A 265th GARLAND OF BRITISH LIGHT MUSIC COMPOSERS
First, for another fairly obscure theatre composer:
Jacques Grieve wrote a score for Larks in London, toured
in 1899, which show was a re-working of the 1886 musical Larks,
whose music had been by a consortium headed by W. Meyer Lutz
(previously covered).
Coming more up to date, a mention now for Leonard
Duck, active in a composing sense in the 1960s and a writer of instrumental
music suitable for young and other amateurs: Cradle Song, Frescoes
and Gaytime for piano; Five For a Fiddler, easy violin
pieces; Cameos, (three cello and piano pieces), Impressions
(Promenade – Berceuse – Caprice) for oboe and piano; Three
Pieces ("tone sketches" Fanfare – Elegy – Burlesque)
for trumpet and piano; The Silver Huntress for horns and piano;
and The Melody Looms, for recorder(s) and piano.
Next for a few similarly named composers. Ralph
Cox and Denis Cox both wrote ballads up to a century ago.
To a Hilltop for the former and Mary My Treasure for the
latter may serve as examples. In 1960 one Anthony Berkeley Cox
published Four Conventional Waltzes, Four Unconventional Waltzes
and Two Marches, respectively. The Fighting Patrol (March
for the Home Guard) and Highland Patrol, all for piano solo.
He may be identical with the Anthony Berkeley Cox (1893-1971),
writer of crime fiction and reviews under the names of Anthony Berkeley
and Francis Iles.
Arthur Crocker was another ballad composer,
of, for example, Just A Little Lady. I am not sure if he was
related to Emily Crocker, composer of choral pieces like the
short Joyfully Sing.
Malcolm Hawkins’ A Day in Town: suite for
School Orchestra, dated 1973, has the movements Downtown Frolic,
Preamble in the Park, High Street Parade and Twilight
Reminiscence. He has also composed choral miniatures.
Finally a mention for Daniel Pemberton, who
has composed the rather attractive, if not particularly Edwardian, music
for the Channel 4 feature The Edwardian Country House (2002).
Philip L Scowcroft
April 2002
Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers' (ISBN 0903413 88 4) is
currently out of print.
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