief work was 'Paean', performed in 1932 at Worcester at 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 ...

. Notable orchestral works by him are the symphonic poem 'Dunluce (1921)' and an 'Irish Rhapsody'." ''Dunluce'', mentioned above, was performed at the London Proms in 1925, as was ''Paean'' in 1934. His work ''To Wonder'' was commissioned for the Belfast Philharmonic Societies Jubilee in 1924, and was performed on the opening of the Belfast Station of the BBC. Other awards include a

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 ...

prize for a six-part madrigal in 1908, another Feis Ceoil prize in 1916 for a sonata for violoncello and piano on Irish folk tunes, and in 1917 the Cobbett Prize for a string quartet on Irish folk tunes. Barry Burgess described Hay's music as having expert orchestration and tonal harmony, described in Hay's own words as "largely diatonic with chromatic decoration in a free modern manner". Burgess also detected the influence of Irish folksongs in his melodic style. The BBC broadcast a modern performance of ''Dunluce'' in March 1987 by the

Ulster Orchestra The Ulster Orchestra is a full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. Based in Belfast, the orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall. It also gives concerts across the United Kingdom ...

, conducted by Maurice Handford. The 1921 cantata ''The Wind Among the Reeds'' (setting

Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...

) was given what was billed as its first performance on 7 September 1995 by soprano Melanie Armitstead, the chorus of the Belfast Philharmonic Society and the Ulster Orchestra, conducted by John Lubbock. And a new performance of the String Quartet in A by the Bingham Quartet was broadcast in October 1995.''Radio Times'', issue 3743, 12 October 1995, p. 122. In 2002, his work was performed at

Ulster Hall The Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade A listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated at 34 Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, European classical music, classical Concert#Recital, recitals, craft fai ...

, and his sons were there to hear it.

Selected compositions

Orchestral * ''Dunluce'', tone poem (1921) * ''Fantasy on Irish Folk Tunes'' (1924) * ''Four Irish Sketches'' (1929–32) * ''An Irish Rhapsody'' (1932) Vocal with orchestra * ''The Gilly of Christ'' (Joseph Campbell) for chorus and orchestra (1917) * ''The Wind Among the Reeds'' (

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...

) for mezzo, baritone, chorus and orch. (1921) * ''To Wonder'' (Robert N. D. Wilson) for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, chorus and orch. (1924) * ''Paean'' (George Herbert) for mezzo, chorus and orchestra (1930) Choral (unaccompanied) * ''Shed no Tear'' (

John Keats John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tub ...

) (1923) Choral (with organ) * ''Behold, what Manner of Love'' (biblical) (1923) * ''Thou O God hast taught me'' (1927) Chamber music * Cello Sonata, for cello and piano (1916) * ''Fantasy on Irish Folk Tunes'' for string quartet (1917) * String Quartet in A major (1918). Winner of Carnegie Trust Award Songs * ''The Silent Land'' for mezzo and cello (1905) * ''A Birthday Song'' (Dante Gabriel Rossetti) for soprano, mezzo and piano (1918) * ''Churnin' Day'' (Elizabeth Shane) for voice and piano (1936) * ''The Buttermilk Boy'', Ulster folksong for voice and piano (1939) * ''Tryste Noel'' (Louise Imogen Guiney) for soprano and piano (1940) Musical comedy * ''The Lady Voters Dilemma'' (1919)

Early life

Education and career

Death and legacy

Selected compositions

References

Further reading