Haydn Wood: Listings of Music Recorded on the Guild Light Music Series.

Recently I posted a listing of music by Eric Coates available on the Guild Light Music Series. I decided to do the same exercise for Haydn Wood. Luckily for the collector or enthusiast, many of the numbers listed below appear on one CD which Guild dedicated to the music of Haydn wood (GLCD 5121). The other major sources of works by this composer are the two Marco Polo CDs (8. 223605& 223402), The Violin Concerto has been released on Dutton Epoch CDLX7245and the fine Piano Concerto on Hyperion CDA67127

There are a number of works listed below which are not easily available on any other disc. I guess that this includes the Cities of Romance Suite: Seville, the Stanford Rhapsody and the two movements from the Moods Suite.

I have not included links to these Guild Cds however further information can be found at the company’s website.

Bird of Love Divine - London Palladium Orchestra / Richard Crean (GLCD 5121)

Brown Bird Singing - Eric Jupp & The Melodi Strings (GLCD 5172)

Cities of Romance Suite: Seville - BBC Variety Orchestra / Charles Shadwell + Reginald Foort (Organ) (GLCD 5121)

Dance of a Whimsical Elf – BB|C Theatre Orchestra / Harold Lowe (GLCD 5139)

Frescoes Suite: Bandstand - New Concert Orchestra / Serge Krish (GLCD 5101)

Frescoes Suite: Vienna - New Concert Orchestra / Serge Krish (GLCD 5121)

Harvest Time Suite: Harvesters' Dance, Interlude, Harvest Home - Regent Concert Orchestra / William Hodgson  (GLCD 5203)

Homage March - Light Symphony Orchestra / Haydn Wood (GLCD 5121)

Horse Guards - Whitehall - Orchestra Raymonde / Robert Preston (GLCD 5121)

Joyousness - Light Symphony Orchestra / Haydn Wood (GLCD 5121)

Laughing Cavalier - New Concert Orchestra / Nat Nyll [Actually Dolf Van Der Linden] (GLCD 5121)

London Landmarks Suite: Nelson's Column - Queen's Hall Light Orchestra / Charles Williams (GLCD 5121)

London Landmarks Suite: Tower Hill - Queen's Hall Light Orchestra / Charles Williams (GLCD 5121)

Longing- London Palladium Orchestra / Richard Crean (GLCD 5121)

Love Song, A - Queen's Hall Light Orchestra / Charles Williams (GLCD 5164)

Mannin Veen (Dear Isle Of Man) - Light Symphony Orchestra / Haydn Wood (GLCD 5121)

Manx Rhapsody - Queen's Hall Light Orchestra / Charles Williams (GLCD 5107)

May Day Overture - Light Symphony Orchestra / Haydn Wood (GLCD 5106)

Moods Suite : Caprice - Queen's Hall Light Orchestra / Charles Williams (GLCD 5121)

Moods Suite: Prelude - Queen's Hall Light Orchestra / Charles Williams (GLCD 5195)

Paris Suite: Montmartre - Debroy Somers Band (5121)

Roses of Picardy: - Freddy Gardner (Saxophone) With Peter Yorke & His Concert Orchestra (5121)

Roving Fancies - The Regent Classic Orchestra (GLCD 5102)

Seafarer, The (A Nautical Rhapsody) - Charles Williams & His Concert Orchestra (GLCD 5121)

Sketch of a Dandy - Louis Voss & His Orchestra (GLCD 5115) 

Soliloquy - Queen's Hall Light Orchestra / Robert Farnon (GLCD 5121)

Stanford Rhapsody (Based on Charles Villiers Stanford's "Songs of the Sea") - Debroy Somers Band (GLCD 5121)

Torch of Freedom - Grand March - New Concert Orchestra / Jack Leon (GLCD GLCD 5121)

Virginia - A Southern Rhapsody - Queen's Hall Light Orchestra / Charles Williams (GLCD 5107)

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Haydn Wood: Fantasy Concerto for Strings

Most people who know the music of Haydn Wood will do so because they have purchased the excellent Marco Polo recordings of his 'light' music. (Marco Polo 8.223402 & 8.223605.) A previous generation was enthralled by the melody of 'Roses of Picardy' written when the Great War was at its height. Many people remember the theme from the BBC programme Down your Way - the March: Horseguards, Whitehall.

However, before the success of the ‘Rose’ Haydn Wood had been marked out as a ‘serious’ composer. He studied with Charles Villiers Stanford at the RCM. His catalogue includes an excellent Piano Concerto in D minor (Hyperion 67127) that was published in 1947 and a Concerto for Violin from 1933. There was an early set of Variations on an Original Theme which appeared in 1903. Quite obviously Elgar was the ‘model’.

The Fantasy–Concerto started life as a chamber work. Originally produced for the Cobbett Chamber Music Competition as Phantasie in F minor. It was written in 1905. He was successful in winning third prize in the very first of these prodigious competitions. How many works have been composed for this annual event? Fortunately many have survived into the current repertoire. Vaughan Williams, Bridge and Britten to name three.

