William Henry Reed Born Frome, Somerset 29.9.1876 Died Dumfries 2.7.1942
The son of a civil servant 1The second of four sons 2. He was a violinist and composer. He studied violin with Sauret and composition with with Frederick Corder and Ebenezer Prout at the R A M London. He joined the London Symphony Orchestra on its foundation in 1904 becoming its leader in 1912. For many years he was a resident of Chatsworth Road in Croydon, England. He married his wife Eveline 3 in 1902 and there was one son 4.
Orchestra
Symphonic Poem 'Caliban' pub. by Novello
Symphonic Poem ' The Lincoln Imp'
Symphonic poem 'Aesop's Fables'
Orchestral Fantasie 'Scenes from the Ballet' pub. by Novello
Suite Venetienne (also for piano solo) pub. by Novello 1903
'Somerset Idylls' for small orchestra 1926
Suite for Strings pub. by Novello
Valse Brillante for orchestra (also piano arrangement) pub. by Novello
Violin Concerto in A minor pub. by Augener 1918
Rhapsody for viola and orchestra 1918
Chamber
Six string quartets only No. 5 published by Cary1915
'A la Champagne' for violin and piano pub. by Novello
'Legende' for string quartet MS. in RCM library 1923
String Trio (Cobbett's states 'It is a real trio for 3 instruments, not a quartet condensed')
Mazurka for violin and piano pub. by Novello
Chanson Serieuse for violin and piano pub. by Novello
Caprice for violin and piano pub. by Augener 1917
Consolation for violin and piano pub. by Augener
Rosenlied for violin and piano pub. by Augener
Mignonette for violin and piano 1934
'Dogrose for violin and piano 1937
'Ragged Robin' for violin and piano pub. by OUP 1937
Scherzo in B for violin and piano 1940
'An April Morning' for violin and piano 1940
Toccata for violin and piano pub. by Augener
Three Purcell Pieces for violin and piano pub. by Augener
Three Lyrical pieces pub. by Hawkes
Andante and rondo for clarinet and piano pub. by Hawkes
'Gentle Dove' for violin and harp 1941
Piano
A la polonaise
Harp
Ballade 1920
Song
Should one of us remember voice and piano pub. by Novello
Mirage voice and piano pub. by Novello
Tell me, my lute part song pub. by Novello
Choral
'Earl Halden's Daughter' for mixed choir and piano words by Charles Kingsley 1918
1. Father - Frances John Reed
2. Frances John Reed 1774 -
Arthur Ernest Reed 1879 -
Herbert Lionel Reed 1885 -
3. Wife - Evelyn Harriet Dreyfus
4. Son Frances William Reed 14.1.1903 - 1961 (worked for the BBC)
At one time Cobbett's had a chamber music library in Grosvenor Street, London, does anyone know what happened to its contents?
I can add to Mr. Enders' information that he appears to have had a connection with the Croydon String Players' Club, which had been set up in 1906 by Coleridge-Taylor. After C-T's death in 1912 Reed would seem to have conducted it for a time, as well as other amateur and (on occasion) professional ensembles. I'm looking into this with the aid of the British Newspaper Archive... fascinating.
Mike Purton, with whom we are making the recording, has set up a crowdfunder page on our behalf to help it happen. The link is here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/wh-billy-reed-string-quartets (https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/wh-billy-reed-string-quartets). If anyone is interested in basically pre-ordering the finished product, it would be a great help! After a couple of days we are already past 20% of our target, which is very encouraging.
Please see separate thread on String Quartets 4 & 5:
https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,8570.0.html
This thread is for general information about Reed's music.
Somerset Idylls (1926)
1.The Crystal Spring
2.May Morning - "Seventeen Come Sunday"
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V40_Ed-_mj0[/color]