Thomas Wood (composer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Wood was an English
composer
and author
.
Wood studied at the University of Oxford
and the Royal College of Music
. In 1921 he was appointed Director of Music at Tonbridge School
in Kent
, returning to Oxford
in 1924 to teach at Exeter College
. During this period he composed several choral
-orchestra
l works including Forty Singing Seamen (1925), Master Mariners (1927) and The Ballad of Hampstead Heath (1927). He went to Australia
in 1930 and spent over two years travelling across the country. This prompted him to write his book Cobbers (1934) which the Australian Dictionary of Biography
describes as "still the most perceptive and captivating characterization of Australia and its people ever written by a visitor". He continued to compose and wrote several other books, including an autobiography, True Thomas (1936), before his death of a heart attack in 1950.
Miss St Osyth Mahala Eustace-Smith(1886 - 1970) of Wormingford married Thomas Wood in 1924 at Wormingford Church.
Before her marriage, on the 7th June 1918 "The London Gazette" reported St Osyth receiving an OBE for her work as "Hon Secretary, Essex Local War Pensions Committee".
After their marriage the new Mrs St Osyth Wood moved into Parsonage Hall, Bures and became great benefactor to the local community.
She died at Wasperton, Warwickshire aged 84 years.
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
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...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Wood studied at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. In 1921 he was appointed Director of Music at Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
in 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...
, returning to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1924 to teach at Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
. During this period he composed several choral
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
-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...
l works including Forty Singing Seamen (1925), Master Mariners (1927) and The Ballad of Hampstead Heath (1927). He went to 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...
in 1930 and spent over two years travelling across the country. This prompted him to write his book Cobbers (1934) which the Australian Dictionary of Biography
Australian Dictionary of Biography
The Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
describes as "still the most perceptive and captivating characterization of Australia and its people ever written by a visitor". He continued to compose and wrote several other books, including an autobiography, True Thomas (1936), before his death of a heart attack in 1950.
Miss St Osyth Mahala Eustace-Smith(1886 - 1970) of Wormingford married Thomas Wood in 1924 at Wormingford Church.
Before her marriage, on the 7th June 1918 "The London Gazette" reported St Osyth receiving an OBE for her work as "Hon Secretary, Essex Local War Pensions Committee".
After their marriage the new Mrs St Osyth Wood moved into Parsonage Hall, Bures and became great benefactor to the local community.
She died at Wasperton, Warwickshire aged 84 years.