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Howard Ellis Carr

February 16, 2024

Howard Ellis Carr (26 December 1880 - 16 November 1960) was a British composer and conductor who also spent some of his working career in Australia. He was best known for his theatre, operetta and light orchestral genre music.[1]

Career edit

Carr was born in Manchester, a nephew of the theatre composer and conductor Howard Talbot.[2] (His mother Lillie Munkittrick was Talbot’s sister, who had married Edward Carr in 1880). Although trained as a civil engineer he began conducting at the age of 18, and secured a position as conductor at Her Majesty's Theatre, Carlisle. He became active as a conductor in London theatres between 1903 and 1906 before moving to Australia between 1907 and 1909, where he conducted light opera for the J.C. Williamson Opera Company and married Beatrice Dagmar Tracey.[3]

Back in England he toured as a conductor with Thomas Beecham's Opera Comique Company (alongside Hamish MacCunn), and then acted as music director and conductor at London theatres including the Adelphi, Empire, Gaiety, Lyric and Prince of Wales. One notable success was The Rebel Maid, an operetta by Montague Phillips, which Carr conducted for 114 performances from March 1921 at the Empire. Songs by Carr from some of the shows he contributed to during the 1920s were recorded on the HMV Red label.[4] During this period he was also influential as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Musical Conductors Association.[5]

In 1921 he became conductor of the Harrogate Municipal Orchestra, succeeding Julian Clifford after his death, sometimes programming unusual repertoire: for instance, on 21 December 1922 he conducted a performance of Lilian Elkington's tone poem Out of the Mist.[6] This lasted until 1928, when he returned to Australia to head the New South Wales State Conservatorium in Sydney. While in Australia he continued his activities as a theatre conductor, directing a production of The Vagabond King at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney in October 1928.[7] His wife died in 1929. In 1932 he succeeded Gerald Peachell as principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Society.[3] In December 1932 he orchestrated and conducted the first staging of the musical Collits' Inn by Varney Monk, praised by the Sydney Morning Herald as "an Australian opera".[8][9] In September 1935 the musical Love Wins Through by Adrian Ross and C. B. Fernald with music by Carr was performed by the Regal Operatic Society at the Sydney Conservatorium.

By 1938 he was back in England, where he lived for the rest of his life, working as a freelance composer and conductor. After the war some of his music and arrangements were used, uncredited, in British films including An Ideal Husband (1947), and The Winslow Boy (1948). He died at the age of 79 in Kensington, London.[10] There are photographs of Carr dated 1918 and 1921 at the National Portrait Gallery.[11]

Music edit

Carr's theatre music included musical contributions and additional songs for light operettas such as A Chinese Honeymoon, The Girl for the Boy (1919), The Blue Kitten (Gaiety, December 1925), Under the Greenwood Tree, Charles Cuvillier's The Lilac Domino (1918 London revival)[12] and Shanghai by Isidore Witmark and William Duncan, the latter first performed in August 1918 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.[13][14] His own operettas include The Crystal Gazer (1924) and (produced in Australia) Love Wins Through (1935)[15] and The Lady in the Moon (1936). He also provided incidental music for plays including The Potter Diamond and The Master Wayfarer.[10]

His orchestral works include two symphonies (No 1 in E minor, No 2 in C major, written circa 1903-5). The manuscripts were donated to the British Library in 1962.[16] He also composed various orchestral suites, overtures and genre pieces which were often performed at The Proms between 1917 and 1925, including The Jolly Roger (overture), The Jovial Huntsmen (rondo), The Shrine in the Wood (Prelude)[17] and The Sun God (symphonic march).[18]

Of these the most popular was Three Heroes, a suite commemorating World War 1 heroes Michael John O'Leary, Captain Oates and Reginald Warneford, the final movement including a musical depiction of a Zeppelin air raid.[19] This received several performances in the days immediately following the Armistice, and was played at the Proms in 1918, 1920 and 1924.[20] The four movement ballet suite Carnival of the Elements was popular enough to be published by W Paxton & Co.[21] Reviewing a performance at the Hastings British Music Festival in 1921, Allan Biggs described the style as "enough sensationalism, but little subtlety".[22]

Carr also composed choral works, such as The Bush and Ode to the Deity, and staged a dramatized version of Mendelssohn's Elijah in London (1933) and in Australia (1938).[23] Some of his songs were published by Stainer & Bell.[1] He managed to replicate the success of Three Heroes during the Second World War with another patriotic piece - the Sir Walter Raleigh overture, premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra in June 1940.

