Ernest Tomlinson
Encyclopedia
Ernest Tomlinson is an English
composer, particularly noted for his Light music
compositions. He is sometimes credited as
Alan Perry.
, Lancashire
into a musical family. Aged nine he became a chorister at Manchester Cathedral
, where he was eventually appointed as Head Boy in 1939. He later attended Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
and at sixteen won a scholarship to Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music
. He spent the next two years studying composition until in 1943 he left to join the Royal Air Force
where he became a Wireless Mechanic and saw service in France
during 1944 and 1945. He returned to England in 1945 to resume his studies and graduated in 1947, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Music
for composition as well as being made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists
and an Associate of the Royal Manchester College of Music.
Tomlinson left Northern England for London, where he worked as a staff arranger for Arcadia
and Mills Music Publishers, providing scores for radio and television broadcasts as well as for the stage and recording studios. He continued his interest in the organ
by taking up a post at a Mayfair
church.
He had his first piece broadcast by the BBC
in 1949 and by 1955 he had formed his own orchestra, the "Ernest Tomlinson Light Orchestra".
From 1951 to 1953, he was musical director of the Chingford
Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society and in 1976, he took over the directorship of the Rossendale
Male Voice Choir from his father, a post he held for five years, during which the choir won their class for three years in the BBC's "Grand Sing" competition. He was also the founder of the Northern Concert Orchestra, with whom he gave numerous broadcasts and concerts.
Ernest Tomlinson has won several prestigious awards; the Composers' Guild Award in 1965 and two Ivor Novello
Awards - one for his full-length ballet Aladdin in 1975, the other for services to light music in 1970. For several years he was on the Executive Committee of the Composers' Guild of Great Britain, including being its Chairman in 1964. In addition, he has been a composer-director of the Performing Rights Society
since 1965.
In 1984, after discovering that the BBC were disposing of their light music archive, he founded The Library of Light Orchestral Music, which is housed in a barn at his farmhouse near Longridge
in Lancashire. The library currently contains around 10,000 pieces, including many items that would otherwise have been lost and he is now a chief consultant for the Marco Polo record label. He has also been featured a number of times on Brian Kay's Light Programme.
Ernest Tomlinson was married to Jean, who died in September 2006. They had four children and eight grandchildren.
s, suite
s and rhapsodies
and miniatures, of which Little Serenade and Cantilena are probably the most popular. Also notable are a number of English folk-dance arrangements.
In the 1960s he wrote a number of Test Card
pieces such as Stately Occasion and the tongue-in-cheek
Capability Brown
.
Tomlinson has also worked on larger-scale forms, including several works in symphonic jazz style, the first Sinfonia '62, which won a million-lire Italian competition for "Rhythmic-Symphonic" works. Also notable are three concertos, a one-act opera Head of the Family, a ballet Aladdin
, a Festival of Song for chorus and orchestra and numerous works for choirs, brass bands and concert band
s.
In 1966 he conducted his Symphony '65, in the Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow
, played by the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra and Big Band
, which was the first time a symphonic jazz work had been heard in Russia.
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...
composer, particularly noted for his 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....
compositions. He is sometimes credited as
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Alan Perry.
Life
Ernest Tomlinson was born in 1924 in RawtenstallRawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
into a musical family. Aged nine he became a chorister at Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester...
, where he was eventually appointed as Head Boy in 1939. He later attended Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School is a selective co-educational foundation school in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. The school is named after the two main towns either side of Waterfoot, Bacup and Rawtenstall.-History:...
and at sixteen won a scholarship to Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music
Royal Northern College of Music
The Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...
. He spent the next two years studying composition until in 1943 he left to join the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
where he became a Wireless Mechanic and saw service in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during 1944 and 1945. He returned to England in 1945 to resume his studies and graduated in 1947, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
for composition as well as being made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
and an Associate of the Royal Manchester College of Music.
Tomlinson left Northern England for London, where he worked as a staff arranger for Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
and Mills Music Publishers, providing scores for radio and television broadcasts as well as for the stage and recording studios. He continued his interest in the organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
by taking up a post at a Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
church.
He had his first piece broadcast by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1949 and by 1955 he had formed his own orchestra, the "Ernest Tomlinson Light Orchestra".
From 1951 to 1953, he was musical director of the Chingford
Chingford
Chingford is a district of north east London, bordering on Enfield and Edmonton to the west, Woodford to the east, Walthamstow and Stratford to the south and Essex to the north. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross and forms part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society and in 1976, he took over the directorship of the Rossendale
Rossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
Male Voice Choir from his father, a post he held for five years, during which the choir won their class for three years in the BBC's "Grand Sing" competition. He was also the founder of the Northern Concert Orchestra, with whom he gave numerous broadcasts and concerts.
Ernest Tomlinson has won several prestigious awards; the Composers' Guild Award in 1965 and two Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
Awards - one for his full-length ballet Aladdin in 1975, the other for services to light music in 1970. For several years he was on the Executive Committee of the Composers' Guild of Great Britain, including being its Chairman in 1964. In addition, he has been a composer-director of the Performing Rights Society
Performing Right Society
PRS for Music is a UK copyright collection society undertaking collective rights management for musical works. PRS for Music was formed in 1997 as the MCPS-PRS Alliance, bringing together two collection societies: the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society and Performing Right Society...
since 1965.
In 1984, after discovering that the BBC were disposing of their light music archive, he founded The Library of Light Orchestral Music, which is housed in a barn at his farmhouse near Longridge
Longridge
Longridge is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is situated north-east of the city of Preston, at the western end of Longridge Fell, a long ridge above the River Ribble. Its nearest neighbours are Grimsargh and the Roman town of Ribchester , ...
in Lancashire. The library currently contains around 10,000 pieces, including many items that would otherwise have been lost and he is now a chief consultant for the Marco Polo record label. He has also been featured a number of times on Brian Kay's Light Programme.
Ernest Tomlinson was married to Jean, who died in September 2006. They had four children and eight grandchildren.
Works
Tomlinson is primarily known as a composer of light orchestral pieces and has produced a considerable body of works ranging from overtureOverture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
s, suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s and rhapsodies
Rhapsody (music)
A rhapsody in music is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, colour and tonality. An air of spontaneous inspiration and a sense of improvisation make it freer in form than a set of variations...
and miniatures, of which Little Serenade and Cantilena are probably the most popular. Also notable are a number of English folk-dance arrangements.
In the 1960s he wrote a number of Test Card
Test card
A test card, also known as a test pattern in North America and Australia, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast...
pieces such as Stately Occasion and the tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
.
Tomlinson has also worked on larger-scale forms, including several works in symphonic jazz style, the first Sinfonia '62, which won a million-lire Italian competition for "Rhythmic-Symphonic" works. Also notable are three concertos, a one-act opera Head of the Family, a ballet Aladdin
Aladdin
Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
, a Festival of Song for chorus and orchestra and numerous works for choirs, brass bands and concert band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
s.
In 1966 he conducted his Symphony '65, in the Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, played by the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra and Big Band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
, which was the first time a symphonic jazz work had been heard in Russia.