Billy Mayerl
Encyclopedia
Billy Joseph Mayerl was an English
pianist
and composer
who built a career in music hall
and musical theatre
and became an acknowledged master of light music
. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, he wrote over 300 piano pieces, many of which were named after flowers and trees, including his best known composition, Marigold (1927). He also ran the successful School of Syncopation for whose members he published hundreds of his own arrangements of popular songs.
He also composed works for piano and orchestra, often in suites with evocative names such as the 'Aquarium Suite' (1937), comprising "Willow Moss", "Moorish Idol", "Fantail", and "Whirligig".
's Tottenham Court Road, near the West End theatre district. His father, a violin player, attempted to introduce Mayerl to the violin at the age of four but failed. After noticing Mayerl's affinity for the piano he started him with piano lessons soon afterward and by the age of 7 he was studying at the Trinity College of Music
, paid for with a series of scholarships. His first major concert was at the age of nine, playing Grieg's Piano Concerto. In his teens, he supplemented these lessons by accompanying silent movies and playing at dances.
While studying at Trinity College Mayerl began visiting a local music arcade known as 'Gayland', where he first encountered American ragtime music. After trying his hand at composing ragtime, he was threatened with expulsion from Trinity College if he continued and it was a decade before his first composition was re-issued as 'The Jazz Master'.
Attracted to American popular music, Mayerl joined a Southampton
hotel band in 1921. He recorded approximately 37 piano rolls for the "Echo" label in London of various popular tunes of the early 20s. Subsequently he joined the Savoy Havana Band
in London, which led to him becoming a celebrity. In the late 20s he recorded in London one single title (Eskimo Shivers) on the "Duo-Art" player piano system for the Aeolian Company.
' which specialised in teaching modern music techniques such as ragtime
and stride piano
. This in turn, led to the long running correspondence course on 'How to play like Billy Mayerl'. It was during this period that he wrote his most famous solo 'Marigold'. By the late 30's his correspondence school is said to have over 100 staff and 30,000 students. It finally closed in 1957.
On October 28, 1925, Mayerl was the soloist in the London premiere of George Gershwin
's Rhapsody in Blue
. In December 1926, he appeared with Gwen Farrar (1899-1944) in a short film -- made in the Lee DeForest Phonofilm
sound-on-film
process -- in which they sang Mayerl's song "I've Got a Sweetie on the Radio". His song "Miss Up-to-Date" was sung and played by Cyril Ritchard
in Alfred Hitchcock
's sound film Blackmail
(1929).
On Tuesday, 1 October 1929, Billy Mayerl's orchestra performed at the opening of The Locarno Dance Hall in Streatham
.
In the 1930s Mayerl composed several works for the musical theatre include Sporting Love
, opening at the Gaiety Theatre, London
in 1934, Twenty to One
(1935), and Over She Goes
(1936). In 1938, famed jazz pianist Marian McPartland
joined his group "Mayerl's Claviers" under the name Marian Page.
Mayerl died in 1959 from a heart attack
at his home, Marigold Lodge, after a long illness.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
who built a career in music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
and musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
and became an acknowledged master of light music
Light music
Light music is a generic term applied to a mainly British musical style of "light" orchestral music, which originated in the 19th century and had its heyday during the early to mid part of the 20th century, although arguably it lasts to the present day....
. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, he wrote over 300 piano pieces, many of which were named after flowers and trees, including his best known composition, Marigold (1927). He also ran the successful School of Syncopation for whose members he published hundreds of his own arrangements of popular songs.
He also composed works for piano and orchestra, often in suites with evocative names such as the 'Aquarium Suite' (1937), comprising "Willow Moss", "Moorish Idol", "Fantail", and "Whirligig".
Early life
Mayerl was born into a musical family on LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Tottenham Court Road, near the West End theatre district. His father, a violin player, attempted to introduce Mayerl to the violin at the age of four but failed. After noticing Mayerl's affinity for the piano he started him with piano lessons soon afterward and by the age of 7 he was studying at the Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
, paid for with a series of scholarships. His first major concert was at the age of nine, playing Grieg's Piano Concerto. In his teens, he supplemented these lessons by accompanying silent movies and playing at dances.
While studying at Trinity College Mayerl began visiting a local music arcade known as 'Gayland', where he first encountered American ragtime music. After trying his hand at composing ragtime, he was threatened with expulsion from Trinity College if he continued and it was a decade before his first composition was re-issued as 'The Jazz Master'.
