Albert Sammons
Encyclopedia
Albert Edward Sammons CBE
(born Fulham
, 23 February 1886, died Middleton-on-Sea
on 24 August 1957) was an English violin
ist, composer and later violin teacher. Almost self-taught on the violin, he had a wide repertoire as both chamber musician and soloist, although his reputation rests mainly on his association with British composers, especially Elgar. He made a number of recordings over 40 years, many of which have been re-issued on CD.
in 1898; the conductor was so impressed by the 12-year old that he made him leader
. He left school at this time and became a professional musician - partly to bring extra income to the household, as his father was a compulsive gambler.
Sammons's father took both Albert and his eldest brother Tom to symphony concerts at St James's Hall
and Queen's Hall
. The boy began to gain a reputation for his reliability and was engaged by many London musical establishments, as well as in the 'Hungarian' and 'White Viennese' bands popular at the time. Sammons also received a few free lessons from the Eugène Ysaÿe
-trained Spanish violinist Alfredo Fernandez. At 16, relations with his father reached a point where Albert and his brother left home to stay with friends, only returning when his father walked out to join the band on an ocean liner
and the two brothers were therefore obliged to provide for the rest of the family.
His first concerto performance was the Mendelssohn E minor Concerto
at the Kursaal Concert Hall in Harrogate
in 1906. He married Laura Tomkins in Middlesbrough on 31 October 1907 (divorced 1920). Around this time Sammons was recruited to play at musical parties for the upper classes at their country houses.
In 1910, with Thomas Petre (second violin), Warwick Evans (cello
), and H. Waldo Warner (viola
) he formed the London String Quartet
, with whom he remained until 1917. The quartet gave concerts mainly in the UK but travelled to Amsterdam and Paris, with a repertoire extending from the classical period to contemporary works – including Verklärte Nacht
in the presence of the composer.. He was also engaged by Ernesto Bucalossi at the Waldorf Hotel
and Wyndham's Theatre
. It was at the Waldorf that Thomas Beecham
heard him and in August 1909 offered him the position of sub-leader (soon to be leader) of his orchestra, which later included opera seasons at Covent Garden
, and the 1911 Diaghilev
season. He also consolidated his solo career by playing the Bruch
Violin Concerto No. 1
with the London Symphony Orchestra
at the Queen's Hall
in 1910. The conductor Adrian Boult commented on his rise in British violin-playing, "he had had no special preparations, no training abroad, no scholarship luxuries".
Sammons, William Murdoch (piano
), Lionel Tertis
(viola) and Lauri Kennedy
(cello), founded The Chamber Music Players in 1921, giving their first private performance on 6 January of that year, and first public concert at Haverstock Hill, London on 13 January, going on to give many concerts at the Wigmore Hall
and around the UK.
He mainly appeared in the UK, although he did lead the Beecham orchestra for a six-week season with the Diaghilev company at the Kroll Opera House, Berlin
in 1913 and, having played under Pierre Monteux
for the Diaghilev seasons, was invited to lead the orchestra at the Casino de Dieppe
, giving two concerts a day, and extending both his orchestral and chamber music repertoire.
Sammons was particularly associated with Edward Elgar
's Violin Concerto in B minor
, which he first played on 23 November 1914. He made the first complete recording of the concerto on 18 March and 10 April 1929 with the New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Sir Henry Wood
, which displays "wonderfully assured portamenti carried as if on the breath of a great singer" and "immense structural strength". He estimated that he played the concerto over a hundred times, including at The Proms
. He gave his last performance of the Elgar on his 60th birthday in 1946, with George Weldon
conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra
. He also made the first recording of Elgar's Violin Sonata in E minor
in 1935.
Among other concertos in his repertoire were those by Beethoven
, Brahms
, Bruch, and the Mozart G major
.
