Michael John Hurd (19 December 1928 – 8 August 2006) was a composer, teacher and author, principally known for his dramatic cantatas for schools and for his choral music.[1]
Like his fellow Petersfield resident, the tenor Wilfred Brown, Hurd championed the memory of Gerald Finzi (co-editing the composer's correspondence with Howard Ferguson),[7] as well as Rutland Boughton (he was music advisor to the Rutland Boughton Music Trust from 1978 to 2006), Ivor Gurney and Cyril Scott.[8]Stephen Banfield, unimpressed by the critical stance of his 1962 biography of Boughton ("Hurd seemed unable to accept the poverty of Boughton's musical imagination - it would perhaps have been difficult to justify the biography had he done so"), was much more positive about The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, published in 1978 ("not only authoritative and rounded but intensely moving").[9] From the 1960s Hurd acted as general editor to the Novello Short Biographies series and wrote the volumes on Britten and Tippett. He also wrote three volumes in the Faber Great Composers series.[10]
His lifelong friends included the writer David Hughes and his wife Mai Zetterling. Hughes wrote the libretto for Hurd's first chamber opera, The Widow of Ephesus (1971),[11] and Hurd wrote the music scores for two Zetterling films, Flickorna (1968), and Scrubbers (1982). He was also friends with the British-born Australian composer Michael Easton, with whom he helped establish the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival in Melbourne, Australia.[2] He died on 8 August 2006 in Petersfield.[1]
Music
As a composer, Hurd was prolific.[1] His numerous dramatic works for schoolchildren,[12] especially the "pop cantata" Jonah-Man Jazz (1966), were widely performed during his lifetime and are still heard in schools today.[13]Jonah-Man Jazz followed on in the tradition of Herbert Chappell'sThe Daniel Jazz (1963), which had previously been issued by Hurd's publisher Novello. Its popular success led Novello to pay Andrew Lloyd Webber a 100-guinea advance to compose a work along the same lines. This resulted in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968).[14]
However, as Geoffrey Bush pointed out, more serious pieces by Hurd such as the Missa brevis (also 1966) share equally the lyrical invention, sensitivity to words and understanding of the voice seen in his most popular works.[3] There are three chamber operas: The Widow of Ephesus (1971),[15]The Aspern Papers (1994), and The Night of the Wedding (1998).[16] Of those, the three-act Aspern Papers, derived from the novella by Henry James, is the most substantial. It was a success at the Port Fairy Spring Festival in Australia in 1995, and while it hasn't been revived since, it has been recorded.[17]
His orchestral works include the three movement Sinfonia concertante in neo-classical style, first performed in 1973 by the Kathleen Merritt String Orchestra,[18] and the more ambitious four movement choral symphony The Shepherd's Calendar (1975), a setting of John Clare's 1827 poem.[19] The Concerto da Camera of 1979 is a melodic oboe concerto showing the influence of Francis Poulenc.[20] His final work, the Three Piece Suite of 2004, was dedicated to the recorder player John Turner.[21]
Much of his music has now been recorded, supported by a British Music Society Charitable Trust.[22][23] Notable recordings include the choral music and complete solo songs on Lyrita (two volumes),[24] three of the chamber operas on Lyrita and Dutton Epoch,[17][15] the pop cantatas on Naxos,[12] and The Shepherd's Calendar on Dutton Epoch.[19]
Selected compositions
Dramatic works for children
Little Billy (1964) (children's opera)
Jonah-Man Jazz (1966) (pop cantata)
Mr Punch (1970) (operatic entertainment for young people)
^Promenade Junior Choir singing Michael Hurd's Jonah Man Jazz at St Peter's Church, Hersham, March 27th 2011.
