Natalie Caine
Encyclopedia
Natalie Caine, was one of the first female woodwind players to establish themselves in leading British orchestras. She is frequently referred to by her married name Natalie James.
She was born Evelyn Natalie Caine in Hoylake
in Cheshire
and was educated at St Felix School, in Southwold
, Suffolk
. She enrolled in the Royal College of Music in 1928, initially to study piano and composition, but was captivated by the oboe playing of Sylvia Spencer, a student of Leon Goossens
, who promptly took her on as a student. In 1931 she won a scholarship and was soon playing solo part in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, conducted by Adrian Boult. Another soloist on that stage was her future husband, the bassoonist Cecil James
.
Other fellow students who were to make a name for themselves were Benjamin Britten
, Joy Boughton
, Sidney Sutcliffe, Marjorie Trevelyan, Margaret Eliot and Evelyn Rothwell. It was to avoid confusion of names with Evelyn Rothwell (who was to become Lady Barbirolli) that she dropped her own first name.
In 1934 she and Evelyn Rothwell were engaged to play for Fritz Busch
at the Glyndebourne Festival. Engagements for the two with the London Symphony Orchestra
followed soon after.
In 1936 Benjamin Britten dedicated his newly composed Temporal Suite to Natalie. It received mixed reviews however, and Britten withdrew the composition. When it was eventually published (as Temporal Variations) after his death, its dedication was no longer to Natalie, a cut that hurt her deeply.
She married Cecil James in 1938. He was to spend the war as bassoonist with the Royal Air Force Central Band, so enjoyed a social life not enjoyed by many.
She combined bringing up their three daughters with a freelance musical career, working with Philharmonia Orchestra
, the London Mozart Players
and the London Baroque Ensemble, with all of whom her husband was also associated.
She enjoyed working with young people, working as diploma examiner and was for many years associated with the junior orchestra. She was professor of oboe at the Royal College of Music from 1964 to 1979.
She was born Evelyn Natalie Caine in Hoylake
Hoylake
Hoylake is a seaside town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, on Merseyside, England. It is located at the north western corner of the Wirral Peninsula, near to the town of West Kirby and where the River Dee estuary meets the Irish Sea...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and was educated at St Felix School, in Southwold
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. She enrolled in the Royal College of Music in 1928, initially to study piano and composition, but was captivated by the oboe playing of Sylvia Spencer, a student of Leon Goossens
Léon Goossens
Léon Jean Goossens CBE, FRCM was a British oboist.He was born in Liverpool and studied at the Royal College of Music...
, who promptly took her on as a student. In 1931 she won a scholarship and was soon playing solo part in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, conducted by Adrian Boult. Another soloist on that stage was her future husband, the bassoonist Cecil James
Cecil James
Cecil Edwin James was a prominent English bassoonist born in London to a musical family. His father Wilfred was a bassoonist in the Queen's Hall Orchestra and professor at the Royal College of Music. His uncle Edwin , also a fine bassoonist, was a founding member of the London Symphony Orchestra...
.
Other fellow students who were to make a name for themselves were Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
, Joy Boughton
Joy Boughton
Christina Joyance Boughton was the daughter of English composer Rutland Boughton and artist Christina Walshe. She died in 1963 in tragic circumstances....
, Sidney Sutcliffe, Marjorie Trevelyan, Margaret Eliot and Evelyn Rothwell. It was to avoid confusion of names with Evelyn Rothwell (who was to become Lady Barbirolli) that she dropped her own first name.
In 1934 she and Evelyn Rothwell were engaged to play for Fritz Busch
Fritz Busch
Fritz Busch was a German conductor.Busch was born in Siegen, Province of Westphalia. He held posts conducting opera at Aachen, Stuttgart and Dresden. In 1933 he was dismissed from his post at Dresden because of his opposition to the new Nazi government of Germany...
at the Glyndebourne Festival. Engagements for the two 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:...
followed soon after.
In 1936 Benjamin Britten dedicated his newly composed Temporal Suite to Natalie. It received mixed reviews however, and Britten withdrew the composition. When it was eventually published (as Temporal Variations) after his death, its dedication was no longer to Natalie, a cut that hurt her deeply.
She married Cecil James in 1938. He was to spend the war as bassoonist with the Royal Air Force Central Band, so enjoyed a social life not enjoyed by many.
She combined bringing up their three daughters with a freelance musical career, working with Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
, the London Mozart Players
London Mozart Players
The London Mozart Players is a British chamber orchestra founded in 1949. The LMP is the longest-established chamber orchestra in the United Kingdom whose performances and recordings focus largely on the core repertoire from the Classical era...
and the London Baroque Ensemble, with all of whom her husband was also associated.
She enjoyed working with young people, working as diploma examiner and was for many years associated with the junior orchestra. She was professor of oboe at the Royal College of Music from 1964 to 1979.