Granville Bantock: A Short Pen Portrait from 1913

Of interest is this early pen portrait of the English compose Sir Granville Bantock by J. Cuthbert Hadden. At the time of writing, Bantock was only 45 years of age. He would live until 1946. Noted for his large scale choral works, four symphonies, many tone poems and four operas, his career also included conducting and teaching. His music is reasonably well represented in the CD catalogues

MR GRANVILLE BANTOCK IS THE SON of an eminent surgeon and was born in London in 1868. He studied first for the Indian Civil Service, but his health broke down, and he had to give up the idea of an official career. Then he took to chemical engineering. Music was never thought of till he was twenty. It was at the South Kensington Museum Library [1] that the attractions of M.S. scores of certain composers caused him to forsake all for the art.

In 1888 he entered the Royal Academy of Music as a student, and took a wide course—composition, clarinet, violin, viola, and organ. He even played the drum in the students' orchestra! At the Academy he became known as a composer of so-called ‘tone-poems,’ and one of his excursions into that region was a piece called ‘Satan in Hell.’ On the occasion of its being tried at a students' concert, the players naturally warmed up to their work, and produced such an orgy of sound as to cause the Principal, who was conducting, to ask the composer: ‘What does this mean?’ ‘That's hell,’ said Bantock.

His master for composition was Frederick Corder [2], and Corder has recorded his experiences with him. He says:

‘Granville Bantock was almost the first of a long line of clever students who have passed through my hands during the last twenty years. He gained the Macfarren Scholarship entirely on the promise of his talent, for at that time he knew nothing at all. It was characteristic of him that he should exhibit as specimens of his powers some wild attempts to set to music large portions of Paradise Lost—indeed, I fear he meditated setting the entire work. My heart went out to the daring enthusiast and remained with him ever after.

His industry and perseverance were abnormal. I do not think I have ever had a pupil who worked so hard. He was none of your born geniuses that the halfpenny papers love to tell us about, who write symphonies at seven and are exploded gas-bags at fourteen.

He dug and tilled his field like an honest labourer, and it was many years before the crop was good. But now he can look with pride upon the just results of good studentship. Let him tell, if he cares to, of his severe and manful struggles against disappointment and hard luck when he first entered the big world: it is only for me to say that no man ever was more deserving of success than Granville Bantock. He never turned his back on a friend; therefore he will never lack helpers and well-wishers. He never deserted his high ideals; therefore his muse will be ever kinder and kinder to him."

Bantock has been ‘through the hards,’ as the saying is. In 1893 he became conductor of a travelling company who performed burlesques in the provinces. His salary was £3 a week, while his orchestra consisted of one violin, one double-bass, one cornet, and ‘the left hand of the conductor on an anaemic piano.’ One of the burlesques was ‘Bonnie Boy Blue," the overture to which consisted of variations on ‘Ta-ra-ra-boom de-ay.’

An important change in his life came in 1897 when he was appointed musical director of the New Brighton Tower Orchestra. That same year he founded the New Brighton Choral Society, and became conductor of the Runcorn Philharmonic Society, thus widening his interests and extending his rapidly-growing influence as a master musician. In March 1898 he married Miss Helena von Schweitzer, who had previously been associated with him in writing the lyrics for the Songs of the East and other librettos. It was during his New Brighton period that he composed his orchestral variations Helena, on the theme H. F. B., his wife's initials - a characteristic work which bears an equally characteristic dedication

"Dearest Wife! —Accept these little Variations with all my heart's love. They are intended as an expression of my thoughts and reflections on some of your moods during a wearisome absence from each other."

After spending three active and useful years at New Brighton, Mr. Bantock found his anchorage and a fine outlet for his energies and administrative skill on being appointed Principal of the School of Music connected with the Birmingham and Midland Institute. Then, in 1908, he succeeded Sir Edward Elgar as Professor of Music in the University of Birmingham, where he has done, and is doing, notable work. Speaking recently of the University music course, he said:

‘The candidate must produce good modern work, human work, music that expresses some phase of human feeling. A candidate who included a fugue in his composition would incur some risk of being ploughed. We shall not value canons that go backwards, or that play equally well with the music upside down. We want to produce musicians who will emulate Sibelius and Strauss and Debussy, whom I regard as being the best orchestral writers now living.’

Mr. Bantock dislikes being called ‘Professor.’ Three or four years ago he was reported to have lost his professional gown, and it is suggested that the one he uses on degree days, &c., is probably a spare one loaned by some colleague.

But Mr. Bantock is really first and last a composer. His works are very numerous, and several of the most important have been produced at the leading festivals. The Viennese performance of Omar Khayyam was one of the most significant details in the history of English music. It is obvious, as one biographer [3] has remarked, that he is a heavy worker. Few, however, seem to meet him when he is busy or rushed. He says he composes to please himself. ‘The impulse to create music is upon me, and I write to gratify my impulse. When I have written the work, I have done with it. I do not want to hear it. What I do desire is to begin to enjoy myself by writing something else.’ The explanation of his great output probably lies in the unusual circumstances that as a smoker he never has to hunt for his matches, and that as a daily railway traveller he never has to run for his train or (given a punctual service) to wait for it at the station. Mr. Bantock, it may be added, finds his chief recreation in chess.

Modern Musicians: A Book for Players, Singers & Listeners: J. Cuthbert Hadden Boston: Le Roy Phillips London & Edinburgh: T. N. Foulis 1913

Notes:
[1] South Kensington Museum Library, located at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
[2] Frederick Corder (1852-1932) was an English teacher of music and composer. He was Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London, becoming the Academy's curator in 1889. His students included notable British composers like Granville Bantock, Arnold Bax, York Bowen, Alan Bush, Eric Coates, Benjamin Dale and Joseph Holbrooke, as well as his own son, Paul Corder.
[3] Anderton, H Orsmond, Granville Bantock, John Lane, Bodley Head, London, 1914