William Henry Bell
Encyclopedia
William Henry Bell, known largely by his initials, W H Bell (20 August 1873 – 13 April 1946), was an English composer
, conductor
and lecturer.
Bell was born in St Albans
and studied in London
at the Royal Academy of Music
with Frederick Corder
, and with Charles Villiers Stanford
at the Royal College of Music
. He mainly made his living as an organist and lecturer; he was Professor of Harmony at the Royal Academy of Music, where he taught from 1903 to 1912.
In 1912, Bell went to South Africa
to direct the South African College of Music
in Cape Town
. He was Principal until 1935 and is credited with a significant expansion of the school. In 1920, Bell became Professor of Music at the University of Cape Town
, where he held classes for degree courses. The South African College of Music was incorporated into the University in 1923 and Professor Bell became Dean of the Faculty of Music. Bell founded the Little Theater, a training center for opera, and occasionally directed the Cape Town Music Society. He died in Gordon's Bay
near Somerset West, South Africa.
The W H Bell Music Library at the University of Cape Town is named in honor of William Henry Bell.
Music for Japanese Noh
plays
Incidental music
Orchestral
Concertante
Chamber music
Piano
Organ
Choral
Vocal
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...
, 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 lecturer.
Bell was born in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
and studied 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...
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...
with Frederick Corder
Frederick Corder
Frederick Corder was an English composer and music teacher.-Biography:Corder was born in Hackney, the son of Micah Corder and his wife Charlotte Hill. He was educated at Blackheath Proprietary School and started music lessons, particularly piano, early. Later he studied with Henry Gadsby...
, and 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 :...
at 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...
. He mainly made his living as an organist and lecturer; he was Professor of Harmony at the Royal Academy of Music, where he taught from 1903 to 1912.
In 1912, Bell went to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to direct the South African College of Music
South African College of Music
The South African College of Music, abbreviated as SACM, is a department of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Cape Town. It is located on the University's Lower Campus in Rondebosch, Cape Town.-Study opportunities:...
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. He was Principal until 1935 and is credited with a significant expansion of the school. In 1920, Bell became Professor of Music at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
, where he held classes for degree courses. The South African College of Music was incorporated into the University in 1923 and Professor Bell became Dean of the Faculty of Music. Bell founded the Little Theater, a training center for opera, and occasionally directed the Cape Town Music Society. He died in Gordon's Bay
Gordon's Bay
Gordon's Bay is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, close to Strand. It is situated on the northeastern corner of False Bay about 50 km from Cape Town to the south of the N2 national road and is named after Robert Jacob Gordon , the Dutch explorer of Scottish descent...
near Somerset West, South Africa.
The W H Bell Music Library at the University of Cape Town is named in honor of William Henry Bell.
Selected works
Opera- Hippolytus (c.1914); music drama in 3 acts; libretto after EuripidesEuripidesEuripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
- Isabeau (1922–1924); fantasia in 1 act
- The Mouse Trap (1928); opera in 1 act; libretto after The Sire de Maletroit's Door by Robert Lewis Stevenson
- Doctor Love (1930); opera in 1 act; libretto after Le Docteur amoureux by MolièreMolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
- The Wandering Scholar (1935); musical comedy in 1 act; libretto by C. Bax
- The Duenna (1939); musical comedy in 3 acts; libretto by Richard Brinsley SheridanRichard Brinsley SheridanRichard Brinsley Butler Sheridan was an Irish-born playwright and poet and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. For thirty-two years he was also a Whig Member of the British House of Commons for Stafford , Westminster and Ilchester...
- Romeo and Juliet (1939); unfinished opera
Music for Japanese Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
plays
- Komachi (1925)
- Tsuneyo of the Three Trees (1926)
- Hatsuyuki (1934)
- The Pillow of Kantan (1935)
- Kageyiko (1936)
Incidental music
- Life's Measure (?1905–1908)
- A Vision of Delight (1906); music to the play by Ben JonsonBen JonsonBenjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
Orchestral
- The Canterbury Pilgrims, Symphonic Prelude (1896)
- The Pardoner's Tale, Symphonic Poem (1898)
- Symphony No.1 "Walt Whitman" in C minor (1899)
- A Song of the Morning, Symphonic Prelude (1901)
- Mother Carey, Symphonic Poem (1902)
- Epithalamium, Serenade for orchestra (1904)
- The Shepherd, Symphonic Poem (1907)
- Agamemnon, Symphonic Prelude (1908)
- Love among the Ruins, Symphonic Poem (1908)
- Arcadian Suite (c.1908)
- Danse du tambour (1909)
- Le fée des sources, Symphonic Poem (1912)
- Prelude (1912)
- Staines Morrice Dance (1912)
- Symphonic Variations (1915)
- Symphony No.2 in A minor (1918)
- Symphony No.3 in F major (1918–1919)
- The Portal, Symphonic Poem (1921)
- A Song of Greeting, Symphonic Poem (1921)
- Veldt Loneliness (1921)
- In modo academico, Suite in C minor (1924)
- Symphony No.4 "A South African Symphony" (1927)
- An English Suite (1929)
- Symphony No.5 in F minor (1932)
- Aeterna munera, Symphonic Fantasy (1941)
- Hamlet, 5 Preludes (1942)
Concertante
- Rosa Mystica, Concerto for viola and orchestra (1916)
Chamber music
- Piano Quintet (1894)
- Sonata in E minor for violin and piano (1897)
- Cradle Song for violin and piano (1901)
