Anthony Vincent Benedictus Collins (3 September 189311 December 1963) was a British composer and conductor. He scored around 30 films in the US and the UK between 1937 and 1954, and composed the British light music classic ''Vanity Fair'' in 1952. His

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

recordings of the seven

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 ...

symphonies was the second cycle by a single conductor and orchestra released. Kennedy, Michael (2006). ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music''.

Biography

Collins was born in

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

, East Sussex, in 1893. At the age of seventeen he began to perform as violinist in the Hastings Municipal Orchestra. He then served four years in the

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

. Beginning in 1920 he studied violin with

Achille Rivarde Achille Rivarde (31 October 186531 March 1940) was an American-born British violinist and teacher, who worked mainly in Europe and London. Biography Serge Achille Rivarde was born in New York City to a Spanish father and an American mother. He ...

and composition with

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 ...

at 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 ...

. In 1926, he began his musical career performing as principal

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

in 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 ...

. For ten years he performed in that orchestra and also in the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

Covent Garden Orchestra. He resigned these positions in 1936. For the rest of his career he divided his time between conducting, beginning with opera and moving to orchestra; and composition. His conducting debut was on 20 January 1938, when he led his former colleagues in the London Symphony Orchestra in

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 First Symphony, and the following year he founded the London Mozart Orchestra. He moved to the United States in 1939 to conduct orchestras in Los Angeles and New York City as well as composing film music for

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

. He was nominated for three

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

for best music and original score in three consecutive years (1940, 1941 and 1942) for ''

Nurse Edith Cavell ''Nurse Edith Cavell'' is a 1939 American film directed by British director Herbert Wilcox about Edith Cavell. The film was nominated at the 1939 Oscars for Best Original Score. Plot The story follows the broadly true story of Edith Cavell w ...

'', ''

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...

'' and '' Sunny''. He returned to England in 1945, continuing to conduct the major British orchestras and also compose for British film studios. He retired at the end of the 1950s, returning to Los Angeles, where he died at the age of 70 in 1963.

Compositions

Collins arranged and composed works in many genres, but it is the lighter pieces that are still known today. Most notable of these is ''Vanity Fair'' (1952), composed in mock

Regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

style after the

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

of the same name by

William Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray ( ; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel '' Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and t ...

. Various miniatures, suites and film music extracts by Collins have been recorded. Of the film music, there is a five movement suite taken from his first score, ''

Victoria the Great ''Victoria the Great'' is a 1937 British historical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Anton Walbrook and Walter Rilla. When Laurence Housman's play '' Victoria Regina'' was banned by the Lord Chamberlain (in 1935 the r ...

'' (1937). Having established himself in Hollywood during the war, he returned to the UK and scored a series of high profile British films, many of them starring

Anna Neagle Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox (''née'' Robertson; 20 October 1904 – 3 June 1986), known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer. She was a successful box-office draw in British cinema for 2 ...

, such as '' Piccadilly Incident'' (1946), ''

The Courtneys of Curzon Street ''The Courtneys of Curzon Street'' (also titled ''The Courtney Affair'' or ''Kathy's Love Affair'', in the U.S.) is a 1947 British drama film starring Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding. It is a postwar, reconstruction-era movie following a family ...

'' (1947) and ''Odette'' (1950).Foreman, Lewis. Notes to Dutton CDLX7162 (2006)
/ref> Four one-act operas - ''Perseus and Andromeda'', ''Catherine Parr'', ''The Blue Harlequin'' and ''Kanawa'' - were composed in the early 1930s for the Royal College of Music. ''Eire'' (1938) is a suite of Irish folksong arrangements. ''Louis XV Silhouettes'' (1939) is a suite of

pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...

