Michael Head
Encyclopedia
Michael Head was a British composer, pianist, organist and singer who left some enduring works still popular today. Noted for his association with the Royal Academy of Music, his compositional oeuvre mainly consists of songs, as well as choral works and few larger-scale pieces such as a piano concerto.
, United Kingdom
on 28 January 1900. His father was a barrister
and journalist
and his mother an accomplished amateur singer and pianist. His mother’s influence evidently dominated, and at age 10 he commenced his musical training, taking piano lessons with Jean Adair and singing with Fritz Marston at the Adair-Marston School of Music. He was educated at Monkton Combe School
in Somerset
. In 1919, after a period of study at the Royal Academy of Music
, he won the Sir Michael Costa scholarship for composition. During World War I
he was called up for service, and while working at an ammunition factory, composed the song cycle Over the rim of the moon (Head et al., 1920). This was to become his first published work.
After the war, Head resumed his studies at the Royal Academy of Music. He studied composition with Frederick Corder
, piano
with T B Knott and organ
with Reginald Steggall. In addition to the Costa Scholarship, he won several awards for composition, sight singing and harmony
. In 1924 Michael Head was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. Two years later, he took up a post at Bedales School
, Petersfield
, where he taught for three years.
Head gave his first public recital as a self accompanied singer at Wigmore Hall
in 1929. After this debut performance, his fame grew rapidly. He gave several more recitals in the British Isles
and in many parts of the world. Additionally he gave several radio recitals, both in Britain
and Canada
. He took up the post of Pianoforte Professor at the Royal Academy in 1927 after an invitation by Sir John McEwen. This post he was to hold until his retirement in 1975.
Head was appointed as an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
and as such toured many countries, including South Africa
and Zimbabwe
(then Rhodesia
). At the outbreak of World War II
, he returned to London
and continued teaching throughout the blitz. During this time, he gave hundreds of concerts in factories and in small towns. Head died in Cape Town
whilst examining for the Associated Board in Rhodesia and South Africa, from a sudden and unexpected illness on 24 August 1976.
s. However, his early works include a piano concerto
, a tone poem, and scherzo
for orchestra
. His best known albums are Over the Rim of the Moon (1918-19) and Songs of the Countryside. The first of these contains probably his most famous song, "Ships of Arcady". All the lyrics in this album, including "Ships of Arcadey", were by the Irish war poet, Francis Edward Ledwidge killed in action during World War I on 31 July 1917 . Songs of the Countryside were poems of W. H. Davies
, set to music
. Another well-known work is "The Piper", a setting of Seamus O'Sullivan
's famous poem of the same name. One of his popular songs is the Christmas Carol
, The Little Road to Bethlehem ("As I walked down the road at set of sun"), the words of which are by Margaret Rose. Other famous songs include, Sweet chance that led my steps abroad and Why have you stolen my delight? (see Bush, 1982).
Head used two types of scale
in his compositions; diatonic and chromatic. Using the former, he produced simple, melodic tunes
, easily remembered and easily sung. As they are pleasant and easily understood, people who have heard them often find themselves humming or whistling them to themselves (see Bush, 1982). They are thus the type for which he is best remembered. Ships of Arcady
is an example of these. The chromatic style is best represented by Nocturne, A Piper. In all of his songs Michael Head exhibits two areas of equal importance; musical content, and the effectiveness of the word setting to create a complete whole.
Life
Michael Dewar Head was born in EastbourneEastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 28 January 1900. His father was a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and his mother an accomplished amateur singer and pianist. His mother’s influence evidently dominated, and at age 10 he commenced his musical training, taking piano lessons with Jean Adair and singing with Fritz Marston at the Adair-Marston School of Music. He was educated at Monkton Combe School
Monkton Combe School
Monkton Combe School is an independent boarding and day school of the British public school tradition, near Bath, England. The Senior School is located in the village of Monkton Combe, while the Prep School, Pre-Prep and Nursery are in Combe Down on the southern outskirts of Bath...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. In 1919, after a period of study at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, he won the Sir Michael Costa scholarship for composition. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was called up for service, and while working at an ammunition factory, composed the song cycle Over the rim of the moon (Head et al., 1920). This was to become his first published work.
