Clarence Lucas
Encyclopedia
Clarence Lucas was a Canadian composer
, lyricist
, conductor
, and music professor.
Lucas was born at Six Nations Reserve, Ontario and was a student of Romain-Octave Pelletier I
. He taught at the Toronto College of Music
, taught in Utica, New York
, and was the musical director at Wesleyan Ladies College in Hamilton, Ontario
. In London
, he tutored pupils in composition, proofread music for Chappel publishing, and was a correspondent and then editor for the magazine Musical Courier
which he later held in New York
and Paris
. In Sèvres
, just outside of Paris, Lucas freelanced as a music transcriber, arranger, lyricist, and translator. He also contributed to Etude, a musical periodical.
Lucas conducted works by George Frideric Handel
, Michael Costa, Edvard Grieg
, George M. Cohan
, and others. He toured the British Isles as a conductor for the Irish musical Peggy Machree, and the United States for Grieg's Peer Gynt
.
Lucas' first wife was an English pianist, Clara Asher. His second wife was Gertrude Pidd, a musician. He had a son, British composer and conductor Leighton Lucas
(1903 - 1982).
He authored The Story of Musical Form (1908, London).
Lucas composed music for voice, choir, organ, piano and orchestra. He wrote overtures, cantanas, symphonies, operas, chamber music, songs for musicals, lyrics for popular songs and art songs.
His notable works include:
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, and music professor.
Lucas was born at Six Nations Reserve, Ontario and was a student of Romain-Octave Pelletier I
Romain-Octave Pelletier I
Romain-Octave Pelletier I was a Canadian organist, pianist, composer, writer on music, and music educator.-Early life and career:...
. He taught at the Toronto College of Music
Toronto College of Music
The Toronto College of Music was a Canadian music conservatory in Toronto, Ontario that was actively providing higher education in music during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Founded in 1888 by conductor F.H. Torrington, the college was notably the first music conservatory affiliated...
, taught in Utica, New York
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, and was the musical director at Wesleyan Ladies College in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. In London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he tutored pupils in composition, proofread music for Chappel publishing, and was a correspondent and then editor for the magazine Musical Courier
Musical Courier
The Musical Courier was a 19th and 20th century American music trade publication which began publication in 1880 and became noted as preeminent in its field....
which he later held in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In Sèvres
Sèvres
Sèvres is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.The town is known for its porcelain manufacture, the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, making the famous Sèvres porcelain, as well as being the location of the International Bureau of Weights...
, just outside of Paris, Lucas freelanced as a music transcriber, arranger, lyricist, and translator. He also contributed to Etude, a musical periodical.
Lucas conducted works by George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
, Michael Costa, Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
, George M. Cohan
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan , known professionally as George M. Cohan, was a major American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer....
, and others. He toured the British Isles as a conductor for the Irish musical Peggy Machree, and the United States for Grieg's Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
.
Lucas' first wife was an English pianist, Clara Asher. His second wife was Gertrude Pidd, a musician. He had a son, British composer and conductor Leighton Lucas
Leighton Lucas
Leighton Lucas was an English composer and conductor. Born into a musical family , he began his career as a dancer for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes...
(1903 - 1982).
He authored The Story of Musical Form (1908, London).
Lucas composed music for voice, choir, organ, piano and orchestra. He wrote overtures, cantanas, symphonies, operas, chamber music, songs for musicals, lyrics for popular songs and art songs.
His notable works include:
- The Money Spider (opera, circa 1897)
- Overture for Shakespeare's As You Like ItAs You Like ItAs You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
, (1899) - Overture for Shakespeare's MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, (1900) - Overture for Shakespeare's OthelloOthelloThe Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
- Prelude and Fugue, Opus 38
- The Birth of Christ (cantana, 1901)
- Peggy Machree (musical, 1904)
- The Song of Songs (lyrics,1914)
- The Perfect Song (lyrics)