Brian Boydell
Encyclopedia
Brian Boydell was an Irish
composer whose works include orchestral pieces, chamber music
, and songs. He was professor of music at Trinity College, Dublin
for 20 years, founder of the Dowland Consort, conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players, and a prolific broadcaster and writer on musical matters.
, County Dublin
into a prosperous Anglo-Irish
family. His father, James, ran the family maltings business while his mother, Eileen Collins, was one of the first women graduates of Trinity College. Following their son's birth, the Boydells moved from Howth and lived in a succession of rented houses before settling in Shankill
, County Dublin. The young Boydell began his formal education at Monkstown Park in Dublin, and was subsequently sent to the Dragon School
at Oxford
. From there he went to Rugby
, where he came under the influence of Kenneth Stubbs, the music master. Although Boydell later spoke of his resentment at the anti-Irish attitude he experienced at Rugby, he appreciated the very good education in science and music he received there.
Having completed his secondary education, Boydell spent the summer of 1935 developing his musical knowledge at Heidelberg
, where he wrote his first songs and also studied organ. He won a choral scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge
, where, perhaps through parental pressure, he studied natural science
, graduating in 1938 with a first-class degree.
However, his love of music led him next to the Royal College of Music
where he studied composition under Patrick Hadley
, Herbert Howells
, and Vaughan Williams. Already a good pianist, Boydell also became a proficient oboe
player during this time.
Upon the outbreak of World War II
, Boydell returned to Dublin and achieved further academic success in 1942 with a Bachelor of Music
degree from Trinity College.
as conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players, beginning an association with the amateur orchestra that would endure for a quarter of a century. Two years later he was appointed Professor of Singing at the Royal Irish Academy of Music
, a position he held for eight years. Along with fellow composer, Frederick May
, he founded the Music Association of Ireland
in 1948 as a vehicle to promote classical music throughout the country.
Boydell's interest in Renaissance music
, in particular the madrigal
, led in 1959 to him founding vocal ensemble, the Dowland Consort, with which he performed for many years. In 1962, having obtained a Doctorate in Music
, he was appointed professor of music at Trinity College
and immediately revamped the course making it more relevant to the second half of the twentieth century. He also found time to sit on the Arts Council throughout the 1960s, 70s, and early 80s.
Boydell's communication skills combined with his infectious enthusiasm made him a natural broadcaster. The appeal of his programmes on the history and performance of music, first on RTÉ Radio
and later on Telefís Éireann
, went beyond a specialist audience and were, for many people, their introduction to a new world of aural pleasure.
Boydell had many interests beyond music. As a surrealist painter in the 1940s, he was a member of The White Stag group
. He was also passionate about cars and photography.
. Boydell devoted himself to musical scholarship, writing two books on the music of 18th century Dublin. He also contributed to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. He was appointed to Aosdána
in 1984.
Brian Boydell died at his home in Howth at the age of 83 in the company of his wife of 56 years, Mary (née Jones), and their sons, Cormac and Barra. A third son, Marnac, predeceased him.
, Bartok, and Sibelius. He wanted to write modern Irish music that followed the European tradition. However, he also tried to avoid the temptation to incorporate folk tunes into his work in order to give it a distinctive national identity.
His first major success came in 1948 with In Memoriam Mahatma Gandhi
, Op. 30, a 12-minute orchestral piece written in tribute to the recently-assassinated Indian leader whom Boydell admired. The composer conducted the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra at its premiere in the Phoenix Hall, Dublin. His first String Quartet
, Op. 31, composed in 1949, won the Radio Éireann
Chamber Music Prize.
Over the course of the next five decades, Boydell produced a great variety of music, ranging from orchestral works such as his Violin Concerto, Op. 36, and Masai Mara, Op. 87, to more intimate compositions for voice or solo instruments. An example of the latter is his piece for harp A Pack of Fancies for a Travelling Harper, Op. 66, premiered at the Dublin Festival of Twentieth Century Music in 1971.
His final work, a short composition for brass band entitled Viking Lip - Music, Op.91, was given its premiere by the Royal Danish Brass Ensemble at the Drogheda
Arts Centre in November 1996 with the composer in attendance.
