Sir Edward German (born German Edward Jones; 17 February 1862 – 11 November 1936) was an English musician and composer of Welsh descent, best remembered for his extensive output of

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as th ...

for the stage and as a successor to

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

in the field of English

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

. Some of his light operas, especially '' Merrie England'', are still performed. As a youth, German played the violin and led the town orchestra of

Whitchurch, Shropshire Whitchurch is a market town in the north of Shropshire, England. It lies east of the Wales, Welsh border, 2 miles south of the Cheshire border, north of the county town of Shrewsbury, south of Chester, and east of Wrexham. At the 2021 Unit ...

. He also began to compose music. While performing and teaching violin 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 ...

, German began to build a career as a composer in the mid-1880s, writing serious music as well as light opera. In 1888, he became music director of the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...

in London. He provided popular

for many productions at the Globe and other London theatres, including ''Richard III'' (1889), ''Henry VIII'' (1892) and ''Nell Gwynn'' (1900). He also wrote symphonies, orchestral suites, symphonic poems and other works. He also wrote a considerable body of songs, piano music, and symphonic suites and other concert music, of which his ''Welsh Rhapsody'' (1904) is perhaps best known. German was engaged to finish ''

The Emerald Isle ''The Emerald Isle''; ''or, The Caves of Carrig-Cleena'', is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and Edward German, and a libretto by Basil Hood. The plot concerns the efforts of an Irish patriot to resist the oppressive "re- ...

'' after the death of Arthur Sullivan in 1900, the success of which led to more

s, including ''Merrie England'' (1902) and ''

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

'' (1907). He also wrote the '' Just So Song Book'' in 1903 to

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

's texts and continued to write orchestral music. German wrote little new music of his own after 1912, but he continued to conduct until 1928, the year in which he was knighted.

Life and career

German was born German Edward Jones in Whitchurch, Shropshire, the second of five children and the elder of two sons of John David Jones, a liquor merchant, brewer, church organist and lay preacher at the local

Congregational Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...

chapel, and Elizabeth (Betsy) Cox (died 1901), a teacher of Bible classes for young women. His first name was an anglicised form of the Welsh name "Garmon." His parents called him Jim.Prince, John
From liner notes for the 2009 recording of ''Tom Jones''
, Naxos 2009 He began to study piano and organ with his father at the age of five. At the age of six, he formed a boys' concert band to perform locally, teaching himself the violin, composition, and music arrangement in the process. He later sang

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...

in the church choir and participated in family entertainments above his uncle's grocery shop, often playing piano duets and performing comic sketches with his elder sister, Ruth, who died when he was 15.Rees, Brian
"German, Sir Edward (1862–1936)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 13 October 2008 He also wrote comic poems. His younger sisters were named Mabel and Rachel. In his mid-teens, German's parents attempted to apprentice him to a shipbuilding firm, as they believed their son had an aptitude for engineering. His studies at a boarding-school in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

had been delayed by a serious illness, however, and so he was turned away as too old to begin an apprenticeship. In his teens he formed a second band, a quintette, including himself on the violin, his sister on the pianoforte or the bass, and three friends of the family. He prepared the orchestrations for this band. He also led the town orchestra, did some amateur acting, and sang comic songs in local village halls.

The Royal Academy

At the age of 18, he studied privately with Walter Cecil Hay, the conductor of the Whitchurch choral society and director of music at St Chad's,

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

. German entered the

, where he eventually changed his name to J. E. German (and later simply Edward German) to avoid confusion with another student named Edward Jones. He continued his studies of violin and organ, also beginning a more formal study of composition under

Ebenezer Prout Ebenezer Prout (1 March 1835 – 5 December 1909) was an English musical theorist, writer, music teacher and composer, whose instruction, afterwards embodied in a series of standard works still used today, underpinned the work of many British cl ...

.Scowcroft, Philip
"Edward German: Serious or Light?"
MusicWeb-International, 1 December 2001 Many of German's student works were played at Academy concerts. Hulme, David Russell
"German: ''Richard III'' / ''Theme and Six Diversions'' / ''The Seasons''"
Marco Polo/Naxos liner notes, 1994 In 1884, the Academy appointed German a sub-professor of the violin. During his time as an instructor, he was well regarded and won several medals and prizes, such as the Tubbs Bow for his skill with the violin. In 1885, he won the Charles Lucas Medal for his ''Te Deum'' for soloists, choir and organ, leading him to change his focus from violin to composition. He soon wrote a

light opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

, ''The Two Poets'' (for four soloists and piano), in 1886, which was produced at the Academy and then performed at St. George's Hall. In 1887, his first symphony, in E Minor, was also performed at the Academy. In 1890 he conducted a revised version of this symphony at

the Crystal Palace The Crystal Palace was a cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibitors from around ...