18th-century dance movements. His 1942 ''Elegy in Memory of Edward Elgar'', is based on a theme from the slow movement of Elgar's third symphony. Collins also compiled the ''Threnody for a Soldier Killed in Action'' (1944) from sketches left by

Michael Heming Michael Savage Heming (14 January 1920 – 3 November 1942) was a British composer. He was the son of Percy Alfred Heming, a well-known baritone, and Joyce Savage. Educated at Wellington College in Berkshire, Heming went on to study conducting a ...

, a young composer killed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. There are also chamber works and songs. Many of his more ambitious works have been lost. These include the last two of the four string symphonies, two violin concertos (the first only surviving in the version published for violin and piano), ''Romney Marsh'' for viola and orchestra (1944) and the cantata ''The Lay of Rosabelle''. Others, such as the tone poem ''Sir Toby and Sir Andrew'', only exist as historical recordings.

Recordings

Collins conducted a series of recordings, notably of music of Elgar and Sibelius, for Decca Records and

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

. His Decca

Kingsway Hall The Kingsway Hall in Holborn, London, was the base of the West London Mission (WLM) of the Methodist Church, and eventually became one of the most important recording venues for classical music and film music. It was built in 1912 and demolish ...

recordings made between 1952 and 1955 of the seven Sibelius symphonies (the second complete cycle with a single orchestra and conductor) and some of the tone poems were very highly regarded. He recorded with Decca from May 1945 to December 1956.

Selected works

* ''The Lay of Rosabelle'', choral cantata (1932) * ''Catherine Parr'', opera after a play by

Maurice Baring Maurice Baring (27 April 1874 – 14 December 1945) was an English man of letters, known as a dramatist, poet, novelist, translator and essayist, and also as a travel writer and war correspondent, with particular knowledge of Russia. During Wo ...

(1930s) * ''Perseus and Andromeda'', opera (1930s) * ''The Blue Harlequin'', opera (1930s) * ''Kanawa'', opera (1930s) * ''Topley Pike'', pastoral (1937) * ''Eire'', suite (1938) * ''Louis XV Silhouettes'', suite (1939) * Symphony No. 1 for strings (1940) * ''Elegy in Memory of Edward Elgar'' (1942) * ''Sir Andrew and Sir Toby'', overture (1942) * ''Romney Marsh'', viola and orchestra (1944) * ''Threnody for a Soldier Killed in Action'' (1944), from sketches left by Michael Heming * ''The Song of Erin: Lamentation'', cor anglais and orchestra (1946) * ''The Willow Pattern Plate'', ballet (1946) * Symphony No. 2 for strings (Hallé/Barbirolli Cheltenham Festival 7 July 1950) * ''Valse Lente'', orch.

Harry Dexter Harry Dexter (1910–1973) was an English music critic and a composer of light music best known for his "Siciliano" of 1953. He was born in Sheffield and obtained a Bachelor of Music degree at Durham University. During World War II, whilst se ...

, extracted from ''Odette'' (1950) * ''Prelude and Valse Variations'', extracted from ''The Lady with a Lamp'' (1951) * ''Hogarth Suite'', oboe and strings (1952) * ''Vanity Fair'' (1952) * Violin Concerto No. 1, op. 48 (1953) * ''With Emma in Town'' (recorded 1957)Decca 10-inch 78, F.10337, London Promenade Orchestra, cond. Collins
/ref> * ''Festival Royal'' overture (1958) * ''Santa Cécilia'', orchestral madrigal (1959) * Violin Concerto No. 2 * String Quartet in B flat major * Quartet for flute, violin, viola and harp * Trio for flute, viola and harp

Film music

* ''

'', 1937 * '' The Rat'', 1937 * '' A Royal Divorce'', 1938 * ''

Sixty Glorious Years ''Sixty Glorious Years'' is a 1938 British colour film directed by Herbert Wilcox. The film is a sequel to the 1937 film '' Victoria the Great''. The film is also known as ''Queen of Destiny'' in the US. Cast *Anna Neagle as Queen Victoria * ...

