Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1890-1969 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
43 boxes (2.75 linear metres)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Sir Henry Walford Davies, born, Oswestry, Shropshire, 6 Sep 1869; trained in choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor, and was was pupil assistant to Walter Parratt; entered Royal College of Music under a composition scholarship, 1890; studied with Charles Parry and Charles Stanford; became teacher of counterpoint, RCM, 1895-1918; organist at St George's Kensington, St Anne's, Soho, and Christ Church, Hampstead; organist and choirmaster at the Temple Church, 1898-1919; conductor of the Bach Choir, 1903-1907; appointed director of music to the Royal Air Force, 1918; professor of music, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1919-1926; chairman of the Welsh National Council of Music; knighted, 1922; appointed Gresham Professor of Music in the University of London, 1926; made his first radio broadcast to schools, 1924; his popular radio series 'Music and the Ordinary Listener' commenced, 1926; records for His Master's Voice Melody Lectures (HMV C 1063 to 1701) and Twelve Talks on Melody (HMV C 1759 to 1767); organist, St George's Chapel, Windsor, 1927-1932; music advisor at the BBC, 1927-1939; appointed Master of the King's Musick, 1934; died, Wrington, Somerset, 11 Mar 1941. Publications and music (a selection): Rhythm in Church (London, 1913); The Pursuit of Music (London, 1935); Symphony in D, 1894; Overture in D minor, 1897; Welshmen in London, 1897; folksong cantata Three Jovial Huntsmen, 1902; oratorio Everyman, 1904; Symphony, in G, 1911; cantata Song of St Francis, 1912; anthem, `Let us Now Praise Famous Men'; Solemn Melody; RAF March Past.
Repository
Archival history
GB 1249 HW Davies 1890-1969 Collection (fonds) 43 boxes (2.75 linear metres) Davies , Sir , Henry Walford , 1869-1941 , Knight , composer organist broadcaster
Sir Henry Walford Davies, born, Oswestry, Shropshire, 6 Sep 1869; trained in choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor, and was was pupil assistant to Walter Parratt; entered Royal College of Music under a composition scholarship, 1890; studied with Charles Parry and Charles Stanford; became teacher of counterpoint, RCM, 1895-1918; organist at St George's Kensington, St Anne's, Soho, and Christ Church, Hampstead; organist and choirmaster at the Temple Church, 1898-1919; conductor of the Bach Choir, 1903-1907; appointed director of music to the Royal Air Force, 1918; professor of music, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1919-1926; chairman of the Welsh National Council of Music; knighted, 1922; appointed Gresham Professor of Music in the University of London, 1926; made his first radio broadcast to schools, 1924; his popular radio series 'Music and the Ordinary Listener' commenced, 1926; records for His Master's Voice Melody Lectures (HMV C 1063 to 1701) and Twelve Talks on Melody (HMV C 1759 to 1767); organist, St George's Chapel, Windsor, 1927-1932; music advisor at the BBC, 1927-1939; appointed Master of the King's Musick, 1934; died, Wrington, Somerset, 11 Mar 1941. Publications and music (a selection): Rhythm in Church (London, 1913); The Pursuit of Music (London, 1935); Symphony in D, 1894; Overture in D minor, 1897; Welshmen in London, 1897; folksong cantata Three Jovial Huntsmen, 1902; oratorio Everyman, 1904; Symphony, in G, 1911; cantata Song of St Francis, 1912; anthem, `Let us Now Praise Famous Men'; Solemn Melody; RAF March Past.
Donated by the executors of John Whitridge Wilson, 1990s.
Papers of Sir Henry Walford Davies, 1890-1969, including correspondence on his music and career (correspondents include Dean Albert Baillie, Robert Bridges, Henry Colles, Sir George Grove, August Jaeger, Charles Parry, Sir Walter Parratt, Sir Charles Stanford), 1891-1937; engagement diaries, 1890-1941; notebooks, c1917-1931; music note and sketch books, c1891-1927; manuscript music of arrangements compiled as a student at the Royal College of Music, 1890s; lists of published musical works; copyright and royalty correspondence, 1895-1954; correspondence relating to publications and proposed publications, including 'New Fellowship Song Book', 'Music and Worship', First steps in music and A four years' course in music, 1930-1934; manuscript music for a proposed song book for schools, 1938-1939; typescripts, correspondence relating to 'The Psalter newly printed', 1933, the BBC hymn book, 1938-1939, and the Army hymn book, 1940; letters and papers relating to the School of Church Music and the College of St Nicolas, 1933-1936; manuscript notes and printed programmes of lectures by Davies, 1909-1938, including Royal Institution lectures 'Music in relation to other arts' (1910) and 'To untrained listeners' (1915), and Gresham music lectures, 1924-1938; typescripts of Davies' BBC radio broadcasts to schools on music with printed scholars' manuals, 1924-1938; typescripts of Davies' BBC radio broadcasts `Music and the ordinary listener', 1926-1939; associated correspondence and printed material relating to BBC radio broadcasts, 1924-1941; typescripts and notes for 'Keyboard talks', 1933-1935; manuscript music, notes and typescripts of Davies BBC radio broadcasts 'Melodies of Christendom' and Empire Day talks, 1934-1939; private correspondence relating to his work for radio, 1933-1937; letters from BBC listeners, 1936-1937; letters to Lady Davies on Davies death, 1941; biographical material on Davies compiled for Walford Davies: a Biography by H C Colles (London, 1942), including published material on Davies, 1919-1943; papers relating to commemoration of centenary of Davies' birth, 1969.
