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Sheffield Triennial Musical Festival

Three morning and three evening performances given from 1-3 October 1902 at the Albert Hall, Sheffield as the Sheffield Triennial Musical Festival, with J.W. Phillips (organ), Mr Henry Coward (chorus master) and Henry J. Wood (conductor).

After an introductory statement, the prospectus provides a list of the Patrons, Officers and committee members for the Festival and cites the following Principal Artistes:

Madame Ella Russell, Miss Agnes Nicholls and Miss Maggie Purvis; Miss Marie Brema; Miss Ada Crossley, Madame Kirkby Lunn and Miss Muriel Foster; Mr Ben Davies, Mr William Green and Mr John Coates; and Mr David Bispham and Mr Ffrangcon-Davies (vocal), with Monsieur Ysaye (violin).

Each programme repeats this information and supplements it with lists of both the choral and orchestral ensembles. The wordbooks contain historical and, with the exception of the first concert, analytical notes, including musical examples. These notes are variously attributed to F.S., H.C., H.T., J.A.R., J.B., and P.P.

1 October 1902 (morning): Mendelssohn, Elijah (with an insert detailing the replacement of Miss Maggie Purvis by Miss Edith Kirkwood).

1 October 1902 (evening): Henry Coward, Gareth and Linet (a Musical Romance, composed specially for the Festival and conducted by the composer). Also, solo, choral and orchestral music by Liszt, Weber and Brahms.

2 October 1902 (morning): Elgar, Dream of Gerontius and Coronation Ode, both conducted by the composer. Also, Wagner, Prelude to Act 3 of Lohengrin and Beethoven, Violin Concerto (Mons. Ysaye).

2 October 1902 (evening): first English performances of Richard Strauss, Wanderer’s Storm Song and Two Songs for Baritone and Orchestra (op. 33). Also, F.H. Cowen, Ode to the Passions (conducted by the composer) and selection from Handel, Israel in Egypt.

3 October 1902 (morning): Dvorak, Stabat Mater. Also, S. Coleridge Taylor, Meg Blane (a Cantata, composed specially for the Festival and conducted by the composer), with Madame Kirkby Lunn (with an insert requesting the audience not to applaud ‘during the continuance of the Sacred works’).

3 October 1902 (evening): first English performance of Peter Cornelius, Duet from the Unfinished Opera 'Gunlöd'. Also, Parry, Blest Pair of Sirens (conducted by the composer) and Mendelssohn, Hymn of Praise.

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Henry Coward - Reminiscenses (1919)

a "fascinating account of Victorian and Edwardian Sheffield"

one to look out for Folks.

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Alfred Hollins - "A Blind Musician Looks Back" (1936)

Hollins, who played the Albert Hall organ pre-1902, said of the Sheffield Triennial Festival of 1902 :

"It was as great a success as the performance at Birmingham had been a failure.

I shall never forget the realistic effect of the demons chorus; the snarling was terrifying ... in the Sheffield rendition I lost much of the musical detail of the chorus of demons, but the effect was infinately more realistic. More than once I could not keep back my tears"

The Dream of Gerontius - Elgar

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Dr. Henry Coward - The Pioneer Chorus Master

Book, J. A. Rodgers (1911)

Another one to keep a look out for.

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Dr. Henry Coward - The Pioneer Chorus Master

Book, J. A. Rodgers (1911)

Another one to keep a look out for.

Available at the Internet Archive here

Also available is Reminiscences of Henry Coward

Hard copies would be nice, however - I hate reading books on the computer, and printing these books out is not a logical option.

EDIT

Forgot to add that several copies are available from second hand book dealers who use AbeBooks (www.abebooks.co.uk)

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Sheffield Triennial Musical Festival

Three morning and three evening performances given from 1-3 October 1902 at the Albert Hall, Sheffield as the Sheffield Triennial Musical Festival, with J.W. Phillips (organ), Mr Henry Coward (chorus master) and Henry J. Wood (conductor).

Mr. J. W. Phillips

Organist of St. George's

---- The old organ, despite certain improvements, was poor and altogether inadequate for the enlarged church. At the close of 1905 I receive the munificent offer of £250, and also a sum of £30, towards a new organ, provided an efficient one was erected. Mr. J. W. Phillips, organist of St. George's, was invited to draw up a specification, and it was decided to ask Mr. A. Keates, of Sheffield, to give an estimate. The result was "a first-class modern organ", with twenty-six stops and other accessories, in a fine oak case, which was dedicated by Dr. Quirk, Bishop of Sheffield, on September 6th, 1906. The total cost was £585, the whole of which was raised within twelve months. -----

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Henry Coward

In 1876, the Sheffield Musical Union had been founded by Henry Coward (1849–1944). Coward was to conduct the Union for an astonishing period of 57 years, retiring only in 1933

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Wikipedia

Henry J Wood

Henry Wood's fame lies mainly with the Promenade Concerts, but he was active in many areas of musical life. He conducted many concerts in London and the provinces, and appeared regularly at choral festivals in Norwich and Sheffield. In 1899 he founded the Nottingham Orchestra. He was also conductor of the Wolverhampton Festival Choral Society (1900), the Sheffield Festival (1902-1911), and the Norwich Festival (1908).

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