'', 1938 * '' Marigold'', 1938 * ''

'', 1939 * ''

Allegheny Uprising ''Allegheny Uprising'' (released in the UK as ''The First Rebel'') is a 1939 American Adventure Western film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne. Based on the 1937 novel ''The First Rebel'' by Neil H. Swanson ...

'', 1939 * ''

Swiss Family Robinson ''The Swiss Family Robinson'' (German: ''Der Schweizerische Robinson'', "The Swiss Robinson") is a novel by the Swiss author Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812, about a Swiss family of immigrants whose ship en route to Port Jackson, Aust ...

'', 1940 * ''

Tom Brown's School Days ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is a novel by Thomas Hughes, published in 1 ...

'', 1940 * ''

'', 1940 * '' Sunny'', 1941 * ''

Unexpected Uncle ''Unexpected Uncle'' is a 1941 American comedy drama film directed by Peter Godfrey (director), Peter Godfrey and starring Charles Coburn, Anne Shirley (actress), Anne Shirley, and James Craig (actor), James Craig. It was produced and distributed ...

'', 1941 * ''

The Nazis Strike ''The Nazis Strike'' is the second film of Frank Capra's ''Why We Fight'' propaganda film series. Released in 1943, it introduces Germany as a nation whose aggressive ambitions began in 1863 with Otto von Bismarck and the Nazis as its latest inca ...

'', 1943 * ''

Appointment in Berlin ''Appointment in Berlin'' (also known as ''Assignment in Berlin'') is a 1943 American war drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring George Sanders, Marguerite Chapman and Onslow Stevens. The film's plot follows an R.A.F. officer who i ...

'', 1943 * ''

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

'', 1943 * '' Forever and a Day'' * '' I Live in Grosvenor Square'', 1945 * '' Piccadilly Incident'', 1946 * ''

'', 1947 * ''

The Fabulous Texan ''The Fabulous Texan'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Lawrence Hazard and Horace McCoy. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, John Carroll, Catherine McLeod, Albert Dekker, Andy Devine and Patricia Knight. ...

'', 1947 * '' Odette'', 1950 * ''

Thunder in God's Country ''Thunder in God's Country'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by George Blair, written by Arthur E. Orloff, and starring Rex Allen, Mary Ellen Kay, Buddy Ebsen, Ian MacDonald, Paul Harvey and Harry Lauter. It was April 8, 1951, by Repu ...

'', 1951 * ''

The Lady with a Lamp ''The Lady with a Lamp'' is a 1951 British historical drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding and Felix Aylmer. It was written by Warren Chetham Strode based on the 1929 play ''The Lady with a Lamp'' ...

'', 1951 * ''

Macao Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most densely populated region in the world. Formerly a Portuguese colony, the ter ...

'', 1952 * '' Derby Day'', 1952 * ''

Trent's Last Case Trent's Last Case may refer to: * Trent's Last Case (novel), a 1913 detective novel by E. C. Bentley * Trent's Last Case (1920 film), a British silent crime film * Trent's Last Case (1929 film), an American sound part-talkie Pre-Code detective f ...

'', 1952 * ''

Laughing Anne ''Laughing Anne'' is a 1953 British adventure film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Wendell Corey, Margaret Lockwood, Forrest Tucker, and Ronald Shiner. It was adapted from Joseph Conrad's short story, " Because of the Dollars" and from ...

'', 1953 * ''

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' (; also released as ''Adventures of Robinson Crusoe'') is a 1954 adventure film directed by Luis Buñuel, based on the 1719 novel of the same name by Daniel Defoe. It stars Dan O'Herlihy as Crusoe and Jaime Fernández as Fr ...

'', 1954

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Classics Online biography
*
"Vanity Fair", conducted by Ernest Tomlinson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Anthony 1893 births 1963 deaths 20th-century British conductors (music) 20th-century English composers 20th-century English male musicians 20th-century violists Alumni of the Royal College of Music English classical violists English conductors (music) English film score composers English light music composers English male conductors (music) English male film score composers London Symphony Orchestra players Musicians from Hastings