, while ''The Two Poets'' toured successfully in England. During his time at the Royal Academy, German taught at Wimbledon School and played the violin in theatre orchestras, including the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...

. He visited Germany in 1886 and 1888–89 and was impressed by its opera, particularly at

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 ...

.Hulme, David Russell
"German, Sir Edward"
Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, accessed 14 October 2008 His circle of close friends at the Academy included

Dora Bright Dora Estella Knatchbull (née Bright; 16 August 1862 – 16 November 1951) was a British composer and pianist. She composed works for orchestra, keyboard and voice, and music for opera and ballet, including ballets for performance by the dancer ...

and

Ethel Mary Boyce Ethel Mary Boyce (5 October 1863 – 3 March 1936) was an English composer, pianist and teacher. Boyce was born and resided in Chertsey, Surrey, daughter of Justice of the peace George Boyce (1832–1914). She studied piano at the Royal Academy ...

from

Chertsey Chertsey is a town in the Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England, southwest of central London. It grew up around Chertsey Abbey, founded in AD 666 by Earconwald, St Erkenwald, and gained a municipal charter, market charter from Henry I of Engla ...

, Surrey. He and Boyce became engaged. She was also a promising composition student and won the Lady Goldsmid scholarship in 1885, the Sterndale Bennett Prize in 1886 and the Charles Lucas Medal in 1889. Although the engagement was broken off, they remained friends. German never married.

Plays and orchestral music

After leaving the Academy, German continued to teach at Wimbledon School and to play the violin in orchestras at various London theatres, including the

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

. In 1888, an introduction by conductor

Alberto Randegger Alberto Randegger (13 April 1832 – 18 December 1911) was an Italian-born composer, conductor and singing teacher, best known for promoting opera and new works of British music in England during the Victorian era and for his widely used textbook ...

to theatre manager

Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was a German-born English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1887 play), Dr. Jekyll and Mr ...

led to German's appointment as conductor and musical director at the

in London. There he improved the orchestra and began providing

for the theatre's lavish productions, starting with ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' in 1889. This music was well received (''

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 ...

'' called for a concert suite to be arranged), and the overture soon became popular in

concert hall A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage (theatre), stage that serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats. This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia, dramatic theatres or convention ...

s. This eventually led to other incidental music commissions that gained success. In 1892, German composed music for a production of

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

's version of ''

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

'' at the

Lyceum Theatre, London The Lyceum Theatre ( ) is a West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand in central London. It has a seating capacity of 2,100. The origins of the theatre date to 1765. Managed by Samuel Arno ...

, where he incorporated elements of traditional old English dance. Within a year, sheet music of the dance numbers from the play's score had sold 30,000 copies. German was by then in great demand to write music for plays. His commissions included

Henry Arthur Jones Henry Arthur Jones (20 September 1851 – 7 January 1929) was an English dramatist, who was first noted for his melodrama '' The Silver King'' (1882), and went on to write prolifically, often appearing to mirror Ibsen from the opposite (conserva ...

's ''The Tempter'' in 1893,

Johnston Forbes-Robertson Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson (16 January 1853 – 6 November 1937)''Sir Johnston Forbes Robertson, Beauty And Grace in Acting'', Obituaries, ''The Times'', 8 November 1937. was an English actor and theatre manager and husband of actress Gertrud ...

's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' at the Lyceum in 1895,

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and Actor-manager, theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End theatre, West End, winning ...

's productions of ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

'' (1896) and ''

Much Ado about Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'' (1898), and

Anthony Hope Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins (9 February 1863 – 8 July 1933), better known as Anthony Hope, was a British novelist and playwright. He was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels but he is remembered predominantly for only two books: ''T ...

's ''English Nell'' (later known as ''Nell Gwynn'') in 1900, starring

Marie Tempest Dame Mary Susan Etherington (15 July 1864 – 15 October 1942), known professionally as Marie Tempest, was an English singer and actress. Tempest became a famous soprano in late Victorian era, Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedie ...

