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'''''In brief''''' |
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''' Rutland Boughton ''' ([[Aylesbury]], [[Buckinghamshire]] [[January 23]], [[1878]] – [[January 25]], [[1960]]), a pupil of [[Charles Villiers Stanford]] and Walford Davies at the [[Royal College of Music]] in London, became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music. His output included three symphonies; several concertos; part-songs; songs; [[chamber music]] and opera (which he called "Music Drama" after Wagner). |
''' Rutland Boughton ''' ([[Aylesbury]], [[Buckinghamshire]] [[January 23]], [[1878]] – [[January 25]], [[1960]]), a pupil of [[Charles Villiers Stanford]] and Walford Davies at the [[Royal College of Music]] in London, became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music. His output included three symphonies; several concertos; part-songs; songs; [[chamber music]] and opera (which he called "Music Drama" after Wagner). |
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In addition to his compositions, Boughton is remembered for his attempt to create an "English Bayreuth" at Glastonbury, establishing the first [[Glastonbury Festival]] (They ran with enormous success and sophistication from 1914 until 1926. From 1927, and until his death in 1960, he lived at Kilcot near Newent, Glouctsershire. For detailed information about the man and his music, see Michael Hurd's biography "Rutland Boughton and the [[Glastonbury Festival]]'s" ''OUP, 1993'' ISBN 0091897637) or visit [http://www.rutlandboughtonmusictrust.org.uk]. |
In addition to his compositions, Boughton is remembered for his attempt to create an "English Bayreuth" at Glastonbury, establishing the first [[Glastonbury Festival]] (They ran with enormous success and sophistication from 1914 until 1926. From 1927, and until his death in 1960, he lived at Kilcot near Newent, Glouctsershire. For detailed information about the man and his music, see Michael Hurd's biography "Rutland Boughton and the [[Glastonbury Festival]]'s" ''OUP, 1993'' ISBN 0091897637) or visit [http://www.rutlandboughtonmusictrust.org.uk]. |
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'''''BIOGRAPHY''''' |
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| ⚫ | '''Rutland Boughton''' was the son of a grocer whose shop occupied Buckingham Street in the town of Aylesbury. From an early age he showed signs of exceptional talent for music although formal training opportunities did not become available to him. In 1892 he was apprenticed to a London Concert Agency and six years later his attention was attracted by several influential musicians including the Rothschild family that enabled him to raise sufficient monies to study at the RCM in London. The amount raised, however, was only sufficient to maintain his studies for one year after which he left the RCM and took up ad-hoc work first in the pit of the Hayward Theatre then as official accompanist to the baritone David Ffrangcon Davies (whose daughter, Gwen, later became associated with the Glastonbury Festivals and became famous for her role Etain in '''The Immortal Hour'''). In 1903, he married Florence Hobley - an Aylesbury neighbour - that he was to regret years later. It was in 1905 (the year he tried without success to get his first symphony "Oliver Cromwell" performed) that he was approached by Sir Granville Bantock to become a member of staff at the Birmingham Institute of Music. |
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| ⚫ | '''Rutland Boughton''' was the son of a grocer whose shop occupied Buckingham Street in the town of Aylesbury. From an early age he showed signs of exceptional talent for music although formal training opportunities did not become available to him. In 1892 he was apprenticed to a London Concert Agency and six years later his attention was attracted by several influential musicians including the Rothschild family that enabled him to raise sufficient monies to study at the RCM in London. The amount raised, however, was only sufficient to maintain his studies for one year after which he left the RCM and took up ad-hoc work first in the pit of the Hayward Theatre then as official accompanist to the baritone David Ffrangcon Davies (whose daughter, Gwen, later became associated with the Glastonbury Festivals and became famous for her role Etain in '''The Immortal Hour'''). In 1903, he married Florence Hobley - an Aylesbury neighbour - that he was to regret years later. It was in 1905 (the year he tried without success to get his first symphony "Oliver Cromwell" [http://www.cromwellassociation.co.uk]performed) that he was approached by Sir Granville Bantock to become a member of staff at the Birmingham Institute of Music. |
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It was whilst at Birmingham (1905 to 1911) that Boughton made many new friends, including Edward Carpenter and George Bernard Shaw. It was also during those years that he developed a relationship with the artiste Christina Walshe who was to become his partner and artistic "right-hand" to his Glastonbury projects. Boughton originally planned a fourteen-day cycle of dramas on the life of Christ in which the story would be enacted on a small stage in the middle of an orchestra while soloists and the chorus would comment on the action. The idea was to create a new form of opera which he later called "music drama" that was to be on a Wagnerian scale. Further studies in the writings of William Morris, Ruskin and Shaw and the introduction to a work by Reginal Buckley called "Arthur of Britain" redirected his thinking and instead of Christ as the central character, Boughton turned to the mystical heart of Britain in King Arthur. At first Letchworth Garden City in Hertordshire was deemed a suitable venue for his projects (the Arts and Crafts Movement and development of modern towns were significant at that time) but he later turned to the Somerset town of Glastonbury, the alleged resting place of King Arthur |