- Arab Love Song for viola and piano
- Cantilena for viola and piano
- Arabesque for violin or viola and piano (1904)
- Sonata in D major for violin and piano (1918)
- Sonata in F minor for violin and piano (c.1925)
- Sonata in D minor for clarinet or viola and piano (1926)
- String Quartet in G minor (1926)
- Sonata for cello and piano (1927)
- String Quartet in F major
Piano
- The Witch's Daughter (1904)
- Chorale Variations (1940)
- 4 Elegiac Pieces (1940)
Organ
- Chants sans paroles (1901)
- Minuet and Trio in C major (1901)
- Postlude (Romance, Spring Song) (1902)
Choral
- Hawke for chorus and orchestra (c.1895)
- Mag and Nunc (1895)
- Miserere Maidens for soloist, chorus, orchestra and organ (1895)
- The Call of the Sea, Ode for soprano, choruses and orchestra (1902–1904)
- Hearken unto Me, Ye Holy Children, Anthem for baritone solo and chorus (published 1903)
- I Will Magnify Thee, O Lord, Anthem for Easter for mixed voices and organ (published 1903); words from Psalm XXX
- St. Albans Pageant Music, July 1907 for chorus and orchestra (1907); words by Charles Henry Ashdown
- The Baron of Brackley, Scotch Border Ballad for chorus and orchestra (1911)
- Maria assumpta for soprano, choruses and orchestra (1922)
- Prometheus Unbound for chorus and orchestra (1923–1924); words by Percy Bysshe ShelleyPercy Bysshe ShelleyPercy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
- Medieval Songs for chorus and piano (1927–1928)
- Medieval Songs for female chorus, string orchestra and piano
-
- The Maiden That Is Makeless
- Mater ora filium
- The Flower of Jesse
- At Domys Day
- May in the Greenwood
- Twelve Oxen
- Dicitus philosophi for chorus and orchestra (1932?); words by Benjamin FarringtonBenjamin FarringtonBenjamin Farrington was an Irish scholar and professor of the Classics. Born in Cork, he was educated in Ireland and taught at the university level in Ireland and South Africa...
- The Tumbler of Our Lady for soloists, choruses and orchestra (1936)
- The Song of the Sinless Soul for mezzo-soprano, female chorus and orchestra (1944)
- Adonis for soprano, mezzo-soprano, female chorus and orchestra (1945)
- Dicitus philosophi for chorus and orchestra (1932?); words by Benjamin Farrington
Vocal
- The Rose and the Lily for voice and piano (1892)
- Songs of Youth and Springtide for voice and piano, Op.9 (1892–1896); words by Robert BrowningRobert BrowningRobert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
-
- Summum Bonum
- Nay, but You, Who Do Not Love Her
- Serenade for voice and piano (1896)
- Three Songs for voice and piano (1896); words from Sonnets from the PortugueseSonnets from the PortugueseSonnets from the Portuguese, written ca. 1845–1846 and first published in 1850, is a collection of forty-four love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The poems largely chronicle the period leading up to her 1846 marriage to Robert Browning...
by Elizabeth Barrett BrowningElizabeth Barrett BrowningElizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
- Say Over Again
- If Thou Must Love Me
- I Lift My Heavy Heart
- Crabbed Age and Youth for voice and piano (1898)
- Five Settings of E. Nesbit for voice and piano (1898); words by E. NesbitE. NesbitEdith Nesbit was an English author and poet whose children's works were published under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on over 60 books of fiction for children, several of which have been adapted for film and television...
- Three Old English Songs for voice and orchestra
- Love's Farewell for voice and piano (1902)
- The Four Winds for baritone and orchestra (1903); words by C.H. Luderz
- Six Love Lyrics for baritone or alto and piano (1903); words by William Ernest HenleyWilliam Ernest HenleyWilliam Ernest Henley was an English poet, critic and editor, best remembered for his 1875 poem "Invictus".-Life and career:...
- Sing Heigh Ho! for voice and piano (1903)
- Bhanavar the Beautiful, Song Cycle for voice and chamber ensemble (1908)
- The Ballad of the Bird Bride for baritone and orchestra (1909); words by Rosamund Marriott WatsonRosamund Marriott WatsonRosamund Marriott Watson was a Victorian poet and critic who wrote under the pseudonym of Graham R. Tomson. Her poems, which presaged modernism, are informed by aestheticism and occasionally avant-garde sensibilities. Watson's personal life was fraught with scandal, she left first husband George...
- The Little Corporal for voice and piano (1912)
- Sappho, Song Cycle for soprano and orchestra (1920, revised 1942)
- Claire de lune for voice and piano (1925); words by Paul VerlainePaul VerlainePaul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.-Early life:...
- D'une prison for voice and piano (1925?); words by Paul VerlainePaul VerlainePaul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.-Early life:...
- Que faudre-t'il a ce cœur for voice and piano (1925); words by Jean MoréasJean MoréasJean Moréas , was a Greek poet, essayist, and art critic, who wrote mostly in the French language but also in Greek during his youth.-Background:...
- Four Medieval Songs for voice and piano (1927)
- Four Medieval Songs for voice and piano (1930)
- Twelve Blake Songs; words by William BlakeWilliam BlakeWilliam Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- To the Evening
- To Morning
- My Pretty Rose Tree
- The Fairy
- In a Myrtle Shade
- The Birds
- My Spectre around Me
- I Heard an Angel Singing
Notable students
- Hubert du Plessis (born 1922)
- Stefans GrovéStefans GrovéStefans Grové is a South African composer. "He is regarded by many as Africa's greatest living composer, possesses one of the most distinctive compostional voices of our time".-Early life:...
- John JoubertJohn Joubert (composer)John Joubert is a British composer of South African descent, particularly of choral works. He has lived in Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham, England, for over 40 years. A music academic at the universities of Hull and Birmingham for 36 years, Joubert took early retirement in 1986 to concentrate on...