Benjamin Burrows

Dr Benjamin Burrows (20 October 1891 – 28 January 1966 in Leicester, England) was an English composer of art songs and instrumental music.[1]

Biography

Burrows was born in Leicester, England. He was the son of organist Benjamin Harper Burrows, and brother of violinist and orchestra conductor Grace Burrows. He studied organ with H. P. Ellis and music theory with Charles Kitson. He worked as music teacher at Leicester University, but also had skills as a precision engineer and horologist. He is noted for his development of a system for music typography and founded his own publishing house, Bodnant Press, to publish his music and teaching monographs.[1] Among his prominent music students is the composer Joyce Howard Barrell.

Music

Burrows is best known for his art songs. Under the influence and friendship of Jane Vowles, a soprano to whom he taught theory, he composed 93 songs in 21 months. After her parents insisted on her abandoning studies with him, Burrows wrote only one more song (in 1953). His songs have been compared with those by Ivor Gurney and Peter Warlock. They include settings of poetry by A. E. Housman, Rossetti, Herrick, de la Mare, Robert Frost, and Emily Dickinson, several of which have been recorded.[1]

He also composed several instrumental works. Between 1929 and 1935 composed a string quartet and sonatas for violin, viola, violoncello, and piano.,[1] In later years he concentrated on church music, for his own use at Leicester church where he was organist from 1929 to 1955.[1]

Selected compositions

Orchestral

In Praise of Music for chamber orchestra (1913)
Lyric Piece No. 2 (1914)
Lyric Piece No. 3 (1914)
Dusk for chamber orchestra (1914)
Dawn for chamber orchestra (1914)
Poem (1914)
Prelude (1915)
Lady of Shalott (1915)
Three Miniatures (1915)
Two Valses-Caprices (1916); orchestration of Nos. 2 and 3 from Three Valses for piano
Song of Darkness and Light for chamber orchestra (1921)
Folk Song Settings for string orchestra (1943)
Prelude for string orchestra (1945)

Chamber music

Two Pieces for violin, cello and piano (1911)
Three Trios for violin, cello and piano (1911)
Variations on an Original Theme for string quartet (1912)
Second Concert Piece for violin and piano (1918)
On Shadowy Waters for violin or viola and piano (Augener, 1919)
Lament and Gigue for viola and piano (Augener, 1927)
Sonata for violin and piano (1929)
Sonatina for cello and piano (1930)
Sonata No. 2 for cello and piano (1931)
Sonata No. 3 for cello and piano (1932); unfinished; movement III only
String Quartet (1932)
Two Movements (String Quartet No. 2) for string quartet (1932?)
Sonata for viola and piano (1932–1933)
Suite in C for descant recorder and piano (Schott, 1955)
Quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon (1958)
Theme, Variations and Finale for oboe and piano (1958)
Three Pieces for cello and organ (1961)

Keyboard

Variations on an Original Theme for organ and piano (1948)

Organ

Prelude (1911)
Seven Chorale Preludes (1912)
Three Impressions (1916); arrangement of Three Easy Pieces for piano
Prelude (1923)
Elegy (1923)
Pastorale (1923)
Postlude (1923)
Prelude in F (1925)
Air (1932?)
Seven Chorale Preludes
Seven First Pieces (1948)

Piano

4 Pieces (1912)
3 Pieces (1912)
Nocturne (1913)
Two Picture-Pieces (1913?)

Twilight
By the Stream

Sea (1913?)
Four Pieces (1913)
Six Compositions (1913)
Legend (1913)
Three Melodies (1913)

Stillness
June Night
Consolation

Suite (1915)
Valse 2, Dance Rhythms 1 (1916)
Minuet, Dance Rhythms 2 (1916)
Lyric (1916?)
Four Lyrics (1916)
Four Preludes (1916?)
By the Fireside, 5 Pieces (1917)

The Day Is Done
Pleasant Visions
Night
Resignation
Lullaby

Jig (1919)
Twelve Studies in Style and Expression (1921)
Country Idylls (1922)

The Close of Day
A Hidden Brook
Woodland Depths
Still Waters
The Brookside
Summer Night

Among the Heather (1923)
Summer Musings (1923)
Prelude (1924)
Intermezzo (1924)
Romance (1924)
Scherzo (1924)
Pictures from The Fairy Queen (1925)
Chimes (1925)
Fancies, 5 Pieces (1925)
Variations on Walsingham 16th c. (1926)
Piano Sonata (1934)
Valse in E flat (1946)
Tango (1946)
Folk Tune "A Young Serving-Man" (1946)
Twelve Studies (1947)
A Leicester Tune and Offshoots (Tune 1) (1948?)