In his latter years Boydell viewed his place in the greater world of late twentieth-century music with a certain wry detachment.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
composer whose works include orchestral pieces, chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
, and songs. He was professor of music at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
for 20 years, founder of the Dowland Consort, conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players, and a prolific broadcaster and writer on musical matters.
Early years
Brian Boydell was born in HowthHowth
Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
into a prosperous Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
family. His father, James, ran the family maltings business while his mother, Eileen Collins, was one of the first women graduates of Trinity College. Following their son's birth, the Boydells moved from Howth and lived in a succession of rented houses before settling in Shankill
Shankill, Dublin
Shankill is a suburb in the South-East of Dublin located in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. It has a population of 13,242 .-History:-Name:...
, County Dublin. The young Boydell began his formal education at Monkstown Park in Dublin, and was subsequently sent to the Dragon School
Dragon School
The Dragon School is a British coeducational, preparatory school in the city of Oxford, founded in 1877 as the Oxford Preparatory School, or OPS. It is primarily known as a boarding school, although it also takes day pupils...
at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. From there he went to Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, where he came under the influence of Kenneth Stubbs, the music master. Although Boydell later spoke of his resentment at the anti-Irish attitude he experienced at Rugby, he appreciated the very good education in science and music he received there.
Having completed his secondary education, Boydell spent the summer of 1935 developing his musical knowledge at Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, where he wrote his first songs and also studied organ. He won a choral scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
, where, perhaps through parental pressure, he studied natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
, graduating in 1938 with a first-class degree.
However, his love of music led him next to 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...
where he studied composition under Patrick Hadley
Patrick Hadley
Patrick Arthur Sheldon Hadley was a British composer.-Biography:Patrick Sheldon Hadley was born on 5 March 1899 in Cambridge. His father, William Sheldon Hadley, was at that time a fellow of Pembroke College...
, Herbert Howells
Herbert Howells
Herbert Norman Howells CH was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music.-Life:...
, and Vaughan Williams. Already a good pianist, Boydell also became a proficient oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
player during this time.
Upon the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Boydell returned to Dublin and achieved further academic success in 1942 with a Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
degree from Trinity College.
Life and career
Boydell's busy working life combined teaching, performing and composing. Following a brief stint in his father's business, Boydell plunged himself into Dublin's classical musical scene. In 1942, he succeeded Havelock NelsonHavelock Nelson
Havelock Nelson was a composer and conductor. He joined the BBC in Belfast in 1947, having been educated at Trinity College Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He conducted the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra, also the Studio Symphony Orchestra and the Ulster Singers...
as conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players, beginning an association with the amateur orchestra that would endure for a quarter of a century. Two years later he was appointed Professor of Singing at the Royal Irish Academy of Music
Royal Irish Academy of Music
The Royal Irish Academy of Music is a linked college of Dublin City University located in Dublin, Ireland.It was founded in 1848 by a group of music enthusiasts and moved to its present address in Westland Row in 1871. The following year it was granted the right to use the title "Royal"...
, a position he held for eight years. Along with fellow composer, Frederick May
Frederick May (composer)
Frederick May was an Irish composer and arranger. His musical career was seriously hindered by a lifelong hearing problem and, despite displaying early promise, he produced relatively few compositions.-Early years:...
, he founded the Music Association of Ireland
Music Association of Ireland
The Music Association of Ireland was set up in 1948 to improve the position of classical music within the cultural life of Ireland. It was instrumental in setting up the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and played a leading role in the long-running campaign to establish Ireland's National...
in 1948 as a vehicle to promote classical music throughout the country.
Boydell's interest in Renaissance music
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
, in particular the madrigal
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
, led in 1959 to him founding vocal ensemble, the Dowland Consort, with which he performed for many years. In 1962, having obtained a Doctorate in Music
Doctor of Music
The Doctor of Music degree , like other doctorates, is an academic degree of the highest level. The D.Mus. is intended for musicians and composers who wish to combine the highest attainments in their area of specialization with doctoral-level academic study in music...
, he was appointed professor of music at Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
and immediately revamped the course making it more relevant to the second half of the twentieth century. He also found time to sit on the Arts Council throughout the 1960s, 70s, and early 80s.