In May 1915 a chance encounter in London with Frederick Delius
led directly to the composition of a violin concerto in which Sammons probably assisted considerably even to the point of writing some link passages. On 13 July 1916 Sammons gave the first UK performance of the Violin Sonata
of Claude Debussy
, only six weeks after its Paris premiere. After the end of the First World War, Sammons all but gave up string quartet and orchestral playing in order to concentrate on a large, regular programme of solo work and chamber music recitals throughout Britain and Ireland, and later, broadcasts. He played a part in the rehabilitation of Fritz Kreisler
, by presenting (along with Dame Nellie Melba
) a laurel wreath at the Austrian violinist's first appearance in England after the war. Between May and the autumn of 1929 Sammons and Tertis carried out around 1,000 string auditions for the formation of the new BBC Symphony Orchestra.
He married Olive Hobday (the daughter of one of his accompanists) on 5 December 1921. Shortly after, they moved to Bognor Regis
(in the same road as William Murdoch) where he lived for the rest of his life.
During the Second World War, he continued his busy concert schedule around the UK travelling by train, as well as appearing at the National Gallery concerts.
From 1946 Sammons spent less time playing and more teaching. As a teacher, he had worked at the Midland Institute in Birmingham from the 1920s but from 1939 he taught privately and at the Royal College of Music
. His pupils included Alan Loveday, Hugh Bean
and Samuel Kutcher. He became a Fellow (FRCM) in 1944.
He composed many short pieces for violin and piano, which he included in his recital programmes and recorded. A Cradle Song of 1915 is dedicated to his second daughter and the Lullaby of 1923 to the third, Colleen. His Phantasy Quartet of 1915 won the Cobbett Prize. He also made editions of others' works and published books of studies and exercises.
The onset of Parkinson's disease
forced his retirement from public performance in June 1948. He attended a testimonial concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 7 December in a wheelchair, and heard a tribute from Arthur Bliss
, with others in the programme from Joseph Szigeti
, Fritz Kreisler and Sir Adrian Boult
. Boult said of him after his death that he was distinguished by "his selfless interest in music-making of all kinds, whether in Queen's Hall
or in some humble mission hall in far-off Wales or Scotland. He was a great musician in every sense of the word".
(he bought another, 1696, Gofriller in 1927) and a Nicolas Gagliano. At the Cobbett
competition in February 1923 he played in a 'blind' comparison of a 1731 Stradivarius
and a modern instrument by Alfred Vincent. When Sammons sold the Gofriller in 1951 he gave the new owner a list of all the works he had played on it.
As soloist:
). Other recordings (with dates) include, as leader of the London String Quartet:
As a soloist:
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(born Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, 23 February 1886, died Middleton-on-Sea
Middleton-on-Sea
Middleton-on-Sea is a small village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, and is part of the built-up area of Bognor Regis, lying to the east of the town and neighbouring Felpham...
on 24 August 1957) was an English violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, composer and later violin teacher. Almost self-taught on the violin, he had a wide repertoire as both chamber musician and soloist, although his reputation rests mainly on his association with British composers, especially Elgar. He made a number of recordings over 40 years, many of which have been re-issued on CD.
Life
Sammons was the second eldest of four children. His father was a shoemaker and good amateur violinist. Sammons started to receive some lessons from his father around the age of seven. Apart from these lessons, he was virtually self-taught. His first professional engagement was in the band at the Earls Court ExhibitionEarls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
in 1898; the conductor was so impressed by the 12-year old that he made him leader
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
. He left school at this time and became a professional musician - partly to bring extra income to the household, as his father was a compulsive gambler.
Sammons's father took both Albert and his eldest brother Tom to symphony concerts at St James's Hall
St James's Hall
St. James's Hall was a concert hall in London that opened on 25 March 1858, designed by architect and artist Owen Jones, who had decorated the interior of the Crystal Palace. It was situated between the Quadrant in Regent Street and Piccadilly, and Vine Street and George Court. There was a...
and Queen's Hall
Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect T.E. Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it was the home of the promenade concerts founded by Robert...
. The boy began to gain a reputation for his reliability and was engaged by many London musical establishments, as well as in the 'Hungarian' and 'White Viennese' bands popular at the time. Sammons also received a few free lessons from the Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe was a Belgian violinist, composer and conductor born in Liège. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tzar"...
