Clifford Bax
Encyclopedia
Clifford Bax was a versatile English writer, known particularly as a playwright, a journalist, critic and editor, and a poet, lyricist and hymn writer. He also was a translator, for example of Goldoni. The composer Arnold Bax
was his brother, and set some of his words to music.
, as sometimes stated). Education was at the Slade and the Heatherly Art School. He gave up painting to concentrate on writing.
Independent wealth gave Bax time to write, and social connections. He had an apartment in The Albany
. He was a friend of Gustav Holst
, whom he introduced to astrology
, the critic James Agate
, and Arthur Ransome
, amongst others. He met and played chess with Aleister Crowley
in 1904, and kept up an acquaintance with him over the years, later in the 1930s introducing both the artist Frieda Harris
and the writer John Symonds
to him. An early venture (1908–1914) was Orpheus, a theosophical magazine he edited. His interest in the esoteric extended to editing works of Jakob Boehme, and helping Allan Bennett, the Buddhist.
His first play on the commercial stage was The Poetasters of Ispahan (1912), and he became a fixture of British drama for a generation. He was involved in the Phoenix Society (1919–1926), concerned with reviving older plays, and the Incorporated Stage Society.
He also edited, with Austin Osman Spare
, Golden Hind, an artistic and literary magazine that appeared from October 1922 to July 1924.
A cricket
enthusiast, he was a friend of C. B. Fry and wrote a biography of W.G. Grace.
He married in 1927 Vera, née Rawnsley, a painter and poet (1888–1974). She had married previously Stanley Kennedy North, an artist, and Alexander Bell Filson Young (1876–1938), a journalist; Bax's two stepsons by the second of those marriages were both killed in World War II
.
Arnold Bax
Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, KCVO was an English composer and poet. His musical style blended elements of romanticism and impressionism, often with influences from Irish literature and landscape. His orchestral scores are noted for their complexity and colourful instrumentation...
was his brother, and set some of his words to music.
Life
He was born in Balham, south London (not KnightsbridgeKnightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, as sometimes stated). Education was at the Slade and the Heatherly Art School. He gave up painting to concentrate on writing.
Independent wealth gave Bax time to write, and social connections. He had an apartment in The Albany
The Albany
The Albany or Albany is an apartment complex in Piccadilly, London.-Building:...
. He was a friend of Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
, whom he introduced to astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
, the critic James Agate
James Agate
James Evershed Agate was a British diarist and critic. In the period between the wars, he was one of Britain's most influential theatre critics...
, and Arthur Ransome
Arthur Ransome
Arthur Michell Ransome was an English author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. These tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Many of the books involve sailing; other common subjects...
, amongst others. He met and played chess with Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
in 1904, and kept up an acquaintance with him over the years, later in the 1930s introducing both the artist Frieda Harris
Frieda Harris
[Marguerite] Frieda Harris was an artist, an occult magician, and, after she met him at age 60, an associate and friend of the author and occultist Aleister Crowley...
and the writer John Symonds
John Symonds
John Symonds was an English novelist, biographer, playwright and writer of children's books.- Early Life :...
to him. An early venture (1908–1914) was Orpheus, a theosophical magazine he edited. His interest in the esoteric extended to editing works of Jakob Boehme, and helping Allan Bennett, the Buddhist.
His first play on the commercial stage was The Poetasters of Ispahan (1912), and he became a fixture of British drama for a generation. He was involved in the Phoenix Society (1919–1926), concerned with reviving older plays, and the Incorporated Stage Society.
He also edited, with Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
, Golden Hind, an artistic and literary magazine that appeared from October 1922 to July 1924.
A cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
enthusiast, he was a friend of C. B. Fry and wrote a biography of W.G. Grace.
Family
He married actress and jewellery-maker Gwendolen Daphne Bishop, née Bernhard-Smith, on 28 September 1910: they had a daughter, Undine, born 6 August 1911.He married in 1927 Vera, née Rawnsley, a painter and poet (1888–1974). She had married previously Stanley Kennedy North, an artist, and Alexander Bell Filson Young (1876–1938), a journalist; Bax's two stepsons by the second of those marriages were both killed in 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...
.
Works
- Twenty Chinese poems (1910) with Arthur Bowmar-Porter
- Poems Dramatic and Lyrical (1911) attributed (also to Arnold BaxArnold BaxSir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, KCVO was an English composer and poet. His musical style blended elements of romanticism and impressionism, often with influences from Irish literature and landscape. His orchestral scores are noted for their complexity and colourful instrumentation...
) - The Poetasters of Ispahan (1912) play
- Friendship (1913)
- The Marriage of the Soul (1913)
- Shakespeare (1921) play (with Harold F. Rubinstein)
- The Traveller's Tale (1921) poems
- Polly (1922) adapted from John GayJohn GayJohn Gay was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera , set to music by Johann Christoph Pepusch...
- The Insect Play (1923) adaptation with Nigel PlayfairNigel PlayfairSir Nigel Playfair was the actor-manager of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London, in the 1920s. He studied at University College, Oxford....
- Midsummer Madness (1924) ballad opera
- Inland Far. A book of thoughts and impressions (1925)
- Up Stream (1925)
- Mr. Pepys (1926) ballad opera
- Many a Green Isle (1927) short stories
- Waterloo Leave (1928) play
- Square Pegs: A Polite Satire (1928) One-act plays
- Rasputin (1929)
- Socrates (1930)
- The Immortal Lady (1930)
- The Venetian (1931)
- Twelve Short Plays, serious and comic (1932)
- Leonardo da Vinci (1932)
- Pretty Witty Nell. An account of Nell Gwynn and her environment (1932)
- Farewell, My Muse (1932) collected poems
- The Rose Without a Thorn (1933) play
- April in August (1934)
- Ideas and People (1936)
- The House of Borgia (1937)
- Highways and Byways in Essex (1939)
- The Life of the White Devil (1940) biography of Vittoria Orsini
- Evenings in Albany (1942)
- Time with a Gift of Tears. A modern romance (1943) novel
- Vintage verse; an anthology of poetry in English (1945)
- The Beauty of Women (1946)
- Golden Eagle (1946) play
- The Silver Casket Being love-letters and love poems attributed to Mary Stuart (1946)
- All the world's a stage: theatrical portraits (1946) editor
- The Buddha (1947) radio play
- Day, a Night and a Morrow (1948)
- The Relapse (1950)
- Some I Knew Well (1951) memoirs
- Hemlock for Eight (1946) radio play with L. M. Lion
- Rosemary for Remembrance (1948)
- Circe (1949) muse
- The Distaff Muse. An anthology of poetry written by women (1949) with Meum Stewart
- W. G. Grace (1952)
External links
- Clifford Bax Collection at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...