. At the same time, German was writing music for the concert hall, sometimes adapting music from his theatrical scores. His ''Gipsy Suite'' met with success similar to that of his overture to ''Richard III'' and his popular ''Henry VIII'' and ''Nell Gwynn'' dances. All were written in "a distinctive, if limited, 'olde English' manner, a species of musical mock Tudor with which German came to be particularly associated." He also wrote a number of successful drawing-room songs and solo piano pieces during this time. The success of German's theatrical and concert hall music led to his receiving commissions from orchestral music festivals, including his second symphony for the Norwich Festival in 1893. The young critic

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

complained that German's symphonies were limited by the composer's indulgence in a theatricality out of place in symphonic writing. German was thin-skinned, and after receiving this criticism, he wrote no more symphonies. German tried to avoid this charge in the future by characterising his large-scale four-movement works as "symphonic suites". Successful orchestral works included suites for the

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

Festival in 1895 and ''The Seasons'' for Norwich in 1899, and a symphonic poem, ''Hamlet'', at

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

in 1897, conducted by Hans Richter. He had planned a violin concerto for the 1901 Leeds Festival, but this was never completed, as German instead turned to light opera. In 1902, he produced a Rhapsody on March Themes for the Brighton Festival.

Comic operas

Though German had little experience with opera or choral music,

Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...

invited him to finish

's ''

'' for the

after Sullivan's death in 1900.Stone, David
"Edward German"
, Who Was Who in the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. The ...

, 2001 He accepted, giving up his violin concerto commission for the Leeds Festival to meet the deadlines. The success of his score for the opera (which was performed into the 1920s) opened up a new career for him. His next comic opera, in 1902, was '' Merrie England'', with

Basil Hood Basil Willett Charles Hood (5 April 1864 – 7 August 1917) was a British dramatist and lyricist, perhaps best known for writing the libretti of half a dozen Savoy Operas and for his English adaptations of operettas, including ''The Merry Wi ...

, the librettist for ''The Emerald Isle''. This was perhaps German's greatest success, and its dance music was popular separately. It was revived frequently, becoming a light-opera standard in Britain, while several of its songs, including "The English Rose", "O Peaceful England" and "The Yeomen of England", remained popular until the middle of the 20th century. ''Merrie England'' has been so frequently chosen by amateur groups in England that it probably has been performed more often than any other British opera or operetta written in the 20th century. After this, German and Hood collaborated again in 1903 to write ''

A Princess of Kensington ''A Princess of Kensington'' is an English comic opera in two acts by Edward German to a libretto by Basil Hood, produced by William Greet. The first performance was at the Savoy Theatre, London, on 22 January 1903 and ran for 115 performances. ...

''. This opera was unsuccessful, although it toured briefly and had a New York production. German turned to other endeavours, composing music to

texts, including the twelve songs in the '' Just So Song Book'' in 1903. He also received a steady flow of orchestral commissions, leading to works such as his ''Welsh Rhapsody'' for the Cardiff Festival in 1904, featuring as its climax "

Men of Harlech "Men of Harlech" or "The March of the Men of Harlech" ( Welsh: ) is a song and military march which is traditionally saidFuld, James J., ''The Book of World-famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk'', Dover, 5th ed. 2000, p. 394 to describe eve ...

". German returned to writing comic operas, achieving another success with ''

'' for the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a listed building, Grade II listed West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

in 1907, produced by

Robert Courtneidge Robert Courtneidge (29 June 1859 – 6 April 1939) was a British theatrical manager-producer and playwright. He is best remembered as the co-author of the light opera '' Tom Jones'' (1907) and the producer of '' The Arcadians'' (1909). He was ...

for the Fielding bicentenary. The score is one of German's finest works. It received a production in New York, with German conducting, and was performed for decades, spawning separate performances of its dance music. He next collaborated with

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

on his final (and unsuccessful) opera, ''

Fallen Fairies ''Fallen Fairies''; ''or, The Wicked World'', is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Edward German. The story is an operatic adaptation of Gilbert's 1873 blank-verse fairy comedy, '' The Wicked World''. In Fair ...

'', at the Savoy in 1909. With German's agreement, Gilbert cast his protege,

Nancy McIntosh Nancy Isobel McIntosh (25 October 1866 – February 20, 1954) was an American-born singer and actress who performed mostly on the London stage. Her father was a member of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, which had been blamed in connec ...