References edit

  1. ^ a b 'Howard Carr' at Unsung Composers
  2. ^ Liner notes from 2005 CD Lehár: The Merry Widow; Cuvillier and Carr, Classics for Pleasure
  3. ^ a b Thornley, Claire. The Royal Philharmonic Society of Sydney: The Rise and Fall of a Musical Organization, University of Sydney thesis (2004)
  4. ^ for instance, 'Breakfast in Bed' from The Blue Kitten, HMV C 1241 (1926)
  5. ^ Palmer, Fiona M. (2021). "The Musical Conductors' Association: Collective Podium Power in Wartime Britain?". Music and Letters. 102 (3): 559–598. doi:10.1093/ml/gcab031.
  6. ^ Notes to British Orchestral Premieres, Lyrita CD REAM 2139 (2018)
  7. ^ Everyones, Vol. 9, No 452, 31 October 1928, p. 48
  8. ^ The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 December 1932. p. 15.
  9. ^ ""COLLITS' INN". AT MOSMAN". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 February 1933. p. 10. Retrieved 4 October 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ a b Leach, Gerald. British Composer Profiles (3rd. Edition, 2012), p. 51
  11. ^ Howard Carr (1880-1960), Composer and operatic conductor, National Portrait Gallery
  12. ^ "The Lilac Domino", The Observer, February 24, 1918, p. 5
  13. ^ Shanghai, score at IMSLP
  14. ^ Eva-Marie Kröller. Writing the Empire: The McIlwraiths, 1853–1948 (2021), p. 316
  15. ^ Wireless Weekly, Vol. 29 No. 3 (January 15, 1937), p. 33
  16. ^ 'List of acquisitions', in The British Museum Quarterly, Vol. 25 No 1/2 (March 1962), p. 45
  17. ^ performed from the piano transcription by Phillip Sear
  18. ^ Philip L. Scowcroft. Some British Composer-Conductors
  19. ^ 'British composers and the First World War', in British Music Society News, No 140 (Jan. 2014), p. 124
  20. ^ BBC Proms performance archive
  21. ^ Palmer, King. Teach Yourself to Compose Music (1947), p. 238
  22. ^ The Musical Times, Vol. 62, No. 937 (March 1921), p. 169
  23. ^ Australian Musical News, 24:9 (April 1934), p. 24

External links edit

  • The Crystal Gazer by Howard Carr. Lyric Theatre Orchestra conducted by the composer (1924)
  • 'Water' from Carnival of the Elements, played by Phillip Sear