Attracted to American popular music, Mayerl joined a Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
hotel band in 1921. He recorded approximately 37 piano rolls for the "Echo" label in London of various popular tunes of the early 20s. Subsequently he joined the Savoy Havana Band
Savoy Havana Band
The Savoy Havana Band was a British dance band of the 1920s. It was resident at the Savoy Hotel, London, between 1921 and 1927.The band was formed by the American saxophonist Bert Ralton in 1921. Originally there were six players including Ralton. It was later increased to ten players. From 1924 it...
in London, which led to him becoming a celebrity. In the late 20s he recorded in London one single title (Eskimo Shivers) on the "Duo-Art" player piano system for the Aeolian Company.
Fame
In 1926, he left the Savoy and opened his 'School of SyncopationSyncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
' which specialised in teaching modern music techniques such as ragtime
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
and stride piano
Stride piano
Harlem Stride Piano, Stride Piano, or just Stride, is a jazz piano style that was developed in the large cities of the East Coast, mainly in the New York, during 1920s and 1930s. The left hand may play a four-beat pulse with a single bass note, octave, seventh or tenth interval on the first and...
. This in turn, led to the long running correspondence course on 'How to play like Billy Mayerl'. It was during this period that he wrote his most famous solo 'Marigold'. By the late 30's his correspondence school is said to have over 100 staff and 30,000 students. It finally closed in 1957.
On October 28, 1925, Mayerl was the soloist in the London premiere of George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
. In December 1926, he appeared with Gwen Farrar (1899-1944) in a short film -- made in the Lee DeForest Phonofilm
Phonofilm
In 1919, Lee De Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patent on a sound-on-film process, DeForest Phonofilm, which recorded sound directly onto film as parallel lines. These parallel lines photographically recorded electrical waveforms from a microphone, which were translated back...
sound-on-film
Sound-on-film
Sound-on-film refers to a class of sound film processes where the sound accompanying picture is physically recorded onto photographic film, usually, but not always, the same strip of film carrying the picture. Sound-on-film processes can either record an analog sound track or digital sound track,...
process -- in which they sang Mayerl's song "I've Got a Sweetie on the Radio". His song "Miss Up-to-Date" was sung and played by Cyril Ritchard
Cyril Ritchard
Cyril Ritchard was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is probably best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook in the Mary Martin musical production of Peter Pan....
in Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's sound film Blackmail
Blackmail (1929 film)
Blackmail is a 1929 British thriller drama film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Anny Ondra, John Longden, and Cyril Ritchard, and featuring Donald Calthrop, Sara Allgood and Charles Paton. The film is based on the play Blackmail by Charles Bennett, as adapted by Hitchcock, with dialogue by...
(1929).
On Tuesday, 1 October 1929, Billy Mayerl's orchestra performed at the opening of The Locarno Dance Hall in Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
.
In the 1930s Mayerl composed several works for the musical theatre include Sporting Love
Sporting Love
Sporting Love was a musical written by Stanley Lupino with music by Billy Mayerl.It opened at the Gaiety Theatre, London on March 31, 1934 and ran for 302 performances.In 1936 it was adapted as a film Sporting Love starring Lupino....
, opening at the Gaiety Theatre, London
Gaiety Theatre, London
The Gaiety Theatre, London was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was established as the Strand Musick Hall , in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. It was rebuilt several times, but closed from the beginning of World War II...
in 1934, Twenty to One
Twenty to One
Twenty to One was a British comedy play first performed in 1935. The play was a farce set around the world of horseracing. Bill Snibson , a bookmaker, joins an anti-gambling organisation in a fit of guilt. The play ran for other four hundred performances at the Coliseum Theatre in the West End....
(1935), and Over She Goes
Over She Goes
Over She Goes is a 1938 British musical comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Stanley Lupino, Claire Luce, Gina Malo and Max Baer. It was based on a play by Lupino...
(1936). In 1938, famed jazz pianist Marian McPartland
Marian McPartland
Margaret Marian McPartland, OBE is an English-born jazz pianist, composer, writer, and the host of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on National Public Radio, NPR.-Early life:...
joined his group "Mayerl's Claviers" under the name Marian Page.
Mayerl died in 1959 from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at his home, Marigold Lodge, after a long illness.
External links
- http://www.billymayerlsociety.co.uk/ Billy Mayerl Society
- http://www.rfsoc.org.uk/bmayerl.shtml
- Mayerl's Discography on Folkways RecordsFolkways RecordsFolkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
- Billy Mayerl at IMDB
- Bill Edward's biography of Mayerl, with a comprehensive list of compositions