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Scan 33
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians, 1916
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1as well as two compositions, 'Graih my Chree' and 'Romney's Remorse,' for recitation with musical accompaniment, the former being laid out for string quartet, drum and piano. M'Ewen's music belongs to the ultra-modern school, and much of it is strongly tinged with Scottish characteristics.
3MACFARREN, SIR GEORGE ALEXANDER, Mus. D., son of George Macfarren, dramatist, was born in London, March 2, 1813. In early life he displayed partiality for music, but did not regularly commence its study until 1827, when he became a pupil of Charles Lucas. In 1829 he entered the Royal Academy of Music, and made composition his principal study, learning also the pianoforte and trombone; and in 1834 he was appointed one of its professors. On Oct. 27, 1834, he produced at the Society of British Musicians his first important work, a Symphony in F minor, and in 1836 his fine Overture 'Chevy Chase.' In August 1838 his 'Devil's Opera,' produced at the English Opera House, Lyceum, at once drew public attention to him. In 1840 he produced at Drury Lane an 'Emblematical Tribute on the Queen's Marriage,' and also edited, for the Musical Antiquarian Society, Purcell's opera, 'Dido and Æneas.' In 1843 he became secretary of the Handel Society, for which he edited 'Belshazzar,' 'Judas Maccabaeus,' and 'Jephthah.' In Jan. 1845 he directed the successful production of Mendelssohn's 'Antigone' at Covent Garden Theatre. In 1846 his opera, 'Don Quixote,' was successfully produced at Drury Lane, and in 1849 his opera 'Charles II.' was given at the Princess's. His serenata, 'The Sleeper Awakened,' was brought out at the National Concerts at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1851, and in the same year he composed his fine cantata, 'Lenora.' His beautiful cantata, 'May Day,' was written for the Bradford Festival, 1856, and his cantata, 'Christmas,' was composed in 1859. He then resumed the composition of opera, and brought out 'Robin Hood' at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1860, with great success. This was followed by 'Freya's Gift,' masque, and 'Jessy Lea,' opera, 1863; 'She stoops to conquer,' 'The Soldier's Legacy,' and 'Helvellyn,' operas, 1864. Several more operas remained in MS. and Macfarren also wrote music for a number of farces and melodramas. Macfarren's eyesight had at a comparatively early age become impaired; the malady increased year by year, until it terminated in total blindness. But this calamity did not diminish his exertions; and with extraordinary energy he continued to perform his duties as a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, and to compose, dictating his compositions to an amanuensis. On Oct. 23, 1873, his oratorio, 'St. John the Baptist,' was produced at the Bristol Festival with marked success. On March 16, 1875, he was elected Professor of Music at Cambridge on the death of Sterndale Bennett, and greatly distinguished himself by the manner in which he performed the duties of the office. In April following he accumulated the degrees of Bachelor and Doctor of Music. In 1876 he was appointed Principal of the Royal Academy of Music. 'The Resurrection,' oratorio, was produced at the Birmingham Festival in 1876; 'Joseph,' oratorio, at the Leeds Festival in 1877; 'The Lady of the Lake,' a cantata, at Glasgow, on Nov. 15, 1877; the music to 'Ajax' was performed with the play at Cambridge in 1882; the oratorio 'King David' was produced at the Leeds Festival of 1883, and in that year Macfarren was knighted. Besides the before-mentioned works his compositions are very numerous; they include a cathedral service, anthems, chants, and psalm tunes, and 'Introits for the Holy Days and Seasons of the English Church,' 1866; 'Songs in a Cornfield,' 1868; 'Shakspere Songs for 4 voices,' 1860-64; Songs from Lane's 'Arabian Nights,' and Kingsley's and Tennyson's poems; very many songs (among which the beautiful 'Pack, clouds, away,' with clarinet obligato, is perhaps the best known), duets, etc.; overtures to 'The Merchant of Venice,' 'Romeo and Juliet,' 'Hamlet,' 'Chevy Chase' (already mentioned), and 'Don Carlos'; symphonies, string quartets, and a quintet; a concerto for violin and orchestra; and sonatas for pianoforte alone and in combination with other instruments. He harmonised the airs in Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time, and arranged 'Moore's Irish Melodies,' 1859, and Scotch Songs. He was eminent as a writer on music and music critic, having produced Rudiments of Harmony, 1860, and Six Lectures on Harmony, 1867; Analyses of oratorios, etc., for the Sacred Harmonic Society, 1853-57; and of orchestral works for the programme-books of the Philharmonic Society, 1869-71; also many articles in The Musical World and lives of musicians for the Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography. He lectured at the Royal and London Institutions. His Addresses and Lectures were published in 1888. He died Oct. 31, 1887, his last published work being an Andante and Rondo in E for violin and organ, contained in the Organist's Quarterly Journal for Oct. 1887. A cantata for female voices, 'Around the Hearth,' was published posthumously. He was buried in the Hampstead Cemetery; his life, by H. C. Banister, appeared in 1891. His industry and fertility under the greatest drawbacks were marvellous. His great kindness, and his readiness to communicate the stores of his capacious and retentive memory to all who required them, endeared him to a large circle of friends and admirers.
5NATALIA MACFARREN, his wife, contralto singer and able teacher, is well known by her translations of opera libretti and other works.
7WALTER CECIL MACFARREN, his brother, born August 28, 1826, chorister of Westminster Abbey under James Turle from 1836 to 1841, and pupil of the Royal Academy of Music from
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