^Chandler, David (2012). "'Everyone should have the opportunity': Alan Doggett and the modern British musical". Studies in Musical Theatre. 6 (3): 275–289. doi:10.1386/smt.6.3.275_1.
michael, hurd, composer, michael, john, hurd, december, 1928, august, 2006, composer, teacher, author, principally, known, dramatic, cantatas, schools, choral, music, michael, john, hurdborn, 1928, december, 1928gloucesterdied8, august, 2006, 2006, aged, lissa. Michael John Hurd 19 December 1928 8 August 2006 was a composer teacher and author principally known for his dramatic cantatas for schools and for his choral music 1 Michael John HurdBorn 1928 12 19 19 December 1928GloucesterDied8 August 2006 2006 08 08 aged 77 LissAlma materPembroke College OxfordOccupation s Composer conductor musicologist Contents 1 Life 2 Music 3 Selected compositions 4 Selected publications 5 References 6 External linksLife EditHe was born in Gloucester on 19 December 1928 and educated at The Crypt School Gloucester 2 and Pembroke College Oxford where he studied music with Thomas Armstrong and Bernard Rose 3 He was also a composition pupil of Lennox Berkeley After National Service he taught at the Royal Marines Band School at Deal 4 1953 59 before settling as a freelance composer in East Hampshire where he took a leading role in the area s music making 5 He bought the terraced two bedroom cottage at 4 Church Street West Liss in 1961 and lived there for the rest of his life 6 Like his fellow Petersfield resident the tenor Wilfred Brown Hurd championed the memory of Gerald Finzi co editing the composer s correspondence with Howard Ferguson 7 as well as Rutland Boughton he was music advisor to the Rutland Boughton Music Trust from 1978 to 2006 Ivor Gurney and Cyril Scott 8 Stephen Banfield unimpressed by the critical stance of his 1962 biography of Boughton Hurd seemed unable to accept the poverty of Boughton s musical imagination it would perhaps have been difficult to justify the biography had he done so was much more positive about The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney published in 1978 not only authoritative and rounded but intensely moving 9 From the 1960s Hurd acted as general editor to the Novello Short Biographies series and wrote the volumes on Britten and Tippett He also wrote three volumes in the Faber Great Composers series 10 His lifelong friends included the writer David Hughes and his wife Mai Zetterling Hughes wrote the libretto for Hurd s first chamber opera The Widow of Ephesus 1971 11 and Hurd wrote the music scores for two Zetterling films Flickorna 1968 and Scrubbers 1982 He was also friends with the British born Australian composer Michael Easton with whom he helped establish the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival in Melbourne Australia 2 He died on 8 August 2006 in Petersfield 1 Music EditAs a composer Hurd was prolific 1 His numerous dramatic works for schoolchildren 12 especially the pop cantata Jonah Man Jazz 1966 were widely performed during his lifetime and are still heard in schools today 13 Jonah Man Jazz followed on in the tradition of Herbert Chappell s The Daniel Jazz 1963 which had previously been issued by Hurd s publisher Novello Its popular success led Novello to pay Andrew Lloyd Webber a 100 guinea advance to compose a work along the same lines This resulted in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 1968 14 However as Geoffrey Bush pointed out more serious pieces by Hurd such as the Missa brevis also 1966 share equally the lyrical invention sensitivity to words and understanding of the voice seen in his most popular works 3 There are three chamber operas The Widow of Ephesus 1971 15 The Aspern Papers 1994 and The Night of the Wedding 1998 16 Of those the three act Aspern Papers derived from the novella by Henry James is the most substantial It was a success at the Port Fairy Spring Festival in Australia in 1995 and while it hasn t been revived since it has been recorded 17 His orchestral works include the three movement Sinfonia concertante in neo classical style first performed in 1973 by the Kathleen Merritt String Orchestra 18 and the more ambitious four movement choral symphony The Shepherd s Calendar 1975 a setting of John Clare s 1827 poem 19 The Concerto da Camera of 1979 is a melodic oboe concerto showing the influence of Francis Poulenc 20 His final work the Three Piece Suite of 2004 was dedicated to the recorder player John Turner 21 Much of