-trained Spanish violinist Alfredo Fernandez. At 16, relations with his father reached a point where Albert and his brother left home to stay with friends, only returning when his father walked out to join the band on an ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
and the two brothers were therefore obliged to provide for the rest of the family.
His first concerto performance was the Mendelssohn E minor Concerto
Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 is his last large orchestral work. It forms an important part of the violin repertoire and is one of the most popular and most frequently performed violin concertos of all time...
at the Kursaal Concert Hall in Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
in 1906. He married Laura Tomkins in Middlesbrough on 31 October 1907 (divorced 1920). Around this time Sammons was recruited to play at musical parties for the upper classes at their country houses.
In 1910, with Thomas Petre (second violin), Warwick Evans (cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
), and H. Waldo Warner (viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
) he formed the London String Quartet
London Quartet
The London String Quartet was a string quartet founded in London in 1908 which remained one of the leading English chamber groups into the 1930s, and made several well-known recordings.-Personnel:The personnel of the London String Quartet was:1st Violin:...
, with whom he remained until 1917. The quartet gave concerts mainly in the UK but travelled to Amsterdam and Paris, with a repertoire extending from the classical period to contemporary works – including Verklärte Nacht
Verklärte Nacht
Verklärte Nacht , Op. 4, is a string sextet in one movement composed by Arnold Schoenberg in 1899 and his earliest important work...
in the presence of the composer.. He was also engaged by Ernesto Bucalossi at the Waldorf Hotel
Waldorf Hilton
The Waldorf Hotel, now known as the Waldorf Hilton, is a hotel based in The Aldwych, London. It has a history dating back to 1908. It was founded by William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor, part of the Astor family....
and Wyndham's Theatre
Wyndham's Theatre
Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by the actor/manager Charles Wyndham . Located on Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, it was designed by W.G.R. Sprague about 1898, the architect of six other London theatres between then and 1916...
. It was at the Waldorf that Thomas Beecham
Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet CH was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras...
heard him and in August 1909 offered him the position of sub-leader (soon to be leader) of his orchestra, which later included opera seasons at Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, and the 1911 Diaghilev
Sergei Diaghilev
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev , usually referred to outside of Russia as Serge, was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, from which many famous dancers and choreographers would arise.-Early life and career:...
season. He also consolidated his solo career by playing the Bruch
Max Bruch
Max Christian Friedrich Bruch , also known as Max Karl August Bruch, was a German Romantic composer and conductor who wrote over 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a staple of the violin repertoire.-Life:Bruch was born in Cologne, Rhine Province, where he...
Violin Concerto No. 1
Violin Concerto No. 1 (Bruch)
Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26, is one of the most popular violin concertos in the repertoire. It continues to be performed and recorded by many violinists and is arguably Bruch's most famous composition.- History :...
with the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
at the Queen's Hall
Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect T.E. Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it was the home of the promenade concerts founded by Robert...
in 1910. The conductor Adrian Boult commented on his rise in British violin-playing, "he had had no special preparations, no training abroad, no scholarship luxuries".
Sammons, William Murdoch (piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
), Lionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis, CBE was an English violist and one of the first viola players to find international fame.Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, and initially studied the violin in Leipzig and at the Royal Academy of Music in London...
(viola) and Lauri Kennedy
Lauri Kennedy
-Biography:Irvine Robert Laurie Kennedy was born in Randwick, a suburb of Sydney, to an English-born father and native-born mother. He studied with Herbert Walenn at the Royal College of Music, London, and Paul Brummer in Vienna. Dame Nellie Melba noticed him and encouraged him to undertake...
(cello), founded The Chamber Music Players in 1921, giving their first private performance on 6 January of that year, and first public concert at Haverstock Hill, London on 13 January, going on to give many concerts at the Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
and around the UK.
He mainly appeared in the UK, although he did lead the Beecham orchestra for a six-week season with the Diaghilev company at the Kroll Opera House, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1913 and, having played under Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux was an orchestra conductor. Born in Paris, France, Monteux later became an American citizen.-Life and career:Monteux was born in Paris in 1875. His family was descended from Sephardi Jews who came to France in the wake of the Spanish Inquisition. He studied violin from an early age,...
for the Diaghilev seasons, was invited to lead the orchestra at the Casino de Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
, giving two concerts a day, and extending both his orchestral and chamber music repertoire.