The original work was composed for string quartet and was dusted down by the composer in 1949. It was recast into a shorter time frame – 14 minutes as opposed to the original 23 minutes.

It is a wonderful piece. Technically involved – demanding a fine string technique from all the players. There is a touch of Elgar here - one is reminded of the Introduction and Allegro; there are harmonic constructions worthy of Delius. I am left wishing that Haydn Wood had written more music in the 'classical' vein - and let it be hastily added that I am a great fan of his 'light' music. For me he is generally on a par with Eric Coates -if slightly more 'old-fashioned'.

Haydn Wood: Fantasy Concerto for Strings can be heard on Naxos 8.555068 It also features on YouTube

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Haydn Wood: Violinist & Composer

This short article from the Musical Standard September 1912 is well worth printing. It is one a precious few texts dealing Haydn Wood. It is also interesting for the long digression the unnamed author makes about the problems facing 'today's composers. I guess not too much has changed in the past 100 years.

Mr. Haydn Wood was born in the year 1882 of musical parents, at Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield. When he was three years of age his parents moved to Douglas, Isle of Man, where he studied the violin under the supervision of his brother Mr. Harry Wood, who holds a prominent position as a conductor there.

Our young musician studied well, an in 1897; at the age of fifteen he gained an open three years’ violin scholarship at the Royal College of Music. At the end of these three years he was awarded the Morley scholarship, which entitled him to three years’ additional study – six years in all. During this period he studied the violin under Senor Arbos [1], and musical composition under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, winning many prizes during his college career. Amongst these prizes were the Dove and Hill prizes for violin playing and the Arthur Sullivan prize for composition.

In 1903 Mr. Wood left the Royal College, and, journeying to Brussels, continued his violin studies under Professor Cesar Thomson [2] the famous Belgian violinist, with whom he remained a year. On his return to London he was immediately engaged by Mme. Albani [3] for her tours, and for the last eight years he has been here violinist at all her concerts, which have consisted of tours in the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India. He rendered the same assistance at her recent farewell tour and concert at the Albert Hall. [4]

Mr. Wood has appeared very successfully at the Harrison Concerts, the Royal Albert Hall Sunday Concerts, the London Ballad Concerts and other functions.

As a composer Mr. Wood has a just claim to our sympathetic attention. His serious compositions show marked ability and considerable resource, both in invention and the treatment of ideas. He won a prize for a fantasy for string quartet [5] in the first of the Cobbett competitions. In the same competition the late W.Y. Hurlstone [6] won the first prize but died before the result was announced. The three best works, were published by Messrs. Novello and Co. Mr Wood’s other compositions include Lochinvar, a ballad for chorus and orchestra, which was given its performance last March by the Edward Mason Choir at the Queen’s Hall, a Pianoforte Concerto in D minor, which was first produced at a Patron’s Fund concert, and an orchestral suite, which was also first performed at a Patron’s Fund concert.

Among his lighter works are many pieces for the violin and for the pianoforte. He also composed many songs, a considerable number of which were published. Some of these are becoming very popular, for example Three Sea Songs, Twelve Little Songs of the Year, Bird of Love Divine. This last was sung for the first time by Miss Felice Lyne at one of the last season’s London Ballad Concerts.

The difficulties which bar the way to the publication of a work in any of the larger forms being almost deadly apathy of the music-buying public, which turns pale at the sight of a British name upon a piece of music, a composer of serious music is almost entirely dependent upon the public performances which a fickle fate doles out to him at the dictates of what appears to be sheer caprice. For this injustice the public is to blame. It will damn or praise a work without much apparent reference to its musical qualities, which on the other hand are often very difficult to judge at all fairly at a first hearing. If at such a performance the attitude of the audience is lukewarm, the chances of a second performance in front of the same audience are almost microscopic, and the best that can be hoped for is that a second performance may be given somewhere in the provinces with more success. This system is a bad one, for under it a work is always a novelty, and therefore subject to that undeserved neglect which ignorance so ungrudgingly awards to merit.

In view of this fact the second performance of any considerable work has a serious moral claim upon all true lovers of music. It is not to be expected, nor to be desired that they should praise indiscriminately, for such praise is actually harmful; but it is most decidedly expected that they should support such a performance by their sympathetic and careful attention, in order that they may detect real merit and give it unanimous and vigorous support, for without such support art can scarcely live.

Of such a nature is the forthcoming performance in the autumn of Mr Haydn Wood’s above-mentioned Pianoforte Concerto in D minor, the soloist being Miss Tina Lerner and the orchestra, the London Symphony. The question as to whether the concerto is good or bad is neither here nor there – what is demanded of music-lovers is that they should go and hear it and strive to arrive at a fair estimate of its value as an art-work. In the meantime the best that we wish its composer is that he should meet with just treatment at the hands of a discriminating audience.

