James Campbell McInnes
Encyclopedia
James Campbell McInnes (23 January 1874 – 8 February 1945) was a well-known English
baritone
singer and teacher at the turn of the 20th century, ex-husband of author Angela Thirkell
and father of writer Colin MacInnes
.
, Lancashire
.
s at their homes, and regularly appeared in concerts across England, including Leeds
and Worcester
. In 1919, he moved to Toronto
in Canada
, where he taught elocution
and singing. His work aided in the development of music in Toronto; an example of which were his "Tuesday Nine O'Clocks", a series of recitals with unfamiliar renditions of little known vocal and chamber music
. He also taught at the University of Toronto
until his death in 1945.
). He was known for his heavy drinking at the time of his marriage and much later on his bisexuality
became known.
(1914–1976), both of whom went on to become well-known authors. They also had a third child, Mary, who lived less than 18 months. During their marriage, he was unfaithful by a dalliance with one of the servants. This infidelity led to their divorce in 1917. Angela left with her two sons and married George Thirkell, a Captain in the ANZAC forces. They had one child named Lance. In 1919, they settled in Melbourne, Australia
. However, in 1930, Angela left George Thirkell and returned to England with Lance, where she wrote many books and became a well known author until her death in 1960.
Neither Colin nor Graham McInnes had any contact with their father when they were growing up. However, in 1934, Graham began a search for him and travelled along with Colin to meet him in Canada. Graham described this in a book, published in 1967 called "Finding A Father", where he writes of the search for his Father. James Campbell McInnes was apparently delighted to hear from his sons although it came as a huge surprise. Graham moved to Canada soon after their meeting.
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...
baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
singer and teacher at the turn of the 20th century, ex-husband of author Angela Thirkell
Angela Thirkell
Angela Margaret Thirkell , was an English and Australian novelist. She also published one novel, Trooper to Southern Cross, under the pseudonym Leslie Parker.-Early life:...
and father of writer Colin MacInnes
Colin MacInnes
Colin MacInnes was an English novelist and journalist.-Early life:MacInnes was born in London, the son of singer James Campbell McInnes and novelist Angela Thirkell, who was also related to Rudyard Kipling and Stanley Baldwin. His family moved to Australia in 1920, MacInness returning in 1930...
.
Early life
He was born to parents Archibald McInnes and Mary Gallagher on the 23rd January 1874, in RamsbottomRamsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, 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...
.
Career
McInnes was a baritone singer who performed for affluent Edwardian families with after-dinner recitalRecital
A recital is a musical performance. It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied by piano, or a performance of the works of a single composer.The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed to Franz Liszt....
s at their homes, and regularly appeared in concerts across England, including Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. In 1919, he moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he taught elocution
Elocution
Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone.-History:In Western classical rhetoric, elocution was one of the five core disciplines of pronunciation, which was the art of delivering speeches. Orators were trained not only on proper diction, but on the proper...
and singing. His work aided in the development of music in Toronto; an example of which were his "Tuesday Nine O'Clocks", a series of recitals with unfamiliar renditions of little known vocal and chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
. He also taught at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
until his death in 1945.
Sexuality
James McInnes had a male lover prior to marrying Angela Mackail (later to become the author Angela ThirkellAngela Thirkell
Angela Margaret Thirkell , was an English and Australian novelist. She also published one novel, Trooper to Southern Cross, under the pseudonym Leslie Parker.-Early life:...
). He was known for his heavy drinking at the time of his marriage and much later on his bisexuality
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
became known.
Personal life
McInnes and Angela Mackail had two sons, Graham McInnes (1912–1970) and Colin MacInnesColin MacInnes
Colin MacInnes was an English novelist and journalist.-Early life:MacInnes was born in London, the son of singer James Campbell McInnes and novelist Angela Thirkell, who was also related to Rudyard Kipling and Stanley Baldwin. His family moved to Australia in 1920, MacInness returning in 1930...
(1914–1976), both of whom went on to become well-known authors. They also had a third child, Mary, who lived less than 18 months. During their marriage, he was unfaithful by a dalliance with one of the servants. This infidelity led to their divorce in 1917. Angela left with her two sons and married George Thirkell, a Captain in the ANZAC forces. They had one child named Lance. In 1919, they settled in Melbourne, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. However, in 1930, Angela left George Thirkell and returned to England with Lance, where she wrote many books and became a well known author until her death in 1960.
Neither Colin nor Graham McInnes had any contact with their father when they were growing up. However, in 1934, Graham began a search for him and travelled along with Colin to meet him in Canada. Graham described this in a book, published in 1967 called "Finding A Father", where he writes of the search for his Father. James Campbell McInnes was apparently delighted to hear from his sons although it came as a huge surprise. Graham moved to Canada soon after their meeting.