John Veale
Encyclopedia
John Douglas Louis Veale (June 15, 1922 – November 16, 2006) was an English
classical composer.
He was born in Shortlands
, Bromley
, Kent
; his father, Douglas Veale
, later served as Registrar of the University of Oxford
(1930–1958) and received a knighthood. John Veale was educated at Repton
and Corpus Christi College, Oxford
(his father's old college), alongside Kenneth Tynan
. As a composer, he was largely self-taught, but took some lessons from Egon Wellesz
, Thomas Armstrong
, Roger Sessions
and Roy Harris
(the latter's only English pupil).
He served as film correspondent with the Oxford Mail
(1966–1980) and as copy editor at Oxford University Press
(1968–1987).
His compositions include three symphonies (No. 1 was written 1944-47, and premiered by Sir John Barbirolli at the Cheltenham Music Festival
in 1952; No. 2 written in 1965; No. 3 in 1997), a clarinet concerto (1954), a violin concerto, Panorama (an orchestral evocation of San Francisco premiered by Sir Adrian Boult in 1951), Metropolis concert overture (1955 premiered by Sir Charles Groves
), numerous other orchestral and ensemble pieces including Apocalypse for chorus and orchestra, and a number of film scores including The Purple Plain
, The Spanish Gardener
, No Road Back
, Portrait of Alison
and High Tide at Noon
. Some of his film scores were later destroyed by the film studios.
He wrote in a tonal idiom and suffered under the avant garde musical regime at the British Broadcasting Corporation headed by its Director of Music William Glock
and almost ceased composition in the 1960s. Following his re-discovery in the 1980s he resumed composing.
His Violin Concerto is available on the Chandos CD label, played by Lydia Mordkovitch with Richard Hickox
conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra
. It is coupled with the Violin Concerto of Benjamin Britten
.
John Veale died in Bromley
, Kent
(a south-eastern suburb of London
) on November 16, 2006, from cancer. He was divorced and had several children, one daughter having died at the age of four.
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...
classical composer.
He was born in Shortlands
Shortlands
Shortlands is a ward of the London Borough of Bromley, located less than a mile from Bromley town centre. Historically, Shortlands was known as Clay Hill. It became known as Shortlands around 1800, after the fields which, at this point of the Ravensbourne river, ran at right angles up the slopes...
, Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
; his father, Douglas Veale
Douglas Veale
Sir Douglas Veale was a British civil servant and university administrator, who served as Registrar of the University of Oxford from 1930 to 1958.-Life:...
, later served as Registrar of the University of Oxford
Registrar of the University of Oxford
The Registrar of the University of Oxford is one of the senior officials of the university. According to its statutes, the Registrar acts as the "head of the central administrative services", with responsibility for "the management and professional development of their staff and for the development...
(1930–1958) and received a knighthood. John Veale was educated at Repton
Repton
Repton is a village and civil parish on the edge of the River Trent floodplain in South Derbyshire, about north of Swadlincote. Repton is close to the county boundary with neighbouring Staffordshire and about northeast of Burton upon Trent.-History:...
and Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
(his father's old college), alongside Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Peacock Tynan was an influential and often controversial English theatre critic and writer.-Early life:...
. As a composer, he was largely self-taught, but took some lessons from Egon Wellesz
Egon Wellesz
Egon Joseph Wellesz was an Austrian-born British composer, teacher and musicologist, notable particularly in the field of Byzantine music.- Life :...
, Thomas Armstrong
Thomas Armstrong
Sir Thomas Armstrong was an English organist, conductor, educationalist and adjudicator. He had a substantial influence on British music for well over half a century. From 1955 to 1968 he was principal of the Royal Academy of Music...
, Roger Sessions
Roger Sessions
Roger Huntington Sessions was an American composer, critic, and teacher of music.-Life:Sessions was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a family that could trace its roots back to the American revolution. His mother, Ruth Huntington Sessions, was a direct descendent of Samuel Huntington, a signer of...
and Roy Harris
Roy Harris
Roy Ellsworth Harris , was an American composer. He wrote much music on American subjects, becoming best known for his Symphony No...
(the latter's only English pupil).
He served as film correspondent with the Oxford Mail
Oxford Mail
Oxford Mail is a daily tabloid newspaper in Oxford, England owned by Newsquest. It is published six days a week. It is a sister paper to the weekly tabloid The Oxford Times.-History:...
(1966–1980) and as copy editor at Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
(1968–1987).
His compositions include three symphonies (No. 1 was written 1944-47, and premiered by Sir John Barbirolli at the Cheltenham Music Festival
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
in 1952; No. 2 written in 1965; No. 3 in 1997), a clarinet concerto (1954), a violin concerto, Panorama (an orchestral evocation of San Francisco premiered by Sir Adrian Boult in 1951), Metropolis concert overture (1955 premiered by Sir Charles Groves
Charles Groves
Sir Charles Barnard Groves CBE was an English conductor. He was known for the breadth of his repertoire and for encouraging contemporary composers and young conductors....
), numerous other orchestral and ensemble pieces including Apocalypse for chorus and orchestra, and a number of film scores including The Purple Plain
The Purple Plain
The Purple Plain is a 1954 British war film, directed by Robert Parrish, with Gregory Peck playing a Canadian pilot serving in the Royal Air Force in Burma in the closing months of the World War II, who is battling with depression after having lost his wife...
, The Spanish Gardener
The Spanish Gardener
The Spanish Gardener is a 1950 novel by A. J. Cronin which tells the story of a British diplomat, Harrington Brande, who is posted to Catalonia, Spain after his marriage collapses. The overbearing father becomes jealous of the evolving friendship between his young son, Nicholas, and the...
, No Road Back
No Road Back
No Road Back is a 1957 British B picture crime drama, notable mainly for being the first major film role for future filmstar Sean Connery. Connery's role is that of a minor gangster, Spike, who has a speech impediment.-Cast:...
, Portrait of Alison
Portrait of Alison
Portrait of Alison is a 1955 British crime film directed by Guy Green and starring Robert Beatty, Terry Moore, William Sylvester, Geoffrey Keen, Henry Oscar and Terence Alexander. An artist and actress join forces to solve a murder and confront a deadly diamond-smuggling ring. It was based on a BBC...
and High Tide at Noon
High Tide at Noon
High Tide at Noon is a 1957 British drama film directed by Philip Leacock. It was entered into the 1957 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Betta St...
. Some of his film scores were later destroyed by the film studios.
He wrote in a tonal idiom and suffered under the avant garde musical regime at the British Broadcasting Corporation headed by its Director of Music William Glock
William Glock
Sir William Frederick Glock was a British music critic and musical administrator.-Biography:Glock was born in London. He read history at the University of Cambridge and was an organ scholar at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge...
and almost ceased composition in the 1960s. Following his re-discovery in the 1980s he resumed composing.
His Violin Concerto is available on the Chandos CD label, played by Lydia Mordkovitch with Richard Hickox
Richard Hickox
Richard Sidney Hickox CBE was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music.-Early life:Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family...
conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
. It is coupled with the Violin Concerto of Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
.
John Veale died in Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(a south-eastern suburb of London
London
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...
) on November 16, 2006, from cancer. He was divorced and had several children, one daughter having died at the age of four.