, as the Fairy Queen, Selene. Critics found her performance weak. Shortly after the opening, the producer C. H. Workman, acting at the request of the syndicate he had gathered, replaced McIntosh with

Amy Evans Amy Evans (24 October 1884 – 5 January 1983) was a Welsh soprano and actress known for her performances in oratorio, recitals, and opera. She also made some music recordings beginning in 1906. In 1910, she played the leading role of Selene i ...

and asked for restoration of a song that Gilbert had cut during rehearsals. Gilbert was outraged and threatened to sue, demanding that German join him. This placed German in a distressing position, and the composer, who habitually preferred to avoid legal battles, declined. In maintaining the Savoy tradition of comic opera, German was composing a style of piece for which public taste had dwindled as fashions in

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

had changed with the new century.

Later years

In the wake of the failure of ''Fallen Fairies'' and his unhappy experience with it, German effectively ended his career as a composer of new works, only returning to composition on a few rare occasions. In 1911 he became the first composer to write music for a British film; he was commissioned for 50 guineas to write 16 bars of music for the coronation scene in the film ''

''. The same year, he composed his

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...

and hymn for the coronation of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

Among the few works of his later years was the ''Theme and Six Diversions'' in 1919, and his final major work, the Othello-inspired tone poem ''The Willow Song'' in 1922. After that, German all but ceased composing. Correspondence shows that he felt uncomfortable with the changing musical styles, such as

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and modernist classical music. Like Sullivan before him, he regretted that his popularity stemmed mostly from his comic operas. However, German was a perfectionist and continually revised his works and produced new arrangements for publication. He also recorded some of them and encouraged their production and broadcast on the radio. German lived, from 1886, in Hall Road,

Maida Vale Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district in North West London, England, north of Paddington, southwest of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn, on Edgware Road. It is part of the City of Westminster and is northwest of Charing C ...

, near

Lord's Cricket Ground Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...

, London, where he was an enthusiast of that game. He lived a quiet life, enjoying walking, cycling and fishing, though he often attended the theatre. He developed a strong friendship with

Sir Edward 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 ...

. German was injured in a road accident during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, but continued to be a highly sought-after conductor, accepting many conducting engagements, until he suffered an eye condition that left him blind in his right eye in 1928. He was the first British conductor invited by Dan Godfrey to conduct his own music at

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

. Beginning in 1916, he was also one of the first composers to conduct his own music for recording, producing full renderings of ''Merrie England'' and ''Theme and Six Diversions''. German was knighted in 1928, when the respect in which he was held by fellow musicians was shown by the number of eminent musicians who attended the celebratory dinner, including Elgar,

Sir Alexander Mackenzie Sir Alexander Mackenzie ( – 12 March 1820) was a Scottish explorer and fur trader known for accomplishing the first crossing of North America north of Mexico by a European in 1793. The Mackenzie River and Mount Sir Alexander are named afte ...

, Sir Hugh Allen,

Sir Landon Ronald Sir Landon Ronald (born Landon Ronald Russell) (7 June 1873 – 14 August 1938) was an English conductor, composer, pianist, teacher and administrator. In his early career he gained work as an accompanist and ''répétiteur'', but struggle ...

, and

Lord Berners Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, 14th Baron Berners (18 September 188319 April 1950), also known as Gerald Tyrwhitt, was a British composer, novelist, painter, and aesthete. He was also known as Lord Berners. Biography Early life and education B ...

. In 1934 German received the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

's highest honour, its gold medal, presented by

Sir 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 ...

at an RPS concert. He was elected an Honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1936, and he was a leader of the Performing Rights Society, which fought for composers' rights to fair compensation for the performances of their works. German died of

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

at his Maida Vale home, aged 74. He was cremated at

Golders Green Golders Green is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet in north London, northwest of Charing Cross. It began as a medieval small suburban linear settlement near a farm and public grazing area green, and dates to the early 19th century. It ...

, and his ashes are interred in the Whitchurch cemetery. He left an estate valued at £56,191.