Sammons was particularly associated with Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
's Violin Concerto in B minor
Violin Concerto (Elgar)
Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61, is one of his longest orchestral compositions, and the last of his works to gain immediate popular success....
, which he first played on 23 November 1914. He made the first complete recording of the concerto on 18 March and 10 April 1929 with the New Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by Sir Henry Wood
Henry Wood
Henry Wood was a British conductor.Henry Wood may also refer to:* Henry C. Wood , American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient* Henry Wood , English cricketer...
, which displays "wonderfully assured portamenti carried as if on the breath of a great singer" and "immense structural strength". He estimated that he played the concerto over a hundred times, including at The Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
. He gave his last performance of the Elgar on his 60th birthday in 1946, with George Weldon
George Weldon
George Weldon was an English conductor.-Biography:Weldon was educated at Sherborne School and at the Royal College of Music. He studied conducting with Malcolm Sargent and Aylmer Buesst...
conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
. He also made the first recording of Elgar's Violin Sonata in E minor
Violin Sonata (Elgar)
Sir Edward Elgar wrote his Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, in 1918, at the same time as he wrote his String Quartet in E minor and his Piano Quintet in A minor...
in 1935.
Among other concertos in his repertoire were those by Beethoven
Violin Concerto (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, was written in 1806.The work was premiered on 23 December 1806 in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. Beethoven wrote the concerto for his colleague Franz Clement, a leading violinist of the day, who had earlier given him helpful advice on...
, Brahms
Violin Concerto (Brahms)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 is a violin concerto in three movements composed by Johannes Brahms in 1878 and dedicated to his friend, the violinist Joseph Joachim...
, Bruch, and the Mozart G major
Violin Concerto No. 3 (Mozart)
The Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Salzburg in 1775. Mozart was only 19 at the time.- Movements :The piece is in three movements:AllegroAdagioRondeau. Allegro- I. Allegro :...
.
In May 1915 a chance encounter in London with Frederick Delius
Frederick Delius
Frederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce...
led directly to the composition of a violin concerto in which Sammons probably assisted considerably even to the point of writing some link passages. On 13 July 1916 Sammons gave the first UK performance of the Violin Sonata
Violin Sonata (Debussy)
The Violin Sonata in G minor, L 140, for violin and piano was composed by Claude Debussy in 1917. It was the composer's final composition , forming the third work in what had originally been conceived as a cycle of six sonatas for various instruments...
of Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
, only six weeks after its Paris premiere. After the end of the First World War, Sammons all but gave up string quartet and orchestral playing in order to concentrate on a large, regular programme of solo work and chamber music recitals throughout Britain and Ireland, and later, broadcasts. He played a part in the rehabilitation of Fritz Kreisler
Fritz Kreisler
Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler was an Austrian-born violinist and composer. One of the most famous violin masters of his or any other day, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing. Like many great violinists of his generation, he produced a characteristic sound which was immediately...
, by presenting (along with Dame Nellie Melba
Nellie Melba
Dame Nellie Melba GBE , born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century...
) a laurel wreath at the Austrian violinist's first appearance in England after the war. Between May and the autumn of 1929 Sammons and Tertis carried out around 1,000 string auditions for the formation of the new BBC Symphony Orchestra.
He married Olive Hobday (the daughter of one of his accompanists) on 5 December 1921. Shortly after, they moved to Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
(in the same road as William Murdoch) where he lived for the rest of his life.
During the Second World War, he continued his busy concert schedule around the UK travelling by train, as well as appearing at the National Gallery concerts.
From 1946 Sammons spent less time playing and more teaching. As a teacher, he had worked at the Midland Institute in Birmingham from the 1920s but from 1939 he taught privately and at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. His pupils included Alan Loveday, Hugh Bean
Hugh Bean
Hugh Cecil Bean CBE was an English violinist.He was born in Beckenham. After lessons from his father from the age of five, he became a pupil of Albert Sammons when he was nine years old. Later, he attended the Royal College of Music , where at age 17 he was awarded the principal prize for violin...
and Samuel Kutcher. He became a Fellow (FRCM) in 1944.
