Henry Edward Hodson

[Robin]

Henry Hodson composed a setting of The Golden Legend that was published in vocal score by Novello in 1880. Orchestral material was available on hire from the publishers and I believe that the string parts were engraved, although winds brass, percussion and bells might hsve been manuscript. Does anyone know of the whereabouts of any of this material, or a full score?

Dr William Creser, organist of Leeds Parish Church, also set The Golden Legend, in 1885/6, at the same time as Sullivan was composing his version. Does anyone know of Creser's version was ever performed, or if it still exists in manuscript somewhere?

Very interested minds are seeking to know!

[Jimfin]

The American Dudley Buck also set 'The Golden Legend', and interestingly, he was at Leipzig with Sullivan

[albion]

The vocal score of Hodson's The Golden Legend went through at least four editions and the string parts were printed by Novello in 1904. There is a set of these in the British library - h.1508.j.(9.)

As to the the remaining orchestral parts and full score, these would have remained in manuscript, probably in the custody of Novello. As with so many other Victorian choral works, once demand dried up (seeming never to be rekindled) it is easy to envisage neglect or actual physical destruction of performing material, unless the manuscripts were claimed at a later date by an interested descendant.

The vocal score (which contains frequent orchestral indications in the accompaniment) has just been uploaded to IMSLP -

http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Golden_Legend_%28Hodson,_Henry_Edward%29


Creser's setting doesn't appear to have been either performed or published, perhaps not surprising given the phenomenal success of Sullivan's cantata - if we speculate that relevant manuscript material has not survived we will probably not be wide of the mark.

[albion]

Hodson's The Golden Legend was first performed at Willis's Rooms, St James's, London on 23rd May 1881 conducted by Frederick Arthur William Docker (1852-1919). The principal soloists were Marie Worrell (1856-1895), Louise Augarde (1863-1909) who, coincidentally, later joined the D'Oyly Carte company, Alfred Kenningham (d.1925), Stanley Smith and Frederick Bevan (1856-1939). The Musical Times (1st June 1881) reviewed the work favourably but without much enthusiasm, using phrases such as "full of interest" and "most appropriate" and noting that "In the aria allotted to Gottlieb, The wind is roaring, the band completely drowned the singer's efforts."



It is particularly interesting to compare the adaptations of Longfellow as supplied by the Reverend James Baden Powell (1842-1931) and Joseph Bennett. Bennett (and Sullivan) were far more willing to apply the red pen and chop the text about in order to create quite compact and tightly-constructed scenes. Neither libretto really gives us much clue as to the actual circumstance of Elsie's salvation.

Comparing Hodson's with Sullivan's setting is a salutary reminder of the high quality of the latter's score, but it would be fascinating to have an opportunity of hearing at least excerpts from the earlier work in performance.

[Jimfin]

Was James Baden Powell connected with Rev. Baden Powell or his scouting son Robert?

[Gareth Vaughan]

One could always enquire of Novello whether they had the MS parts, though I suspect I know what the answer will be, but there's no harm in asking.

[berkeleyfleming]

I know it has been a long time since this topic thread was started, but I just came across the exchange this evening, and I thought that what I have to report might be of interest to those who participated in the earlier discussion. I have in my possession a copy of the fourth edition of Henry Edward Hodson's cantata, The Golden Legend, about which I knew nothing until I looked Hodson up so as to learn more about the volume, which I inherited from my grandparents some years ago. My great grandfather was Arthur Evelyn Fleming, Praecentor and Minor Canon at Gloucester Cathedral in the latter part of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth. He is of particular interest to me because my father, Robert Fleming, and his cousin Michael Fleming, were both church composers.This particular copy of the volume was presented to A.E. Fleming by Hodson, "with very grateful recollection from the composer". A signed and dated picture of Hodson was also pasted on the back of the front cover, which itself has embossed on it "Golden Legend 1880" and "Gloucester. Oct.7.1909", the same date on which the photograph was signed. I am wondering whether this was a presentation copy, perhaps linked to a performance of the work in  Gloucester on that particular date.

[Mark Thomas]

I wondered if Gloucester Cathedral hosted the Three Choirs Festival in 1909 - but I see that it was Hereford's turn that year.