Harty, Sir Hamilton

[Sydney Grew]

Harty, Sir Hamilton

In 1879 Hamilton Harty was born in the little village of Hillsborough in the north of Ireland. He moved to London in 1900, and soon became known as a composer, pianist and conductor. He left us a symphony, two concerti, three symphonic poems, two string quartets a marvellous piano quintet and a good deal else.

Let me list his major compositions chronologically:

- String Quartet in F major opus 1 (c.1900)

- Two Fantasiestücke opus 3 for violin, cello and piano (c.1901)

- The Splendour Falls (Alfred Tennyson) part-song (1901)

- String Quartet in A minor opus 5 (c.1902)

- Fantasia for two pianos opus 6 (1902)

- Romance and Scherzo opus 8 for cello and piano (1903)

- Idyl: Arlequin et Colombine opus 10 for piano (1904)

- Irish Fancies for piano (c.1904)

- Symphony (1904, revised 1915, 1924)

- Piano Quintet in F major opus 12 (c.1904)

- A Comedy Overture (1906)

- Two Pieces for cello and piano: 1. Waldesstille; 2. Der Schmetterling (1907)

- Ode to a Nightingale (J. Keats) for soprano and orchestra (1907)

- Violin Concerto (1908)

- With the Wild Geese, symphonic poem (1910)

- À la Campagne for oboe and piano (1911)

- Chansonette for oboe and piano (1911)

- Orientale for oboe and piano (1911)

- To the King (R. Stephens) with organ obbligato (1911)

- Irish Fantasy for violin and piano (1912)

- Variations on a Dublin Air, for violin and orchestra (1912)

- The Mystic Trumpeter (W. Whitman) for baritone, chorus and orchestra (1913)

- Spring Fancies. Two Preludes for harp (1915)

- In Ireland, Fantasy for flute and piano (1918) arranged for flute, harp and orchestra (1935)

- Fantasy Scenes from an Eastern Romance, for orchestra (1919)

- Piano Concerto in B Minor (1922)

- Suite for Cello and Piano (1928)

- The Children of Lir, symphonic poem (1938)

I was partcularly impressed by hearings of the Piano Quintet and the Piano Concerto.

Here is the Piano Quintet, excellently given by a young Siamese violinist (Dechopol Kowintaweewat) with three ladies and one other:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSGRyyf4xEE

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Chandos collection of his main orchestral works is a recommendable starting point for Harty’s works. “With the Wild Geese is a superbly constructed tone poem.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7928734--in-ireland

As a conductor, perhaps his best known recording (amongst the many he made when conductor of the Hallé Orchestra) is the famous ‘Nymphs and Shepherds/Brother Come and Dance with Me’ with the Manchester Children’s Choir.

[Serial_Apologist]

My mother told me a "joke", which doubtless did the rounds back in an age of inocence.

Why was Sir Hamilton harty?
Because he saw Sir Adrian bolt, having taken Beechams.

[edashtav]

My mother told me a "joke", which doubtless did the rounds back in an age of inocence.

Why was Sir Hamilton harty?
Because he saw Sir Adrian bolt, having taken Beechams.

Here's a story from the Knight, himself:
A SIR HAMILTON HARTY STORY.
Sir Hamilton Harty told at the dinner of the Critics' Circle, a capital story concerning his knighthood, says the London correspondent of the "Irish Independent."
While on his way back from Italy a fellow-passenger. ignorant of the Irish musician's identity was talking with him about the British Birthday Honours.
"I see," he remarked, "this man Harty gets a knighthood."
"Really," said Sir Hamilton, "do you know him ?"
"Quite well."
"What do you think of him?"
"Between ourselves, I think he is a rotten conductor."

Then the stranger asked: "What do you think of him?"
"Well," said Sir Hamilton, cautiously, "I never saw him conduct myself."

And that, of course, is quite true.

"What conductor do you like best?" inquired the Irish composer.
"Sousa," replied the other.

[Serial_Apologist]

A Sousa phoney!

[edashtav]

[edashtav]

Adapted from a longer article in the Belfast Newsletter ( 08.12.1938)

SIR HAMILTON HARTY is visiting Ulster in 1938 to see Miss Rosamund Praeger, the sculptress, with regard to his latest symphonic work, which was largely inspired by some of her reliefs in plaster and bronze, and is based upon “The Sorrowful Story of the Children of Lir,” one of the most beautiful tales of Irish mythology.

Visiting the Giant’s Causeway about year ago, Sir Hamilton saw on the walls of a little whitewashed school overlooking the sea, Miss Praeger’s reliefs, given by her to illustrate the story of the children of Lir, so widely known, particularly among Antrim people. He felt inspired to write work dealing with the legend, and he saw Miss Praeger. An original feature of the symphonic poem is a part for a soprano voice, which occurs now and then in the story, but the singer is concealed from view, and her song is without words —the song of Finola, one of the children (who were changed to swans) —according to the legend that the people of the Northern coasts heard the songs of these half-human swans from the sea.
THE LEGEND AND MUSIC
The legend tells how Lir's four beautiful children, were doomed to live on the waters of Ireland for 1,000 years, and not to regain human shape until they heard the first Christian bell in Ireland. This they heard on the rocky coast of Antrim. They were taken to the church and baptised, and as they were baptised, they died. They are, according to the tale, buried on the cliff top at the Causeway.
The music of Sir Hamilton’s work opens with a picture of the coast by the Gobbins in rough weather, and the voices of children playing. The music is hushed, and the voice of Finola is heard singing to the night star. The symphonic poem closes on a crescendo of anxiety and expectation, leading to a pause and the dramatic stroke of the bell, the death of the children, and the scene returns to the coast and its roaring seas.

