Percy Hilder Miles
Encyclopedia
Percy Hilder Miles was an English
composer, conductor and violinist. Among his students at the Royal Academy of Music
(she studied there from 1903 to 1905) was Rebecca Clarke, and among Miles' associates was Lionel Tertis
.
Miles had earlier been a student at the Royal Academy of Music, which he joined in June 1893 and where his teachers included Battison Haynes and violinist Hans Wessely.
Miles is credited with having given Tertis the idea of taking up the viola as an instrument. Also, he proposed to his pupil Rebecca Clarke, which is believed to have led to her father's withdrawing her from that institution and enrolling her in the Royal College of Music
instead (she later studied composition with Charles Villiers Stanford
, and viola with Tertis.)
He appeared several times in The Musical Times
in the late 1890s performing works of others and at least once his own also. According to a brief biography in one of these articles in 1899, he won the first Sauret
prize in 1897, the Hine Exhibition composition prize in 1893, the MacFarren Scholarship (Walter or George Alexander?) in 1896 (awarded 8 January 1896) and the Charles Lucas Medal in mid summer 1898, as well as the Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1899.. In 1896 he received a silver medal (presented annually to the most distinguished student at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, or the Guildhall School of Music, in rotation, the recipient nominated by the principal or director of the school- explanation on p.107, see note) from the Worshipful Company of Musicians
.
There is a record of Miles' taking a trip to Australia during which he helped preside over examinations on behalf of the RAM and the Royal College of Music both.
A cello concerto by Miles was announced for performance for the 1908 Promenade Concerts before the season began but was not in fact performed if in fact it was completed or completed in time. Some violin concertos are reported by Emery to exist or have existed (as of 1928) in manuscript.
The fantasiestücke and the sextet are available online as scores or parts and as recordings.
A box containing a substantial number of Miles' compositions is stored at the Royal Academy of Music, mostly in manuscript, some published works also. Some or most of the compositions are also in the collection. Included are, among other works the following:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer, conductor and violinist. Among his students at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
(she studied there from 1903 to 1905) was Rebecca Clarke, and among Miles' associates was Lionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis, CBE was an English violist and one of the first viola players to find international fame.Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, and initially studied the violin in Leipzig and at the Royal Academy of Music in London...
.
Miles had earlier been a student at the Royal Academy of Music, which he joined in June 1893 and where his teachers included Battison Haynes and violinist Hans Wessely.
Miles is credited with having given Tertis the idea of taking up the viola as an instrument. Also, he proposed to his pupil Rebecca Clarke, which is believed to have led to her father's withdrawing her from that institution and enrolling her in 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...
instead (she later studied composition with Charles Villiers Stanford
Charles Villiers Stanford
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford was an Irish composer who was particularly notable for his choral music. He was professor at the Royal College of Music and University of Cambridge.- Life :...
, and viola with Tertis.)
He appeared several times in The Musical Times
The Musical Times
The Musical Times is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom. It is currently the oldest such journal that is still publishing in the UK, having been published continuously since 1844. It was published as The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular until...
in the late 1890s performing works of others and at least once his own also. According to a brief biography in one of these articles in 1899, he won the first Sauret
Émile Sauret
Émile Sauret was a French violinist and composer.-Biography:He began studying violin at the Conservatory at Strasburg at the age of six and began concertizing two years later. He studied under Charles de Bériot and later became the student of Henri Vieuxtemps.Sauret made his American debut in 1872...
prize in 1897, the Hine Exhibition composition prize in 1893, the MacFarren Scholarship (Walter or George Alexander?) in 1896 (awarded 8 January 1896) and the Charles Lucas Medal in mid summer 1898, as well as the Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1899.. In 1896 he received a silver medal (presented annually to the most distinguished student at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, or the Guildhall School of Music, in rotation, the recipient nominated by the principal or director of the school- explanation on p.107, see note) from the Worshipful Company of Musicians
Worshipful Company of Musicians
The Worshipful Company of Musicians is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Its history dates back to at least 1350. Originally a specialist guild for musicians, its role became an anachronism in the 18th century, when the centre of music making in London moved from the City to the...
.
There is a record of Miles' taking a trip to Australia during which he helped preside over examinations on behalf of the RAM and the Royal College of Music both.
Music
Compositions include:- Piano Trio in C minor (by 1896 - performed by him then in St. James Hall)
- Drei Fantasiestücke for String Quartet (composed in 1902)
- String Sextet in G minor (with double bass instead of second cello) (published by Stainer & Bell, 1920)
- 3 Pieces for Violin and Piano - Intermezzo, Capriccio, Romanza (published by Stainer & Bell, 1920. plate S&B 2158.)
- An Andante and Allegro for piano quintet. Won a silver medal in a competition about 1905.
- Rustic Dance for Violin and Piano, published by the Associated Board in 1923.
A cello concerto by Miles was announced for performance for the 1908 Promenade Concerts before the season began but was not in fact performed if in fact it was completed or completed in time. Some violin concertos are reported by Emery to exist or have existed (as of 1928) in manuscript.
The fantasiestücke and the sextet are available online as scores or parts and as recordings.
A box containing a substantial number of Miles' compositions is stored at the Royal Academy of Music, mostly in manuscript, some published works also. Some or most of the compositions are also in the collection. Included are, among other works the following:
- Catalogue of some 166 works, begun in 1907 ("Pieces 1-142 dated between 1886 and 1907-8, plus 24 later entries")
- three string quintets (two with double bass) (1895/1901, 1901, 1902)
- variations for 2 fiddles, viola and cello, KarlsruheKarlsruheThe City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
1902 - 11 single movements for string trio (December 1902)
- Trio no.1 in D for 2 violins and viola (parts), 1911
- Grand solo for the viola 22.9.07 (“To Johnson. So difficult as to be absolutely impossible”)
- Quintet in E major for clarinet and strings (1904, Erith)
- Cello Concerto, March 1908, reduced score (cello and piano) and separate cello part only
- Cello sonataCello sonataA cello sonata is usually a sonata written for cello and piano, though other instrumentations are used, such as solo cello. The most famous Romantic-era cellos sonatas are those written by Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven...
in C major 1916 (written in Vancouver) - Violin sonataViolin sonataA violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, which is nearly always accompanied by a piano or other keyboard instrument, or by figured bass in the Baroque period.-A:*Ella Adayevskaya**Sonata Greca for Violin or Clarinet and Piano...
in one movement - Rhapsody, for violin and piano, 1902
- Waltz in F minor for piano, 1897
- 5 interludes for piano, 1918
- much vocal music incl. 3 Shakespeare Sonnets, 1906