Piano 4-hands

Lady of Shalott (1915); arrangement of the orchestral work
Under the Rose, Folk song Arrangements (1941)
Piano Duets, Folk song Arrangements (1941)

2 Pianos

Brigg Fair, Arrangement (1927)
Rhapsody (1934)
Intermezzo (1934)
Rumba (1944)
Folk Song Settings (1944–1950)

Under the Rose
The beggar Boy
Admiral Benbow
The Northumbrian Bagpipes
The Broom
Shropshire Round
I'm seventeen come Sunday
Banstead Down
The Banks of the Clyde
A Young Serving-Man
Gossip Joan
My Johnny was a Shoemaker (1945)
O Waly Waly (1946)
Shackley Hay (1946)
Cold Blows the Wind
Three Dukes (1947)
Captain Grant (1948)
Did you ever (from The Beggar's Opera) (1948)
Greensleeves (1949)
Peas, Beans, Oats and the Barley (1950)
The Trees They are So High (1950)
Eggs in Her Basket (1950)
The Thresherman and the Squire (1950)
The Spanish Lady (1950)

Five Valses (1947–1948)
Three Fugues (1951)
Three Irish Airs (1952)
Three Scottish Airs (1954)

Vocal

Weep you no more, sad fountains for voice and piano (1908?)
How Happy for the Wood Birds for voice and piano (1908)
Turn Thy Face for voice and piano (1910?)
Mellow Moon of Heaven for voice and piano (1910?); words by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Day Is Dawning for voice and piano (1910)
White Rose for voice and piano (1910)
Music, When Soft Voices Die for voice and piano (1914); words by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Low Sighing Winds for voice and piano (1915)
Oh, Many a Lover for voice and piano (1915); words by Alfred Noyes after Edmond Rostand
Sweet and Low for voice and piano (1916)
Three Songs for voice and piano (1917); words by Percy Bysshe Shelley and Alfred, Lord Tennyson

O Gentle Moon
There Is Sweet Music Here
O Happy Lark

The Jane Vowles Songs, 93 Songs for voice and piano (or some with string quartet) (1927–1928)
- Robin Goodfellow
- Queen Djenira
- The Bride Cometh
- Lake Isle of Innisfree
- Love Was True to Me
- The Kiss
O Peter Go Ring Dem Bells for voice and piano (1928)
Deep River for voice and piano (1928)
Green Willow for voice and piano (1928?)
Cam' Ye By for 2 voices and piano (1929)
Joseph and Mary for voice and piano (1929)
Were I the Wind for voice and piano (1953); words by Welburn
I'll Tell You of a Fellow for voice and 2 violins

Choral

Hear my Prayer (1910?)
Psalm 1 (1910)
There Is Sweet Music Here (1911?); words from The Lotos-Eaters by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis for chorus and organ (1911)
Three Partsongs (1911)

Fain Would I Change That Note; anonymous words
Take, O Take Those Lips Away; words by William Shakespeare
Music, When Soft Voices Die; words by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Song of Darkness and Light for chorus and orchestra (1921)
Come unto Me (1930)
Six Anthems for chorus and organ (1930)
Out of the Deep for chorus and organ (1930)
Lord, unto us be Merciful (1932?)
When all the Attic Fire was Fled (1932)
Three Anthems (1933)
Five Psalms for chorus and organ (1934–1936)
Let my prayer come before Thee (1935)
The Day draws on for chorus and organ (1936)
Hear my Prayer (1936?)
Three Hymns of Praise and Thanksgiving for chorus and organ (1937)
Three Anthems for chorus and organ (1938)
Music for the Communion Service (1939)
Blessed be He
Three in One and One in Three for chorus and organ
Victoria Road, Hymn Tune
Responses for Morning Service
Two Anthems
God that Madest Earth and Heaven for chorus and organ (1946)
In This World (1948); words by Robert Herrick

Footnotes

Unknown author, The Oxford Dictionary of Music online

References

Unknown author. "Burrows, Benjamin". Oxford Dictionary of Music. Missing or empty |url= (help)

External links

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[Oxford-1] Unknown author, The Oxford Dictionary of Music online