Boydell's communication skills combined with his infectious enthusiasm made him a natural broadcaster. The appeal of his programmes on the history and performance of music, first on RTÉ Radio
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
and later on Telefís Éireann
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
, went beyond a specialist audience and were, for many people, their introduction to a new world of aural pleasure.
Boydell had many interests beyond music. As a surrealist painter in the 1940s, he was a member of The White Stag group
The White Stag group
The White Stag Group was a group of artists centred around the painters Basil Rakoczi and Kenneth Hall.Founded in London in 1935, the group moved to Ireland in 1939 and stayed until after the Second World War...
. He was also passionate about cars and photography.
Final years
Following retirement from Trinity as Fellow EmeritusEmeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
. Boydell devoted himself to musical scholarship, writing two books on the music of 18th century Dublin. He also contributed to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. He was appointed to Aosdána
Aosdána
Aosdána is an Irish association of Artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers and with support from the Arts Council of Ireland. Membership, which is by invitation from current members, is limited to 250 individuals; before 2005 it was limited to 200...
in 1984.
Brian Boydell died at his home in Howth at the age of 83 in the company of his wife of 56 years, Mary (née Jones), and their sons, Cormac and Barra. A third son, Marnac, predeceased him.
Music
As a young composer, Boydell was influenced by the music of DeliusDelius
Delius is a surname. It may refer to:* Ernst von Delius - German racing car driver* Frederick Delius - English composer* Nicolaus Delius - German philologist* Tobias Delius Delius is a surname. It may refer to:* Ernst von Delius (1912–1937) - German racing car driver* Frederick Delius...
, Bartok, and Sibelius. He wanted to write modern Irish music that followed the European tradition. However, he also tried to avoid the temptation to incorporate folk tunes into his work in order to give it a distinctive national identity.
His first major success came in 1948 with In Memoriam Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, Op. 30, a 12-minute orchestral piece written in tribute to the recently-assassinated Indian leader whom Boydell admired. The composer conducted the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra at its premiere in the Phoenix Hall, Dublin. His first String Quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
, Op. 31, composed in 1949, won the Radio Éireann
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
Chamber Music Prize.
Over the course of the next five decades, Boydell produced a great variety of music, ranging from orchestral works such as his Violin Concerto, Op. 36, and Masai Mara, Op. 87, to more intimate compositions for voice or solo instruments. An example of the latter is his piece for harp A Pack of Fancies for a Travelling Harper, Op. 66, premiered at the Dublin Festival of Twentieth Century Music in 1971.
His final work, a short composition for brass band entitled Viking Lip - Music, Op.91, was given its premiere by the Royal Danish Brass Ensemble at the Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
Arts Centre in November 1996 with the composer in attendance.
In his latter years Boydell viewed his place in the greater world of late twentieth-century music with a certain wry detachment.
I've now become something of an old fogey, but in the 1940s I was regarded as the naughty boy of frightfully modern music."
Publications
- Four Centuries of Music in Ireland, (BBC, 1979, ISBN 978-0563177609)
- A Dublin Musical Calendar, 1700-60, (Irish Academic Press, 1988, ISBN 978-0716524304)
- Rotunda Music in Eighteenth-century Dublin, (Irish Academic Press, 1992, ISBN 978-0716524878)
Recordings
- Brian Boydell - Orchestral Music (1997) (features In memoriam Mahatma Gandhi, Violin Concerto, Masai Mara, Megalithic Ritual Dances), Marco Polo 8.223887
- Ceathrar: Contemporary Irish String Quartets (1994) (features String Quartet No. 2), Chandos 9295
- In Blue Sea or Sky (2004) (features Pack of Fancies for a Travelling Harper), Riverrun RVRCD59
- British Brass Connection (1997) (features Viking Lip - Music), Rondo Grammofon 8358
- E-motion (1998) (features 3 Pieces for guitar), Black Box Classics 1002
Further references
- Contemporary Music Centre profile of Brian Boydell, including full list of compositions
- Cox, Gareth, Axel Klein et al., The Life and Music of Brian Boydell, (Irish Academic Press, 2003, ISBN 978-0716527626)