A 228th GARLAND OF BRITISH LIGHT MUSIC COMPOSERS
First for a few more late Victorian composers of musicals.
Arthur Trevelyan and C.W. Cottingham combined for The
Barker, toured in 1892. Another combination, Auscal Tate
and Neille O’Donovan (can these names be real?) produced His
Highness in 1893, which was heard just once, at an Opéra-Comique
charity matinée. Two more singleton composers were Merton
Clark, responsible for The Water Babes, toured in 1894; and
Evan Kefe, whose one piece was a "nautical comic opera",
Love and War was toured in the following year, 1895.
The present-day arranger and composer Peter Hope
has been discussed previously in this series but there are a few Hopes
from earlier in the 20th Century with whom he should not
be confused. Brian Hope, for example, with his orchestral miniatures
Dream Castles, In a Fairy Boat, In a Gondola, Laguna Lullaby, Phantom
Minuet, Pierrot’s Serenade, Under the Trees, Water Lilies and Nocturnette,
several of which were apparently scored by Albert Ketèlbey. Perhaps
the titles attracted him. Then there are John Hope, who contributed
the song Paradise Square to Waller and Tunbridge musical Virginia
of 1928, Barbara Melville Hope, whose ballads include All
My Very Own, Little Holes in Heaven, The House of Happiness, A Little
Coon’s Prayer, Wondering Eyes, My Night My Dawn, My Day, Winnin’ Thro’
and You Don’t Believe in Fairies? And one H. Hope who
is credited with the South Down March.
Philip L Scowcroft
October 2001
Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers' (ISBN 0903413 88 4) is
currently out of print.
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