After the war, Head resumed his studies at the Royal Academy of Music. He studied composition with Frederick Corder
Frederick Corder
Frederick Corder was an English composer and music teacher.-Biography:Corder was born in Hackney, the son of Micah Corder and his wife Charlotte Hill. He was educated at Blackheath Proprietary School and started music lessons, particularly piano, early. Later he studied with Henry Gadsby...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
with T B Knott and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
with Reginald Steggall. In addition to the Costa Scholarship, he won several awards for composition, sight singing and harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
. In 1924 Michael Head was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. Two years later, he took up a post at Bedales School
Bedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational independent school situated in Hampshire, in the south east of England. Founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventional Victorian schools, today the school is one of the most expensive in the UK, charging £9,985 per term for a...
, Petersfield
Petersfield, Hampshire
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
, where he taught for three years.
Head gave his first public recital as a self accompanied singer at Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
in 1929. After this debut performance, his fame grew rapidly. He gave several more recitals in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and in many parts of the world. Additionally he gave several radio recitals, both in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and 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...
. He took up the post of Pianoforte Professor at the Royal Academy in 1927 after an invitation by Sir John McEwen. This post he was to hold until his retirement in 1975.
Head was appointed as an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
ABRSM is an internationally recognised educational body and charity that provides examinations in music The organisation, based in London, UK, runs exams in centres all over the world...
and as such toured many countries, including South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(then Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
). At the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he returned to 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...
and continued teaching throughout the blitz. During this time, he gave hundreds of concerts in factories and in small towns. Head died in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
whilst examining for the Associated Board in Rhodesia and South Africa, from a sudden and unexpected illness on 24 August 1976.
Works
Most of Head's works are songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s. However, his early works include a piano concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
, a tone poem, and scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
for orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. His best known albums are Over the Rim of the Moon (1918-19) and Songs of the Countryside. The first of these contains probably his most famous song, "Ships of Arcady". All the lyrics in this album, including "Ships of Arcadey", were by the Irish war poet, Francis Edward Ledwidge killed in action during World War I on 31 July 1917 . Songs of the Countryside were poems of W. H. Davies
W. H. Davies
William Henry Davies or W. H. Davies was a Welsh poet and writer. Davies spent a significant part of his life as a tramp or vagabond in the United States and United Kingdom, but became known as one of the most popular poets of his time...
, set to music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. Another well-known work is "The Piper", a setting of Seamus O'Sullivan
Seamus O'Sullivan
Seumas or Seamus O'Sullivan, real name James Sullivan Starkey, was an Irish poet and editor of The Dublin Magazine. He was born in Dublin and spent his adult life in the suburb of Rathgar...
's famous poem of the same name. One of his popular songs is the Christmas Carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
, The Little Road to Bethlehem ("As I walked down the road at set of sun"), the words of which are by Margaret Rose. Other famous songs include, Sweet chance that led my steps abroad and Why have you stolen my delight? (see Bush, 1982).
Head used two types of scale
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
in his compositions; diatonic and chromatic. Using the former, he produced simple, melodic tunes
Tunes
Tunes may refer to:* Music* Tunes , a brand of boiled sweet* iTunes music software* TUNES , an operating system concept* Looney Tunes, a cartoon* Tunes , an album by Spiers and Boden...
, easily remembered and easily sung. As they are pleasant and easily understood, people who have heard them often find themselves humming or whistling them to themselves (see Bush, 1982). They are thus the type for which he is best remembered. Ships of Arcady
Arcady
ARCADY is the acronym for . This software, produced by the Transport Research Laboratory , provides information on traffic flow including modelling capacity queues and delays at roundabouts...
is an example of these. The chromatic style is best represented by Nocturne, A Piper. In all of his songs Michael Head exhibits two areas of equal importance; musical content, and the effectiveness of the word setting to create a complete whole.
External links
- Music Room
- West coast concert series
- Lammas Records
- Lyrics for Ships of Arcady
- Composer: Michael Head (1900-1976) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page)