Henry Erskine Allon was born on 16 October 1864 to the prominent Nonconformist minister Henry Allon (1818–1892) and his wife, Eliza née Goodman. Allon grew up among four sisters and two brothers, and was educated at Amersham Hall in Caversham, Reading.[1][2] He first attended University College, London, and then Trinity College, Cambridge, where he matriculated at in 1882. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts there in 1885.[3] At Cambridge he received an English essay prize and graduated with a third in History. His father tried to get Allon appointed to the university's inspectorate, but was dissuaded from this by his friend Matthew Arnold as he suspected the Tory government in power (whose Lord President had the job of appointing inspectors) would be unlikely to appoint Nonconformist inspectors.[4]
Allon studied music under William Henry Birch and Frederic Corder and was a vigorous promoter of, and contributor to, the New Musical Quarterly Review, which he had assisted in founding of.[1][2][3] He was one of the composers featured in Granville Bantock's concert of new music by himself and his friends, put on at Queen's Hall on 15 December 1896.[5][6] (Other composers included in this group were William Wallace, Reginald Steggall, Stanley Hawley and Arthur Hinton).
Allon composed and published many musical works, including two cantatas ("Annie of Lochroyan" and "The Child of Elle"), chamber music, solos, and sonatas. Allon composed mainly for the piano, and pain with violin.[1][2] Musicologist Clyde Binfield has noted that while "there was nothing Celtic in his ancestry", his compositions often bore Scottish-inspired names, such as "The Maid of Colonsay" and "May Margaret".[4] According to Edward Irving Carlyle, writing for the Dictionary of National Biography, his works "showed originality and power",[2] and his brief biography in Alumni Cantabrigienses described him up as "a musician of great promise".[3] Binfield was more forthright in his assessment of Allon, declaring "it was all promise, [as] he died in his early thirties".[4]
Despite his father's strong Nonconformist zeal, Allon lapsed from that faith and instead became a member of the CUNU, a Congregationalist and interdenominational religious organisation.[4]
^ abcdeKaye, Elaine (2004). "Allon, Henry (1818–1892)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/411. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ abcdVenn, John; Venn, J. A., eds. (1940). "Allon, Henry Erskine". Alumni Cantabrigienses, Vol. 2: 1752–1900, Pt. 1: Abbey – Challis. Cambridge University Press. p. 44. ISBN9781108036115.
^ abcdBinfield, Clyde (July 1993). "Hymns and an Orthodox Dissenter: In Commemoration of Bernard Lord Manning, 1892-1941" (PDF). Journal of the United Reformed Church History Society. 5 (2): 86–109.
^Budd, Vincent. A Brief Introduction to the Life and Work of Sir Granville Bantock (2000)
^Wallace, William. 'Young England's 'Manifesto', reprinted in The Bantock Society Journal, Vol. 3 No. 1, Summer 1998
^Converted from 1900 to 2017 using: "Currency converter: 1270–2017". The National Archives.
Further readingedit
"Obituary: Henry Erskine Allon". The Times. 6–8 April 1897.
April 12, 2024
henry, erskine, allon, october, 1864, april, 1897, english, composer, biography, edit, nbsp, father, henry, allon, 1879, born, october, 1864, prominent, nonconformist, minister, henry, allon, 1818, 1892, wife, eliza, née, goodman, allon, grew, among, four, sis. Henry Erskine Allon 16 October 1864 3 April 1897 was an English composer Biography edit nbsp Henry Erskine Allon s father Henry Allon 1879 Henry Erskine Allon was born on 16 October 1864 to the prominent Nonconformist minister Henry Allon 1818 1892 and his wife Eliza nee Goodman Allon grew up among four sisters and two brothers and was educated at Amersham Hall in Caversham Reading 1 2 He first attended University College London and then Trinity College Cambridge where he matriculated at in 1882 He obtained his Bachelor of Arts there in 1885 3 At Cambridge he received an English essay prize and graduated with a third in History His father tried to get Allon appointed to the university s inspectorate but was dissuaded from this by his friend Matthew Arnold as he suspected the Tory government in power whose Lord President had the job of appointing inspectors would be unlikely to appoint Nonconformist inspectors 4 Allon studied music under William Henry Birch and Frederic Corder and was a vigorous promoter of and contributor to the New Musical Quarterly Review which he had assisted in founding of 1 2 3 He was one of the composers featured in Granville Bantock s concert of new music by himself and his friends put on at Queen s Hall on 15 December 1896 5 6 Other composers included in this group were William Wallace Reginald Steggall Stanley Hawley and Arthur Hinton Allon composed and published many musical works including two cantatas Annie of Lochroyan and The Child of Elle chamber music solos and sonatas Allon composed mainly for the piano and pain with violin 1 2 Musicologist Clyde Binfield has noted that while there was nothing Celtic in his ancestry his compositions often bore Scottish inspired names such as The Maid of Colonsay and May Margaret 4 According to Edward Irving Carlyle writing for the Dictionary of National Biography his works showed originality and power 2 and his brief biography in Alumni Cantabrigienses described him up as a musician of great promise 3 Binfield was more forthright in his assessment of Allon declaring it was all promise as he died in his early thirties 4 Despite his father s strong Nonconformist zeal Allon lapsed from that faith and instead became a member of the CUNU a Congregationalist and interdenominational religious organisation 4 Allon died on 3 April 1897 aged 32 from cerebral meningitis 1 He left 5966 13s 8d in his will approximately 466 428 in 2017 currency 7 and left his library of musical works to the Cambridge Union Society 1 2 3 References edit a b c d e Kaye Elaine 2004 Allon Henry 1818 1892 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 411 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b c d e Carlyle Edward Irving 1901 Allon Henry In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography 1st supplement London Smith Elder amp Co a b c d Venn John Venn J A eds 1940 Allon Henry Erskine Alumni Cantabrigienses Vol 2 1752 1900 Pt 1 Abbey Challis Cambridge University Press p 44 ISBN 9781108036115 a b c d Binfield Clyde July 1993 Hymns and an Orthodox Dissenter In Commemoration of Bernard Lord Manning 1892 1941 PDF Journal of the United Reformed Church History Society 5 2 86 109 Budd Vincent A Brief Introduction to the Life and Work of Sir Granville Bantock 2000 Wallace William Young England s Manifesto reprinted in The Bantock Society Journal Vol 3 No 1 Summer 1998 Converted from 1900 to 2017 using Currency converter 1270 2017 The National Archives Further reading edit Obituary Henry Erskine Allon The Times 6 8 April 1897 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry Erskine Allon amp oldid 1168244879, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