Legacy

German lived long enough to witness the beginning of a decline in the popularity of his orchestral works. A note found after his death bears this poignant message: "I die a disappointed man because my serious orchestral works have not been recognised". However, his best-known orchestral pieces continued to see occasional performances, and his light operas ''Merrie England'' and ''Tom Jones'' were kept alive by the productions of amateur companies. Beecham recorded his ''Gipsy Suite'' in 1956. A recording of his ''Richard III'', ''Theme and Six Diversions'' and ''The Seasons'' was released by Naxos in 1994, conducted by Andrew Penny. The first complete professional recording of ''Tom Jones'' followed in 2009. Dutton Epoch released a selection of German's music, including his Symphony No. 2, in 2007, and a recording of some of his incidental music for plays, together with two marches and a hymn in 2012.

Analysis

The music scholar

David Russell Hulme David Russell Hulme (born 19 June 1951) is a Welsh conductor and musicologist. He is an emeritus reader and the former director of music at Aberystwyth University and is known for his research and publications on the music of Arthur Sullivan, th ...

wrote of German that French influences are clearly apparent in his music "and there are even occasional reminders of

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 ...

, but paradoxically he was, like Elgar, a stylistic cosmopolitan who wrote music that is quintessentially English." Hulme also observes that though he is seen as Sullivan's successor, German's music is quite different in style, and his lyric ballads especially show "a romantic warmth that struck a new note in British operetta". ''The Times'' argued that German was so frequently spoken of as Sullivan's successor that his contemporaries failed to notice that he was "an artist of genius" in his own right. Many of German's colleagues in the musical establishment did, however, find his work to be of the highest quality, including Elgar and

Sir John Barbirolli Sir John Barbirolli ( Giovanni Battista Barbirolli; 2 December 189929 July 1970) was a British conductor and cellist. He is remembered above all as conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which he helped save from dissolution in 1943 ...

. Hulme writes that "German's orchestral music certainly does not deserve the neglect it has suffered, for it still has much to offer modern audiences. Beautifully crafted, colourful and vital, its pleasing and distinctive personality is still capable of inspiring the kind of affectionate regard it once so readily kindled." German's music often reflected a romanticised Shakespearian or semi-mythical English merry-making past. This appealed to contemporary taste, as his ''Three Dances from 'Henry VIII'' (1892) was the most frequently performed English orchestral work in the first decade of

The Proms 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 ...

, with well over 30 performances between 1895 and 1905, and his ''Three Dances from 'As You Like It'' (1896) were similarly popular.

Edward German Festival

The first Edward German Festival was held in 2006 in German's birth town, Whitchurch, Shropshire. Events included performances by festival patron and cellist,

Julian Lloyd Webber Julian Lloyd Webber (born 14 April 1951) is a British solo cellist, conductor and broadcaster, a former principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the founder of the In Harmony music education programme. Early years and education Julia ...

and a concert version of German's best-known work, ''Merrie England''. Another festival was held on 23–28 April 2009, sponsored by the Friends of Whitchurch Heritage. This programme included a concert version of ''Tom Jones'' (for which a new recording was released by Naxos in 2009) and a school adaptation of ''Merrie England''. Other events featured clarinettist Emma Johnson, German scholar

and the Hallé Orchestra., Sir Edward German Music Festival 2009 website

Works

Operas

* ''The Two Poets'' (1886), later revised as '' The Rival Poets'' (1901) * ''

'' (1901; completion of the opera left unfinished by

Sullivan Sullivan may refer to: People Characters * Chloe Sullivan, from the television series ''Smallville'' * Colin Sullivan, a character in the film ''The Departed'', played by Matt Damon * Harry Sullivan (''Doctor Who''), from the British science f ...

at his death) * '' Merrie England'' (1902) * ''

'' (1903) * ''

'' (1907) * ''

'' (1909)

Incidental music to plays

* ''Richard III'' (1889) * ''Henry VIII'' (1892) * ''The Tempter'' (1893) * ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1895) * ''Michael and his Lost Angel'' (1896) * ''As You Like It'' (1896) * ''Much Ado about Nothing'' (1898) * ''English Nell'' (1900), later known as ''Nell Gwyn'' * ''The Conqueror'' (1905)

