Wilfrid Holland
Encyclopedia
Wilfrid Holland was a British
born composer, choral and orchestral conductor, pianist and teacher who spent the last 45 years of his life based In Canberra
, Australia
.
Born in Hull
, England
, his serious musical education started at the Royal School of Church Music in 1938. In 1946 he was appointed organist at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
, where he studied composition and musicology. From 1950 he taught at Dover College
in Kent and for ten years was a leading musician in that town, directing the Dover Choral and Orchestral Societies and the Dover Singers.
In 1960 he settled in Canberra as Director of Music at the Canberra Grammar School
. The following year he was appointed musical director of the Canberra Choral Society
, conducting over forty choral and orchestral concerts during the ensuing ten years. As a conductor, Holland was also responsible for helping develop the Canberra Orchestral Society, which would later become the Canberra Symphony Orchestra
. In 1971 he retired from this field to concentrate on the interpretation and composing of chamber music suitable for The Winter Singers, a mixed choir which he had founded in 1963 with his wife Carol.
In mid-1992 the ACT Lieder Society (now Artsong Canberra) sponsored a concert devoted entirely to his compositions, which was an acknowledged artistic success and which, as a by-product, created a new direction in his writing. Many of his original works have been published by E.C. Schirmer of Boston
, MA.
In July 1993 he disbanded The Winter Singers and decided to concentrate on piano work, mainly vocal accompaniments. From this point his composition also changed from writing choral music to turning his hand to solo songs.
In addition to his capacity as both a composer and conductor, Wilfrid Holland worked in various other roles. Between 1960-1970 he lectured in music for the Canberra Adult Education Authority, and he also worked as an examiner for both the Australian Music Examinations Board
and the Australian Guild of Music and Speech. He was also active as a private music teacher of both piano and theory, and was awarded the Canberra Critics' Circle Award (Music) in October 1993 for "outstanding contribution to musical life in Canberra as teacher, composer and conductor".
He continued to give small private concerts up until the year of his death and even retained several pupils during his later years. He died in his sleep on 15 September 2005 at his retirement home in Deakin, ACT, aged 85.
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...
born composer, choral and orchestral conductor, pianist and teacher who spent the last 45 years of his life based In Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of 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...
.
Born in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, England
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...
, his serious musical education started at the Royal School of Church Music in 1938. In 1946 he was appointed organist at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where he studied composition and musicology. From 1950 he taught at Dover College
Dover College
Dover College is a co-educational independent school in Dover in southeast England. It was founded in 1871, and takes both day pupils and boarders....
in Kent and for ten years was a leading musician in that town, directing the Dover Choral and Orchestral Societies and the Dover Singers.
In 1960 he settled in Canberra as Director of Music at the Canberra Grammar School
Canberra Grammar School
Canberra Grammar School is an independent, day and boarding school for boys, located in Red Hill, a suburb of Canberra, the capital of Australia....
. The following year he was appointed musical director of the Canberra Choral Society
Canberra Choral Society
The Canberra Choral Society is a symphonic choir in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. It performs regularly with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra...
, conducting over forty choral and orchestral concerts during the ensuing ten years. As a conductor, Holland was also responsible for helping develop the Canberra Orchestral Society, which would later become the Canberra Symphony Orchestra
Canberra Symphony Orchestra
Canberra Symphony Orchestra is the principal professional orchestra of the Australian Capital Territory based in Canberra, the national capital of Australia....
. In 1971 he retired from this field to concentrate on the interpretation and composing of chamber music suitable for The Winter Singers, a mixed choir which he had founded in 1963 with his wife Carol.
In mid-1992 the ACT Lieder Society (now Artsong Canberra) sponsored a concert devoted entirely to his compositions, which was an acknowledged artistic success and which, as a by-product, created a new direction in his writing. Many of his original works have been published by E.C. Schirmer of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, MA.
In July 1993 he disbanded The Winter Singers and decided to concentrate on piano work, mainly vocal accompaniments. From this point his composition also changed from writing choral music to turning his hand to solo songs.
In addition to his capacity as both a composer and conductor, Wilfrid Holland worked in various other roles. Between 1960-1970 he lectured in music for the Canberra Adult Education Authority, and he also worked as an examiner for both the Australian Music Examinations Board
Australian Music Examinations Board
The Australian Music Examinations Board is a privately funded corporation which assesses music, speech, and drama in Australia. The organisation had its beginnings at the Universities of Melbourne and Adelaide in 1887; the organisation now has a Federal Office in Melbourne, and offices in each...
and the Australian Guild of Music and Speech. He was also active as a private music teacher of both piano and theory, and was awarded the Canberra Critics' Circle Award (Music) in October 1993 for "outstanding contribution to musical life in Canberra as teacher, composer and conductor".
He continued to give small private concerts up until the year of his death and even retained several pupils during his later years. He died in his sleep on 15 September 2005 at his retirement home in Deakin, ACT, aged 85.