Scan 179
Groves Dictionary Of Music And Musicians,vol.4, Ed.3, 1908
20 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1PHILLIPS
31801; d. Dalston, Nov. 8, 1876), was the son of a country actor and manager, and made his first appearance in public as a singing-boy at the Harrogate Theatre about 1807. He afterwards came to London and sang in the chorus at Drury Lane and elsewhere. On the settlement of his voice as a baritone he placed himself under the tuition of Broadhurst, and was engaged in the chorus at the English Opera-House, and to sing in glees at civic dinners. He next had an engagement at Bath, where he sang in 'Messiah' with success. Returning to London he studied under Sir George Smart and appeared in the Lenten oratorios at the theatres, and at the Liverpool Musical Festival of 1823. In 1824 he was engaged at Covent Garden, and appeared as Artabanus in Arne's 'Artaxerxes,' but made little mark. In the summer of the same year he sang the music of Caspar on the production of 'Der Freischütz,' with great effect. He then made progress, was engaged at the provincial festivals, and in 1825 appointed principal bass at the Concert of Ancient Music, and from that time filled the first place at the theatre and in the concert-room. He was also a member of the choir at the chapel of the Bavarian Embassy. About 1843 he gave up his theatrical engagements and started a series of 'table entertainments,' which, notwithstanding their ill success, he persisted in giving, at intervals, until he quitted public life. In Aug. 1844 he went to America, and remained there, giving his entertainments in various places, for nearly a year. He sang again in London at the first performance of 'Maritana' (Nov. 15, 1845) and in Balfe's 'Maid of Artois' (Dec. 1847), and reappeared in opera at Covent Garden in Oct. 1848. On Feb. 25, 1863 (his powers having been for some time on the wane), he gave a farewell concert and retired. He then became a teacher of singing, at first at Birmingham, and afterwards in the vicinity of London. He composed several songs, etc., and was author of The True Enjoyment of Angling, 1843, and Musical and Personal Recollections during half a century, 1864. W. H. H.; addns. W. H. G. F.
5PHILLIPS, JOHN and SARAH, music engravers, during the middle of the 18th century. Hawkins¹ says of them:
7'But the last and greatest improver of the art of stamping music in England was one Phillips, a Welchman, who might be said to have stolen it from one Fortier, a Frenchman and a watchmaker, who stamped some of the parts of Martini's first opera, of concertos, and a few other things. This man Phillips, by repeated essays, arrived at the method of making types (punches) of all the characters used in music; with these he stamped music on pewter plates, and taught the whole art to his wife and son. In other respects he improved the practice of stamping to so great a degree that music is scarce anywhere so well printed as in England.'
9The Phillips pair kept a music shop in St. Martin's Court, St. Martin's Lane, about 1750-1760, and worked much for composers who published their own compositions; among these were Geminiani ('Art of playing the Violin,' 1751); Dr. Arne ('Thomas and Sally,' 1761); Dunn ('Six English Songs'); Edward Miller (several collections of songs); Warren's ('Collection of Catches and Glees,' 1763), etc.
11During the lifetime of John Phillips, both his name and that of his wife appear attached to music, but Phillips having died, probably about 1766-68, his wife alone, shortly after this date, is found having a music shop in Bedford Court and still stamping music plates. F. K.
13PHILLIPS, MONTAGUE FAWCETT (b. London, Nov. 13, 1885), studied at the R.A.M., and has been a successful composer of songs and slight pieces (for list see B.M.S. Ann. 1920). In the theatre Phillips's principal work has been 'The Rebel Maid' (Empire, 1921), a romantic light opera, the tunefulness of which appealed to a wide public. Most of his larger orchestral works remain in manuscript. A pianoforte concerto in F sharp minor and a symphonic poem 'Boadicea' were both produced by the Patrons' Fund of the R.C.M. (1908-09), and a symphony in C minor was heard at a concert of his own compositions which Phillips gave in London in 1912. An 'Heroic' overture was produced by the London Symphony Orchestra in 1915. C.
15PHILLIPS, PETER, see PHILIPS.
17PHILLIPS, WILLIAM LOVELL (b. Bristol, Dec. 26, 1816; d. Mar. 19, 1860), at an early age entered the cathedral choir of Bristol, and subsequently proceeded to London, where he sang as Master Phillips, the beauty of his voice attracting the approbation of Miss Stephens, afterwards Countess of Essex. He studied at the R.A.M., where he was a pupil of Cipriani Potter, and class-fellow of Sterndale Bennett, and eventually became professor of composition at that institution. From Robert Lindley he took lessons on the violoncello, and soon became a member of the orchestras of the Philharmonic, Antient Concerts, Her Majesty's, the Sacred Harmonic Society, etc., besides being regularly engaged at all the great Musical Festivals. He was at different times musical director of the Olympic and Princess's Theatres, composing the music for a variety of dramas. For many years he held the post of organist at St. Katherine's Church, Regent's Park, and at one time conducted a series of concerts at St. Martin's Hall. Music to the farce of 'Borrowing a Husband' was performed in 1844. In addition to numerous songs he composed a Symphony in F minor, performed at the concerts of the R.A.M. and of the Society of British Musicians. Just before his fatal illness he was engaged on an opera founded on a Rosicrucian story, and a cantata on a Welsh subject. He is buried in Highgate cemetery. G.
19PHILP, ELIZABETH (b. Falmouth, 1827; d. London, Nov. 26, 1885), was educated at
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.