his music has now been recorded supported by a British Music Society Charitable Trust 22 23 Notable recordings include the choral music and complete solo songs on Lyrita two volumes 24 three of the chamber operas on Lyrita and Dutton Epoch 17 15 the pop cantatas on Naxos 12 and The Shepherd s Calendar on Dutton Epoch 19 Selected compositions EditDramatic works for children Little Billy 1964 children s opera Jonah Man Jazz 1966 pop cantata Mr Punch 1970 operatic entertainment for young people Swingin Samson 1973 pop cantata Hip Hip Horatio 1975 oratorio Rooster Rag 1975 pop cantata Pilgrim 1978 musical morality Adam in Eden 1981 pop cantata A New Nowell 1986 cantata Captain Coram s Kids 1987 pop cantata The Liberty Tree 1989 ballad cantata Prodigal 1998 revised 1991 pop cantata King and Conscience 1990 ballad cantata Mr Owen s Great Endeavour 1991 ballad cantata Pop Pied Piper 1998 pop cantata Chamber operas The Widow of Ephesus 1971 The Aspern Papers 1995 The Night of the Wedding 1998 Film scores Flickorna directed by Mai Zetterling 1968 Scrubbers directed by Mai Zetterling 1982 Choral Missa brevis 1966 A Song for St Cecilia 1966 Music s Praise 1968 Charms and Ceremonies 1969 Flower Songs 1973 Genesis 1987 setting Geoffrey Hill A Choral Cantata 1991 Night Songs of Edward Thomas 1994 Five Spiritual Songs 1996 Orchestral and instrumental ensemble Shore Leave 1962 orchestral songs setting Charles Causley Sinfonia Concertante 1968 revised 1973 Harlequin Suite 1971 revised 1983 for brass quintet Dance Diversions 1972 Overture to an Unwritten Comedy 1975 Shepherd s Calendar 1975 choral symphony setting John Clare Concerto da Camera 1979 oboe and string orchestra Chamber Flute Sonatina 1964 Le Tombeau de Prudence 1974 flute oboe and piano Violin Sonata 1989 Recorder Sonatina 2003 Three Piece Suite 2004 recorder and piano Selected publications EditImmortal Hour the Life and Period of Rutland Boughton 1962 rev 1993 as Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals ISBN 0091897637 Young Person s Guide to Concerts 1962 Young Person s Guide to Opera 1963 Young Person s Guide to English Music 1965 Benjamin Britten Novello Short Biographies 1966 The Composer 1968 An Outline History of European Music Novello 1968 revised 1988 ISBN 0853600767 Elgar Faber Great Composers 1969 Vaughan Williams Faber Great Composers 1970 Mendelssohn Faber Great Composers 1970 The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney OUP 1978 ISBN 0192117521 Michael Tippett Novello Short Biographies 1978 New Oxford Junior Companion to Music 1979 ISBN 1851521097 Vincent Novello and Company Granada 1981 ISBN 0246117338 The Orchestra Phaidon 1981 ISBN 0871964694 with Howard Ferguson Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson ed 2001 References Edit a b c Obituary The Independent 16 Aug 2006 Lewis Foreman a b Obituary by Geoffrey Peck at MusicWeb International a b Geoffrey Bush Michael Hurd in Grove Music Online Memories of ex bandsmen who knew Hurd Archived 2007 06 08 at the Wayback Machine Tribute evening at Petersfield Music Festival Biography michaelhurd org Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson Ferguson H Hurd M 2001 Solihull Helion amp Company Ltd ISBN 0851158234 Cyril Scott entry by Michael Hurd Grove Music Online Banfield Stephen Review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney in Music and Letters Vol 60 No 2 July 1979 Books by Michael Hurd michaelhurd org The National Archives a b Pop Cantatas MusicWeb March 2011 Promenade Junior Choir singing Michael Hurd s Jonah Man Jazz at St Peter s Church Hersham March 27th 2011 Chandler David 2012 Everyone should have the opportunity Alan Doggett and the modern British musical Studies in Musical Theatre 6 3 275 289 doi 10 1386 smt 6 3 275 1 a b The Widow of Ephesus MusicWeb October 2011 The Aspern Papers and The Night of the Wedding MusicWeb July 2015 a b The Aspern Papers Lyrita SRCD2350 2015 English String Miniatures Vol 3 Naxos 8 555069 2001 a b The Shepherd s Calendar MusicWeb September 2012 Michael Hurd Concerto da Camera 1979 Review The Delian List of recordings michaelhurd org British Music Society Charitable Trust Choral Music Vol 1 SRDC 366 2017 and Choral Music Vol 2 and Complete Solo Songs SRCD366 2018 External links Edithttp www michaelhurd org uk Choral and Opera releases by Lyrita Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michael Hurd composer amp oldid 1109353678, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