It was whilst at Birmingham (1905 to 1911) that Boughton made many new friends, including Edward Carpenter and George Bernard Shaw. It was also during those years that he developed a relationship with the artiste Christina Walshe who was to become his partner and artistic "right-hand" to his Glastonbury projects. Boughton originally planned a fourteen-day cycle of dramas on the life of Christ in which the story would be enacted on a small stage in the middle of an orchestra while soloists and the chorus would comment on the action. The idea was to create a new form of opera which he later called "music drama" that was to be on a Wagnerian scale. Further studies in the writings of William Morris, Ruskin and Shaw and the introduction to a work by Reginal Buckley called "Arthur of Britain" redirected his thinking and instead of Christ as the central character, Boughton turned to the mystical heart of Britain in King Arthur. At first Letchworth Garden City in Hertordshire was deemed a suitable venue for his projects (the Arts and Crafts Movement and development of modern towns were significant at that time) but he later turned to the Somerset town of Glastonbury, the alleged resting place of King Arthur and steeped with mysticism. |
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* [http://www.rutlandboughtonmusictrust.org.uk The Rutland Boughton Music Trust] |
* [http://www.rutlandboughtonmusictrust.org.uk The Rutland Boughton Music Trust] |
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* [http://www.hyperion.co.uk] |
* [http://www.hyperion.co.uk Hyperion Records Ltd] |
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* [http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk] |
* [http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk Dutton Records Ltd] |
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* [http://www.www.boydell.co.uk King Arthur in Music] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Boughton, Rutland}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boughton, Rutland}} |
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Revision as of 15:08, 11 May 2007
Rutland Boughton |
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In brief
Rutland Boughton (Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire January 23, 1878 – January 25, 1960), a pupil of Charles Villiers Stanford and Walford Davies at the Royal College of Music in London, became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music. His output included three symphonies; several concertos; part-songs; songs; chamber music and opera (which he called "Music Drama" after Wagner).
His best known work was the operaThe Immortal Hour. His Bethlehem, based on the Coventry Nativity Play and notable for its unique choral arrangements of traditional Christmas carols and first performed during the Glastonbury Festival School in 1915, also became very popular with choral societies world-wide.
Other operas by Boughton were: The Birth of Arthur (1913),The Round Table (1916), The Lily Maid, Avalon and Galahad (from the Arthurian cycle of music dramas);'The Moon Maiden (1919), Alkestis (1922), and The Queen of Cornwall (1924).
Through the Boughton Trust (see below), many of his major works have been recorded and are available on disc including The Immortal Hour, Bethlehem,, Symphony No 1 "Oliver Cromwell", Symphony No 2, Symphony No 3, Oboe Concerto No 1, string quartets and various chamber pieces and songs.
In addition to his compositions, Boughton is remembered for his attempt to create an "English Bayreuth" at Glastonbury, establishing the first Glastonbury Festival (They ran with enormous success and sophistication from 1914 until 1926. From 1927, and until his death in 1960, he lived at Kilcot near Newent, Glouctsershire. For detailed information about the man and his music, see Michael Hurd's biography "Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festival's" OUP, 1993 ISBN 0091897637) or visit [1].
BIOGRAPHY
Rutland Boughton was the son of a grocer whose shop occupied Buckingham Street in the town of Aylesbury. From an early age he showed signs of exceptional talent for music although formal training opportunities did not become available to him. In 1892 he was apprenticed to a London Concert Agency and six years later his attention was attracted by several influential musicians including the Rothschild family that enabled him to raise sufficient monies to study at the RCM in London. The amount raised, however, was only sufficient to maintain his studies for one year after which he left the RCM and took up ad-hoc work first in the pit of the Hayward Theatre then as official accompanist to the baritone David Ffrangcon Davies (whose daughter, Gwen, later became associated with the Glastonbury Festivals and became famous for her role Etain in The Immortal Hour). In 1903, he married Florence Hobley - an Aylesbury neighbour - that he was to regret years later. It was in 1905 (the year he tried without success to get his first symphony "Oliver Cromwell" [2]performed) that he was approached by Sir Granville Bantock to become a member of staff at the Birmingham Institute of Music.
It was whilst at Birmingham (1905 to 1911) that Boughton made many new friends, including Edward Carpenter and George Bernard Shaw. It was also during those years that he developed a relationship with the artiste Christina Walshe who was to become his partner and artistic "right-hand" to his Glastonbury projects. Boughton originally planned a fourteen-day cycle of dramas on the life of Christ in which the story would be enacted on a small stage in the middle of an orchestra while soloists and the chorus would comment on the action. The idea was to create a new form of opera which he later called "music drama" that was to be on a Wagnerian scale. Further studies in the writings of William Morris, Ruskin and Shaw and the introduction to a work by Reginal Buckley called "Arthur of Britain" redirected his thinking and instead of Christ as the central character, Boughton turned to the mystical heart of Britain in King Arthur. At first Letchworth Garden City in Hertordshire was deemed a suitable venue for his projects (the Arts and Crafts Movement and development of modern towns were significant at that time) but he later turned to the Somerset town of Glastonbury, the alleged resting place of King Arthur and steeped with mysticism.