The new work will be first performed in London, probably by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, in March. Sir Hamilton has been awarded the gold medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society.
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Sadly, Hamilton Harty did not live much longer. He died in London in 1941 and was cremated. He had wanted to be buried in his childhood village of Hillsborough in Northern Ireland. After the end of W.W.II, in September, 1947 a bird bath designed by Rosamund Praeger was installed in his memory in Hillsborough's churchyard.

[Padraig]

Adapted from a longer article in the Belfast Newsletter ( 08.12.1938)

SIR HAMILTON HARTY is visiting Ulster in 1938 to see Miss Rosamund Praeger, the sculptress, with regard to his latest symphonic work, which was largely inspired by some of her reliefs in plaster and bronze, and is based upon “The Sorrowful Story of the Children of Lir,” one of the most beautiful tales of Irish mythology.

Visiting the Giant’s Causeway about year ago, Sir Hamilton saw on the walls of a little whitewashed school overlooking the sea, Miss Praeger’s reliefs, given by her to illustrate the story of the children of Lir, so widely known, particularly among Antrim people. He felt inspired to write work dealing with the legend, and he saw Miss Praeger. An original feature of the symphonic poem is a part for a soprano voice, which occurs now and then in the story, but the singer is concealed from view, and her song is without words —the song of Finola, one of the children (who were changed to swans) —according to the legend that the people of the Northern coasts heard the songs of these half-human swans from the sea.
THE LEGEND AND MUSIC
The legend tells how Lir's four beautiful children, were doomed to live on the waters of Ireland for 1,000 years, and not to regain human shape until they heard the first Christian bell in Ireland. This they heard on the rocky coast of Antrim. They were taken to the church and baptised, and as they were baptised, they died. They are, according to the tale, buried on the cliff top at the Causeway.
The music of Sir Hamilton’s work opens with a picture of the coast by the Gobbins in rough weather, and the voices of children playing. The music is hushed, and the voice of Finola is heard singing to the night star. The symphonic poem closes on a crescendo of anxiety and expectation, leading to a pause and the dramatic stroke of the bell, the death of the children, and the scene returns to the coast and its roaring seas.

The new work will be first performed in London, probably by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, in March. Sir Hamilton has been awarded the gold medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society.
------------
Sadly, Hamilton Harty did not live much longer. He died in London in 1941 and was cremated. He had wanted to be buried in his childhood village of Hillsborough in Northern Ireland. After the end of W.W.II, in September, 1947 a bird bath designed by Rosamund Praeger was installed in his memory in Hillsborough's churchyard.

Thanks for that edashtav. A nice piece from the Belfast Newsletter.

Rosamund Praeger caught my eye. She was the sister of Robert Lloyd Praeger. They were both accomplished artists - she a sculptor and he an all rounder, botanist, geologist, writer, librarian. I have one of his famous books, first published around the time of your article - The Way That I Went - a detailed walk around Ireland complete with all you ever wanted to know about the plants and rocks. They attended Sullivan Upper College in Belfast - a non denominational school with reputedly the only school motto in N.I. in the Irish Language. It says - Lamh Foisdineach An Uachtar - With the Gentle Hand Foremost. They died in their eighties in !953, 1954.

[edashtav]

Thanks for that edashtav. A nice piece from the Belfast Newsletter.

Rosamund Praeger caught my eye. She was the sister of Robert Lloyd Praeger. They were both accomplished artists - she a sculptor and he an all rounder, botanist, geologist, writer, librarian. I have one of his famous books, first published around the time of your article - The Way That I Went - a detailed walk around Ireland complete with all you ever wanted to know about the plants and rocks. They attended Sullivan Upper College in Belfast - a non denominational school with reputedly the only school motto in N.I. in the Irish Language. It says - Lamh Foisdineach An Uachtar - With the Gentle Hand Foremost. They died in their eighties in !953, 1954.

[Barbirollians]

I am afraid I have always had rather a dim view of him after learning that he threw all the women out of the Halle and insisted on men only orchestras - Rudolf Kempe of course did the opposite and said he did not like conducting orchestras without women members - it was like being in the army.

[edashtav]

I am afraid I have always had rather a dim view of him after learning that he threw all the women out of the Halle and insisted on men only orchestras - Rudolf Kempe of course did the opposite and said he did not like conducting orchestras without women members - it was like being in the army.

The inconvenient truth is, Barbirollians, that Harty was renowned for the positive effect he had on orchestral standards at the LSO and Hallé. He was not anti all women musicians, he was married to the singer Agnes Nicholls and chased several others. Perhaps, he was right that some of the women recruited to cover Hallé men called to serve in WWI were technically poor and, in the case of string players, had undermined 'blend'. Some of Harty's critics suggested that Harty was missing out in denying women employment in the Hallé. Some of those critics had suggested women could add something different, particularly emotionally. Harty was not looking for difference but unanimity in approach. We know now that he was wrong, that his binary two wheels good; four wheels bad approach was fallacious but Harty was a man of his time and quite bright enough to silence the ferocious Dame Ethel Smyth by exposing her fallacies caused by blind zealotry. He fought and won his battle but, had he lived longer, he would have seen that he had helped to lose the war. Maestri are often afforded too much respect and freedom. When they have their mistress on their orchestra's board ...

Rudolf Kempe was born in 1910, a generation after Hamilton Harty (1879). The world and the position of women had changed.