Arranged in series as given in scope and content.
Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.
Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.
English.
The material is mostly uncatalogued. Detailed lists (1997) of Davies' most significant correspondence, 1890-1937, and of his BBC broadcasts, 1924-1941, may be found in the Library of the Royal College of Music, together with an index to Davies' music manuscripts.
Royal College of Music holds manuscript music; papers of Herbert Howells, containing correspondence from Davies.
National Library of Wales hold Manuscript music and correspondence, 1898-1941; Elgar Birthplace Museum holds letters to Edward Elgar, 1900-1933; St Geoge's Chapel Archives hold letters to E H Fellowes, 1924-1930; British Library holds correspondence with the Society of Authors, 1915-1937.
Compiled by Robert Baxter as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Sources: Article by Hugh Ottaway and Lewis Foreman, Grove Dictionary of Music. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. May 2001 Artists Baillie , Albert Victor , 1864-1955 , Dean of Windsor , antiquary BBC , British Broadcasting Corporation x British Broadcasting Corporation Bridges , Robert Seymour , 1844-1930 , Poet Laureate Broadcasting Classical music College of St Nicolas Colles , Henry Cope , 1879-1943 , musician and historian Composers Cultural education Davies , Sir , Henry Walford , 1869-1941 , Knight , composer organist broadcaster Grove , Sir , George , 1820-1900 , Knight , civil engineer writer on music Jaeger , August Johannes , 1860-1909 , German editor and writer on music Music Musical performances Musical styles Music education Musicians Parratt , Sir , Walter , 1841-1924 , Knight , organist composer Performers Radio Radio programmes Religious music Royal College of Music School of Church Music Stanford , Sir , Charles Villiers , 1852-1924 , Knight , composer and conductor Performing arts
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated by the executors of John Whitridge Wilson, 1990s.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of Sir Henry Walford Davies, 1890-1969, including correspondence on his music and career (correspondents include Dean Albert Baillie, Robert Bridges, Henry Colles, Sir George Grove, August Jaeger, Charles Parry, Sir Walter Parratt, Sir Charles Stanford), 1891-1937; engagement diaries, 1890-1941; notebooks, c1917-1931; music note and sketch books, c1891-1927; manuscript music of arrangements compiled as a student at the Royal College of Music, 1890s; lists of published musical works; copyright and royalty correspondence, 1895-1954; correspondence relating to publications and proposed publications, including 'New Fellowship Song Book', 'Music and Worship', First steps in music and A four years' course in music, 1930-1934; manuscript music for a proposed song book for schools, 1938-1939; typescripts, correspondence relating to 'The Psalter newly printed', 1933, the BBC hymn book, 1938-1939, and the Army hymn book, 1940; letters and papers relating to the School of Church Music and the College of St Nicolas, 1933-1936; manuscript notes and printed programmes of lectures by Davies, 1909-1938, including Royal Institution lectures 'Music in relation to other arts' (1910) and 'To untrained listeners' (1915), and Gresham music lectures, 1924-1938; typescripts of Davies' BBC radio broadcasts to schools on music with printed scholars' manuals, 1924-1938; typescripts of Davies' BBC radio broadcasts `Music and the ordinary listener', 1926-1939; associated correspondence and printed material relating to BBC radio broadcasts, 1924-1941; typescripts and notes for 'Keyboard talks', 1933-1935; manuscript music, notes and typescripts of Davies BBC radio broadcasts 'Melodies of Christendom' and Empire Day talks, 1934-1939; private correspondence relating to his work for radio, 1933-1937; letters from BBC listeners, 1936-1937; letters to Lady Davies on Davies death, 1941; biographical material on Davies compiled for Walford Davies: a Biography by H C Colles (London, 1942), including published material on Davies, 1919-1943; papers relating to commemoration of centenary of Davies' birth, 1969.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged in series as given in scope and content.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.
Conditions governing reproduction
Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Royal College of Music holds manuscript music; papers of Herbert Howells, containing correspondence from Davies.
Finding aids
The material is mostly uncatalogued. Detailed lists (1997) of Davies' most significant correspondence, 1890-1937, and of his BBC broadcasts, 1924-1941, may be found in the Library of the Royal College of Music, together with an index to Davies' music manuscripts.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
National Library of Wales hold Manuscript music and correspondence, 1898-1941; Elgar Birthplace Museum holds letters to Edward Elgar, 1900-1933; St Geoge's Chapel Archives hold letters to E H Fellowes, 1924-1930; British Library holds correspondence with the Society of Authors, 1915-1937.
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Artists
- Broadcasting
- Musical styles » Classical music
- Artists » Performers » Musicians » Composers
- Cultural education
- Music
- Music » Musical performances
- Musical styles
- Cultural education » Music education
- Artists » Performers » Musicians
- Artists » Performers
- Broadcasting » Radio
- Broadcasting » Radio » Radio programmes
- Musical styles » Religious music
- Performing arts
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English