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Henry Walford Davies

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"HENRY WALFORD DAVIES -:(1869-), English organist and composer, was born at Oswestry, Salop, Sept. 6 1869. After a preliminary private education he became a chorister at St. George's chapel, Windsor, in 1882, and three years later assistant organist to Sir Walter Parratt there. From 1890 to 1894 he was a pupil and scholar at the Royal College of Music, where in 1895 he became a teacher of counterpoint. There he came first into some prominence as composer with his cantata Herve Rid (1894), but meanwhile he was making his way as organist. After filling several posts he was in 1898 appointed organist to the Temple church, a post he still holds (1921). During the years 1903 to 1907 he was conductor to the London Bach Choir in succession to Stanford, and in 1919 he was appointed professor of music in the University College of Wales, at Aberystwith. For a great part of the World War, with the rank of major, he worked with great success for the right organization of music among the troops both abroad and at home, and in 1918 he was made director of music to the K.A.F.

Walford Davies has written much music in many forms. In his list are two symphonies: A Solemn Melody, which attained to a wide popularity, and, for chorus and orchestra, Everyman (1904); Ode on Time (1908); The Sayings of Jesus (1911); Dante Fantasy (1914), these having been produced chiefly at provincial festivals; Heaven's Gate (People's Palace, 1917). A new choral work was in the programme of the Hereford festival for Sept. 1921. In addition there are seven quartets for various combinations of piano and strings, or strings alone; six violin sonatas and several works for voices and strings, part-songs, choruses, and hymn tunes.