February 16, 2024
howard, ellis, carr, december, 1880, november, 1960, british, composer, conductor, also, spent, some, working, career, australia, best, known, theatre, operetta, light, orchestral, genre, music, contents, career, music, references, external, linkscareer, editc. Howard Ellis Carr 26 December 1880 16 November 1960 was a British composer and conductor who also spent some of his working career in Australia He was best known for his theatre operetta and light orchestral genre music 1 Contents 1 Career 2 Music 3 References 4 External linksCareer editCarr was born in Manchester a nephew of the theatre composer and conductor Howard Talbot 2 His mother Lillie Munkittrick was Talbot s sister who had married Edward Carr in 1880 Although trained as a civil engineer he began conducting at the age of 18 and secured a position as conductor at Her Majesty s Theatre Carlisle He became active as a conductor in London theatres between 1903 and 1906 before moving to Australia between 1907 and 1909 where he conducted light opera for the J C Williamson Opera Company and married Beatrice Dagmar Tracey 3 Back in England he toured as a conductor with Thomas Beecham s Opera Comique Company alongside Hamish MacCunn and then acted as music director and conductor at London theatres including the Adelphi Empire Gaiety Lyric and Prince of Wales One notable success was The Rebel Maid an operetta by Montague Phillips which Carr conducted for 114 performances from March 1921 at the Empire Songs by Carr from some of the shows he contributed to during the 1920s were recorded on the HMV Red label 4 During this period he was also influential as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Musical Conductors Association 5 In 1921 he became conductor of the Harrogate Municipal Orchestra succeeding Julian Clifford after his death sometimes programming unusual repertoire for instance on 21 December 1922 he conducted a performance of Lilian Elkington s tone poem Out of the Mist 6 This lasted until 1928 when he returned to Australia to head the New South Wales State Conservatorium in Sydney While in Australia he continued his activities as a theatre conductor directing a production of The Vagabond King at Her Majesty s Theatre Sydney in October 1928 7 His wife died in 1929 In 1932 he succeeded Gerald Peachell as principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Society 3 In December 1932 he orchestrated and conducted the first staging of the musical Collits Inn by Varney Monk praised by the Sydney Morning Herald as an Australian opera 8 9 In September 1935 the musical Love Wins Through by Adrian Ross and C B Fernald with music by Carr was performed by the Regal Operatic Society at the Sydney Conservatorium By 1938 he was back in England where he lived for the rest of his life working as a freelance composer and conductor After the war some of his music and arrangements were used uncredited in British films including An Ideal Husband 1947 and The Winslow Boy 1948 He died at the age of 79 in Kensington London 10 There are photographs of Carr dated 1918 and 1921 at the National Portrait Gallery 11 Music editCarr s theatre music included musical contributions and additional songs for light operettas such as A Chinese Honeymoon The Girl for the Boy 1919 The Blue Kitten Gaiety December 1925 Under the Greenwood Tree Charles Cuvillier s The Lilac Domino 1918 London revival 12 and Shanghai by Isidore Witmark and William Duncan the latter first performed in August 1918 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane 13 14 His own operettas include The Crystal Gazer 1924 and produced in Australia Love Wins Through 1935 15 and The Lady in the Moon 1936 He also provided incidental music for plays including The Potter Diamond and The Master Wayfarer 10 His orchestral works include two symphonies No 1 in E minor No 2 in C major written circa 1903 5 The manuscripts were donated to the British Library in 1962 16 He also composed various orchestral suites overtures and genre pieces which were often performed at The Proms between 1917 and 1925 including The Jolly Roger overture The Jovial Huntsmen rondo The Shrine in the Wood Prelude 17 and The Sun God symphonic march 18 Of these the most popular was Three Heroes a suite commemorating World War 1 heroes Michael John O Leary Captain Oates and Reginald Warneford the final movement including a musical depiction of a Zeppelin air raid 19 This received several performances in the days immediately following the Armistice and was played at the Proms in 1918 1920 and 1924 20 The four movement ballet suite Carnival of the Elements was popular enough to be published by W Paxton amp Co 21 Reviewing a performance at the Hastings British Music Festival in 1921 Allan Biggs described the style as enough sensationalism but little subtlety 22 Carr also composed choral works such as The Bush and Ode to the Deity and staged a dramatized version of Mendelssohn s Elijah in London 1933 and in Australia 1938 23 Some of his songs were published by Stainer amp Bell 1 He managed to replicate the success of Three Heroes during the Second World War with another patriotic piece the Sir Walter Raleigh overture premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra in June 1940 References edit a b Howard Carr at Unsung Composers Liner notes from 2005 CD Lehar The Merry Widow Cuvillier and Carr Classics for Pleasure a b Thornley Claire The Royal Philharmonic Society of Sydney The Rise and Fall of a Musical Organization University of Sydney thesis 2004 for instance Breakfast in Bed from The Blue Kitten HMV C 1241 1926 Palmer Fiona M 2021 The Musical Conductors Association Collective Podium Power in Wartime Britain Music and Letters 102 3 559 598 doi 10 1093 ml gcab031 Notes to British Orchestral Premieres Lyrita CD REAM 2139 2018 Everyones Vol 9 No 452 31 October 1928 p 48 The Sydney Morning Herald 6 December 1932 p 15 COLLITS INN AT MOSMAN The Sydney Morning Herald 25 February 1933 p 10 Retrieved 4 October 2013 via National Library of Australia a b Leach Gerald British Composer Profiles 3rd Edition 2012 p 51 Howard Carr 1880 1960 Composer and operatic conductor National Portrait Gallery The Lilac Domino The Observer February 24 1918 p 5 Shanghai score at IMSLP Eva Marie Kroller Writing the Empire The McIlwraiths 1853 1948 2021 p 316 Wireless Weekly Vol 29 No 3 January 15 1937 p 33 List of acquisitions in The British Museum Quarterly Vol 25 No 1 2 March 1962 p 45 performed from the piano transcription by Phillip Sear Philip L Scowcroft Some British Composer Conductors British composers and the First World War in British Music Society News No 140 Jan 2014 p 124 BBC Proms performance archive Palmer King Teach Yourself to Compose Music 1947 p 238 The Musical Times Vol 62 No 937 March 1921 p 169 Australian Musical News 24 9 April 1934 p 24External links editThe Crystal Gazer by Howard Carr Lyric Theatre Orchestra conducted by the composer 1924 Water from Carnival of the Elements played by Phillip Sear Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Howard Ellis Carr amp oldid 1197814978, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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