LATE SIR HENRY WOOD

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 279, 22 August 1944, Page 6

LATE SIR HENRY WOOD

Father Of “Promenade” Concerts Sir Henry Joseph Wood, the famous English orchestral conductor, whose death. was announced in yesterday’s “Dominion,” was born in Loudon on March 3, IS7O, the sou of musical parents, his first musical lessons being given him by his mother. He was so apt a pupil that at the age of 10 he was deputy organist of St. Mary, Aldermanbury, ami at 13 was deputy’ at St. Sepulchre’s Holboru. When 17 he was appointed organist at St. John’s, Fulham. For six terms he studied at the Royal Academy of Music, working under Prout and Garcia, during which period he composed several theatrical pieces, which he consigned to oblivion when he found his metier to he conducting. In 1889 he toured with the Arthur Rousbey Opera Company as conductor, and the next year was engaged by D’Oyley Carte to conduct the rehearsals of Sullivan's “Ivanhoe.” In 1891 he conducted “Carmen” during Marie Roze’s farewell tour, and later conducted a season of Italian opera nt the Olympic Theatre, London, an engagement which brought him under London notice, especially for the manner in which he conducted Tscbaikovsky’s opera “Eugen Onegin.”

It was in 1895 that Robert Newman engaged him to conduct a series of promenade concerts in the newly-built Queen’s Hall, nnd from that moment he became a personality’ in British music. At first it seemed hopeless to think of giving symphonies at “Prom” concerts, but bv judiciously varying his programme, he gradually but very surely created an appetite among his audiences for the best in music, till invariably the Queen’s Hall was packed when the “Pathetiquc Symphony” was on the programme. His exposition of Russian music largely helped to popularize the great. works of Moussorgsky, Tschaikovsky. RimskyKorsakov, and others. lu IS9B Sir Henry married Olga, the daughter of Princess Sofie Onroussov, a charming singer, who won .success in ninny parts of the world. She died in December, 1909. As long ago ns 190-1 Rosa Newmareh made Sir _ Henry the subject of the first of her series of monographs called “Living Masters of Music.” As to his standing and style as a conductor. let Bernard Shore (author of “The Orchestra Speaks”) tell. He says—“lt is nothing short of marvellous that n man of his years can still realize the Infest contemporary works ns clearly as anyone. Ho might reasonably be expected to say, ‘No, I’m too tired for that sort of thing now—leave it. to the younger mon.’ Yet a day or two before these lines were written (last year) he was astonishing in the accompaniment Io Ravel's piano concerto —n brute of a thing to conduct —after only rchc.'irsal enough to play through the work once. At night he conducted the concerto perfectly, with the orehestm relying upon his slightest gesture when n moment's hesitation on his part would hove meant disaster. Wood Ims introduced far and away more new music to the British public Ilian anyone else.”

yir. Andersen ’l'yrer. British pianist, conductor, nnd composer, now in M ellington. has played under the baton of Sir Henry Wood on more than one occasion. He writes: “Throughout his musical career he made a brave nnd successful effort, to- engender n liking, even an enthusiasm, for British music, in my opinion fins .achieved more fo r British music and artists than any other English musician. He considerably raised the standard of orchestral playing, nnd at the same time made the classic popular with the man in the street, chiefly through the instrumentality of the "Proms.” which he conducted for half .a century. His extraordinary breadth of romm.aml and stylo made his performances no|. only <a personal triumph, but an .artistic treat for tlioso who h.ad the privilege of hearing them yo.ar in and out. -at the Queen’s Hull, and Latterly ill the Roy.ai AIIhtI Hall.”