Orchestral

* ''The Guitar'' (1883) * ''Bolero'' (1883) * ''Symphony No 1 in E minor'' (1887) * ''March Solennelle'' (1891) * ''On German Airs'' (1891) * ''Gipsy Suite'' (1892) * ''Symphony No 2 ("Norwich") in A minor'' (1893) * ''Symphonic Suite in D minor ("Leeds")'' (1895) * ''In Commemoration'' (1897) evised in 1902 as ''March Rhapsody on Original Themes''* ''Hamlet'', Symphonic Poem (1897) * ''The Seasons'', Symphonic Suite (1899) * ''Welsh Rhapsody'' (1904) * '' Coronation March and Hymn'' (1911) * ''The Irish Guards'' (1918) * ''Theme and Six Diversions'' (1919) * ''The Willow Song'' (1922) * ''Cloverley Suite'' (1934)

Choral works and part songs

* Te Deum in F (1885) * The Chase (1886) * Antigone (c 1887) * O Lovely May (1894) * Who is Sylvia? (1894) * Banks of the Bann (1899) * ''

Just So Songs ''Just So Songs'' is a collection of twelve poems from Rudyard Kipling's '' Just So Stories'' set to music by Sir Edward German in 1903. It consists of musical settings for voice and piano of "When the Cabin port holes", "The Camel's Hump", "Thi ...

'' (originally written for solo voice in 1903, part-song arrangements by the composer from 1916–1933) * Canada Patriotic Hymn (1904) * O Peaceful Night (1904) * Introit: Bread of Heaven (1908) * Grace: Non Nobis Domine (1911) * Pure as the Air (1911) * The Three Knights (1911) * Beauteous Morn (1912) * In Praise of Neptune (1912) * My Bonnie Lass (1912) * Sleeping (1912) * Sweet Day So Cool (1912) * Morning Hymn (1912) * Intercessory Hymn: Father Omnipotent (1915) * London Town (1920) * Rolling Down to Rio

Songs for solo voice

* All Friends Around the Wrekin: A Song of Shropshire * Big Steamers * Be Well Assured (from ''

The Fringes of the Fleet ''The Fringes of the Fleet'' is a booklet written in 1915 by Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936). The booklet contains essays and poems about nautical subjects in World War I. It is also the title of a song-cycle written in 1917 with music by the E ...

'') * Have You News of My Boy Jack? (1916) * Charming Chloe * Cupid at the Ferry * Love the Pedlar * Sea Lullaby * Heigh Ho * Bird of Blue * Glorious Devon * Who'll Buy My Lavender? * Recompense

Piano

* ''Suite for Pianoforte'': "Impromptu", "Valse Caprice", "Bourrée", "Elegy", "Mazurka", "Tarantella" (1889) * ''Four Pianoforte Duets'' (1890) * ''Graceful Dance in F'' (1891) * ''Polish Dance'' (1891) * ''Valse in A Flat'' (1891) * ''Album Leaf'' (1892) * ''Intermezzo in A Minor'' (1892) * ''Valsette pour Piano'' (1892) * ''Minuet in G'' (1893) * ''Second Impromptu'' (1894) * ''Concert Study in A Flat'' (1894) * ''Gipsy Suite: Four Characteristic Dances -duet- (1895) * ''Melody in E Flat'' (1895) * ''Suite for Four Hands'' (1896) * ''"Columbine" Air de Ballet'' (1898) * ''Abendlied "Evensong"'' (1900) * ''Melody in E. "The Queen's Carol" (1905)

Violin

* ''Nocturne'' (1882) * ''Chanson d'Amour'' (1880s) * ''Barcarolle'' (1880s) * ''Album Leaf'' (1880s) * ''Sprites' Dance'' (1880s) * ''Bolero'' (1883) * ''Scotch Sketch for 2 Violins and Pianoforte'' (1890) * ''Moto Perpetuo Pour Violin Accompagnement de Piano'' (1890) * ''Souvenir for Violin and Pianoforte'' (1896) * ''Song without Words'' (1898) * ''Three Sketches'': "Valsette", "Souvenir", "Bolero" (1897)

Woodwind, chamber music and organ

* ''Saltarello'' (for flute and piano) (1889) * ''Pastorale and Bourrée'' (for woodwinds) (1891) * ''Suite: Three Pieces'' (for woodwinds) (1892) * ''Andante and Tarantella'' (for woodwinds) (1892) * ''Romance'' (for woodwinds) (1892) * ''Intermezzo'' (for woodwinds) (1894) * ''Early One Morning'' (for woodwinds) (1900) * ''Trio in D for Violin, Violoncello, and Pianoforte'' () * ''Serenade'' (for chamber ensemble) (1890s) * ''Andante in B Flat'' (for organ) (1880s)

References

Sources

* *