Ernest Charles
Encyclopedia
Ernest Charles was an American composer
of art songs.
, changed his surname to Charles, and began his professional life as a singer, performing in vaudeville
and Broadway reviews, including Earl Carroll's Vanities in 1928 and the George White Scandals in 1929. His songs became widely known after 1932, when John Charles Thomas
performed his song Clouds in a New York recital. Following that success, he continued to compose songs regularly until about 1950. At that time he lived with his wife, a mezzo-soprano
, in New York City
, and produced the radio program Great Moments in Music. He returned to California
in 1953, settling in Beverly Hills, where he spent the remaining years of his life.
He was a 1941 honorary initiate of the Upsilon chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
. He was also selected as a National Patron of Delta Omicron
, an international professional music fraternity.
, and a few have been reissued in various song anthologies and collections of American art song
s from the same publisher. The songs are known for their rubato, sweeping vocal lines, sumptuous melodies, and ingenuous charm. Two of his songs are popular encores: the Viennese Waltz
Let My Song Fill Your Heart, made famous by Eileen Farrell
; and When I Have Sung My Songs, recorded by such singers as Kirsten Flagstad
, Rosa Ponselle
, and Thomas Hampson.
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...
of art songs.
Life and musical career
Charles was born in Minnesota with the surname Grosskopf. He attended The University of Southern California as a college student and studied singing with Charles Modini Wood. He eventually went to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, changed his surname to Charles, and began his professional life as a singer, performing in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and Broadway reviews, including Earl Carroll's Vanities in 1928 and the George White Scandals in 1929. His songs became widely known after 1932, when John Charles Thomas
John Charles Thomas
John Charles Thomas was a popular American opera, operetta and concert baritone.-Birth, schooling and stage debut:...
performed his song Clouds in a New York recital. Following that success, he continued to compose songs regularly until about 1950. At that time he lived with his wife, a mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and produced the radio program Great Moments in Music. He returned to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1953, settling in Beverly Hills, where he spent the remaining years of his life.
He was a 1941 honorary initiate of the Upsilon chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
. He was also selected as a National Patron of Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship.-History:...
, an international professional music fraternity.
Musical works
Charles composed around 45 songs for voice and piano in the years between 1930 and 1950. Most were published individually by G. SchirmerG. Schirmer
G. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
, and a few have been reissued in various song anthologies and collections of American art song
American art song
The composition of art song in America began slowly in the Colonial and Federal periods, expanded greatly in the 19th century, and has become a distinguished and highly regarded addition to the classical music repertoire in the 20th and 21st centuries....
s from the same publisher. The songs are known for their rubato, sweeping vocal lines, sumptuous melodies, and ingenuous charm. Two of his songs are popular encores: the Viennese Waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
Let My Song Fill Your Heart, made famous by Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell was an American soprano who had a nearly 60 year long career performing both classical and popular music in concerts, theatres, on radio and television, and on disc. While she was active as an opera singer, her concert engagements far outnumbered her theatrical appearances...
; and When I Have Sung My Songs, recorded by such singers as Kirsten Flagstad
Kirsten Flagstad
Kirsten Målfrid Flagstad was a Norwegian opera singer and a highly regarded Wagnerian soprano...
, Rosa Ponselle
Rosa Ponselle
Rosa Ponselle , was an American operatic soprano with a large, opulent voice. She sang mainly at the New York Metropolitan Opera and is generally considered by music critics to have been one of the greatest sopranos of the past 100 years.-Early life:She was born Rosa Ponzillo on January 22, 1897,...
, and Thomas Hampson.
Published Songs
- And So, Goodbye
- Bon Voyage
- Clouds
- Crescent Moon
- L'Envoi
- The House on the Hill
- If You Only Knew
- Let My Song Fill Your Heart
- Lord of the Years
- Message (Sara TeasdaleSara TeasdaleSara Teasdale , was an American lyrical poet. She was born Sara Trevor Teasdale in St. Louis, Missouri, and after her marriage in 1914 she went by the name Sara Teasdale Filsinger.-Biography:...
) - My Lady Walks in Loveliness (Mona M. Wood)
- Night
- Oh Lovely World (Velma Hitchcock)
- Over the Land is April (Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
) - Save Me, God
- The Spendthrift (Sarojini NaiduSarojini NaiduSarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
) - The Suxxex Sailor (Alfred NoyesAlfred NoyesAlfred Noyes was an English poet, best known for his ballads, "The Highwayman" and "The Barrel-Organ".-Early years:...
) - Sweet Song of Long Ago
- When I Have Sung My Songs
- The White Swan
- Who Keeps the Years
- Youth
External links
- http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/c/charles.html Texts of some songs by Ernest Charles
- http://delta-omicron.org Ernest Charles is listed as a National Patron under the subheading "National: Patrons/Patronesses"
- http://www.priscillasings.com/WhenIHaveSungMySongs.html A singer writes about one of Charles's songs