He composed many short pieces for violin and piano, which he included in his recital programmes and recorded. A Cradle Song of 1915 is dedicated to his second daughter and the Lullaby of 1923 to the third, Colleen. His Phantasy Quartet of 1915 won the Cobbett Prize. He also made editions of others' works and published books of studies and exercises.
The onset of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
forced his retirement from public performance in June 1948. He attended a testimonial concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 7 December in a wheelchair, and heard a tribute from Arthur Bliss
Arthur Bliss
Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, CH, KCVO was an English composer and conductor.Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army...
, with others in the programme from Joseph Szigeti
Joseph Szigeti
Joseph Szigeti was a Hungarian violinist.Born into a musical family, he spent his early childhood in a small town in Transylvania. He quickly proved himself to be a child prodigy on the violin, and moved to Budapest with his father to study with the renowned pedagogue Jenő Hubay...
, Fritz Kreisler and Sir Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was...
. Boult said of him after his death that he was distinguished by "his selfless interest in music-making of all kinds, whether in Queen's Hall
Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect T.E. Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it was the home of the promenade concerts founded by Robert...
or in some humble mission hall in far-off Wales or Scotland. He was a great musician in every sense of the word".
Instruments
His violins included a GofrillerMatteo Goffriller
Matteo Goffriller was an Venetian luthier, particularly noted for the quality of his cellos.Although it is known that Goffriller was born in Brixen, little else is known of him prior to his days in Venice before 1685...
(he bought another, 1696, Gofriller in 1927) and a Nicolas Gagliano. At the Cobbett
Walter Willson Cobbett
Walter Willson Cobbett CBE was a British businessman and amateur violinist, and editor/author of Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music. He also endowed the Cobbett Medal for services to Chamber Music....
competition in February 1923 he played in a 'blind' comparison of a 1731 Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
and a modern instrument by Alfred Vincent. When Sammons sold the Gofriller in 1951 he gave the new owner a list of all the works he had played on it.
Premieres
As leader of the London String Quartet (1910–1919):- 23 March 1914, Ralph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
: Phantasy Quartet (1912) - 4 November 1915, Frank BridgeFrank BridgeFrank Bridge was an English composer and violist.-Life:Bridge was born in Brighton and studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1899 to 1903 under Charles Villiers Stanford and others...
: String Quartet No 2 - 16 June 1916, Sally in our alley & Cherry RipeCherry RipeCherry Ripe is an English song with words by the poet Robert Herrick , and music by Charles Edward Horn which contains the refrain,Cherry ripe, cherry ripe,Ripe I cry,Full and fair onesCome and buy.Cherry ripe, cherry ripe,...
arranged by Bridge - 12 June 1917, John IrelandJohn Ireland (composer)John Nicholson Ireland was an English composer.- Life :John Ireland was born in Bowdon, near Altrincham, Manchester, into a family of Scottish descent and some cultural distinction. His father, Alexander Ireland, a publisher and newspaper proprietor, was aged 70 at John's birth...
: Trio in one movement - 17 November 1916, Frederick DeliusFrederick DeliusFrederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce...
: String Quartet (3 movements) - 1 February 1919, Delius: String Quartet (4 movements)
- 26 April 1919, Edward ElgarEdward ElgarSir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
: String QuartetString Quartet (Elgar)The String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83, was one of three major chamber music works composed by Sir Edward Elgar in 1918. The others were the Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, and the Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84. Along with the Cello Concerto in E minor, Op...
and Piano QuintetPiano Quintet (Elgar)The Quintet in A minor for Piano and String Quartet, Op. 84 is a chamber work by Edward Elgar.He worked on the Quintet and two other major chamber pieces in the summer of 1918 while staying at Brinkwells near Fittleworth in Sussex. W. H...
(private performance) - 21 May 1919, Elgar: String Quartet and Piano Quintet (public performance, with W. H. ReedWilliam Henry ReedWilliam Henry "Billy" Reed was an English violinist, teacher, minor composer, conductor and biographer of Sir Edward Elgar...