The Musical Standard September 7 1912. p.34 [with minor edits]

[1] Enrique Fernández Arbós (1863-1939 was a Spanish violinist, composer and conductor. He divided his career between working in Spain and in London.

[2] César Thomson (1857-1931) was a Belgian violinist, teacher and composer.

[3] Dame Emma Albani DBE (1847-1930) was a leading soprano of the 19th century and early 20th century, and the first Canadian singer to become an international star. Her repertoire focused on the operas of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Wagner. She performed across Europe and North America. (Wikipedia)

[4] On Saturday 14 October 1911, Mme. Albani gave her farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Artist included Adelina Patti, Muriel foster, Ada Crossley, Gervase Elwes, Plunket Greene and Sir Charles Santley. Also present were Sarah Bernhardt, Adela Verne and Haydn Wood. The concert was conducted by Landon Ronald.

[5] Phantasy for String Quartet was later score for string and renamed a Fantasy Concerto.

[6] William Yeates Hurlstone (1876-1906) was an English composer who studied piano and composition at the Royal College of Music, after gaining a scholarship. His piano professors were Algernon Ashton and Edward Dannreuther. His composition teacher, Charles Villiers Stanford, considered Hurlstone, among the many brilliant students whom he taught, to have been his most talented. In 1906, he returned to the college as Professor of Counterpoint, but died later that year of bronchial asthma. He is buried in Croydon Cemetery with members of his family. (Wikipedia)

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Haydn Wood: Frescoes for orchestra.

The unfortunate thing about this short suite is that you need to have two CDs to hear the entire work! The suite is in three well-balanced movements, however it does not appear to have been recorded as a complete entity – at least it has not been released as such. The first movement is on a Guild Light Music CD and is played by the New Concert Orchestra conducted by Serge Krish and the second and third are part of the Marco Polo Haydn Wood retrospective Volume 2, played by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ernest Tomlinson. [Haydn Wood: Volume 2 Marco Polo 8.223605 & Joyousness-The Music of Haydn Wood Guild GLCD 5121]

Frescoes were composed around 1936, when the composer was in his mid-fifties. According to Ernest Tomlinson, the music was inspired by the ‘mural decorations by Miss Anna Zinkeisen which graced a famous music publishing house.’ In fact it was Boosey and Hawkes at 295 Regent Street. Unfortunately, the murals were destroyed by fire in October 1990. I wonder if anyone has any photographs? (Apart from one obscure shot in Tempo)

Out of interest, Miss Zinkeisen was a Scottish artist, born in 1901. She and her sister Doris was employed by John Brown & Son of Clydebank, Glasgow to paint murals for the Queen Mary’s Verandah Grill and ballroom. During the war, Anna was a war artist working with the Red Cross and the Order of St John.

The first movement of Frescoes convincingly portrays a ballroom somewhere in Vienna, complete with a Hollywood-inspired realisation of the waltzes and the flowing dresses. It is one of the most delicious little waltzes that Haydn Wood or any other Englishman has composed.

The listener will instantly recognise the two main tunes used on the second movement Sea Shanties. The music opens quietly with a dream-like calm. It develops into a reflective mediations on ‘Shenandoah’, before suddenly moving onto ‘What shall we do with the drunken sailor?’ with its lovely muted brass melody. However, the serious side of this music reasserts itself and the movement ends as it began with ‘Shenandoah’ played with Delius-like slippery harmonies.

The March: The Bandstand in Hyde Park, based on another fresco, is depicted in the last movement and is well portrayed with a fast-paced march tune. This is no concert march like Elgar or Walton would have produced, but is an everyday, popular tune that would have been enjoyed by countless holidaymakers and day trippers at bandstands around the country. The march’s trio is a good tune, without going over the top. But what impresses me most is the superb orchestration: it is masterly in its use of colour, especially in the brass section.

Frescoes deserves to have a modern recording as a complete suite. It is a well written work that is typical of the composer’s output.

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Haydn Wood: the Isle of Man Works

I was looking over the Irish Sea the other day from North Wales, and could clearly see the Isle of Man. It is a place that I love, but have not been as often as I would like to. I did think about the works that the Yorkshire-born Haydn Wood wrote whilst living and working on that great Isle.
When I got back home to London, I listened to the four works that have been recorded. Each of them is a worthy tone-poem, that in spite of using local ‘folk tines’ never becomes parochial. They are pieces that deserve recognition and study. It is a task that I will try to consider over the coming months.
According to HaydnWoodMusic.com there are another three works that have not yet been recorded. I have linked to the CD pages where the work is currently available.
A Manx Rhapsody (1931). 
Mannin Veen, Dear Isle of Man, A Manx Tone Poem (1933).

A Manx Overture, The Isle of Mountains and Glens (1937).

'King Orry' (1939).

'Manx Countryside Sketches' (1943).

'Mylecharane, Rhapsody' (1946)

'A Pageant of the Isle of Man' (1951).

As a taster I provide a link to a YouTube recording of 'A Manx Rhapsody'.

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