, Raymond Jeremy and Felix SalmondFelix SalmondFelix Adrian Norman Salmond was an English cellist and cello teacher who achieved success in both England and the United States of America.-Early life and career:...
; William Murdoch played in the Piano Quintet)
As soloist:
- March 1917, Ireland: Violin Sonata No. 2 (with William Murdoch)
- 30 January 1919, Delius: Violin Concerto
- 1 May 1920, Eugene GoossensEugène Aynsley GoossensSir Eugene Aynsley Goossens was an English conductor and composer.-Biography:He was born in Camden Town, London, the son of the Belgian conductor and violinist Eugène Goossens and the grandson of the conductor Eugène Goossens...
: Violin Sonata - 7 October 1924, Delius: Violin Sonata No 2 (with Murdoch)
- 20 March 1925 Herbert HowellsHerbert HowellsHerbert Norman Howells CH was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music.-Life:...
: Violin Sonata No. 3 - 2 June 1930, Granville BantockGranville BantockSir Granville Bantock was a British composer of classical music.-Biography:Granville Ransome Bantock was born in London. His father was a Scottish doctor. He was intended by his parents for the Indian Civil Service but was drawn into the musical world. His first teacher was Dr Gordon Saunders at...
: Violin Sonata - 20 January 1931, Goossens: Violin Sonata No. 2
- 14 July 1933, Guirne Creith: Violin Sonata No. 2
- 19 May 1936, Creith: Violin Concerto (BBC studio performance)
- 26 February 1937 Stanley WilsonStanley WilsonStanley Wilson is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford....
: Concerto for Violin and Viola (with Bernard Shore) - 26 November 1940, Edmund RubbraEdmund RubbraEdmund Rubbra was a British composer. He composed both instrumental and vocal works for soloists, chamber groups and full choruses and orchestras. He was greatly esteemed by fellow musicians and was at the peak of his fame in the mid-20th century. The most famous of his pieces are his eleven...
: Violin Sonata No. 1 - 10 May 1942, George DysonGeorge Dyson (composer)Sir George Dyson KCVO was a well-known English musician and composer. His son is the physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson and among his grandchildren are the science historian George Dyson and Esther Dyson...
: Violin Concerto (with BBC broadcast)
Recordings
Albert Sammons made his first recording in October 1908; his last was made on 16 April 1946 (Edmund Rubbra's 2nd sonata with Gerald MooreGerald Moore
Gerald Moore CBE was an English pianist best known for his career as one of the most in-demand accompanists of his day, accompanying many of the world's most famous musicians...
). Other recordings (with dates) include, as leader of the London String Quartet:
- various movements and extracts from string quartets
- Mozart K428String Quartet No. 16 (Mozart)The String Quartet No. 16 in E flat major, K. 428/421b, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This is the third of the Haydn Quartets, a set of six string quartets he wrote during his first few years in Vienna and later dedicated to Joseph Haydn....
, Beethoven op18/2String Quartet No. 2 (Beethoven)The String Quartet No. 2 in G major, op. 18, No. 2, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven between 1798 and 1800 and published in 1801.It consists of four movements:#Allegro #Adagio cantabile – Allegro – Tempo I...
and Schumann op41/3 - (with Gervase Elwes) "On Wenlock Edge"
As a soloist:
- Elgar: Violin Concerto (abridged October 1916, complete December 1929)
- Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 (December 1925)
- Beethoven: Violin Concerto (March 1927, unpublished, matrixes destroyed)
- Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante (with Lionel TertisLionel TertisLionel Tertis, CBE was an English violist and one of the first viola players to find international fame.Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, and initially studied the violin in Leipzig and at the Royal Academy of Music in London...
) (September 1933) - Delius: Violin Concerto (September 1944)
- Delius: Violin Sonatas (recorded in 1929, 1924, 1944)
- Elgar: Violin SonataViolin Sonata (Elgar)Sir Edward Elgar wrote his Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, in 1918, at the same time as he wrote his String Quartet in E minor and his Piano Quintet in A minor...
(recorded 2 February 1935)