Addinsell, Richard Stewart (1904–1977), composer and pianist, was born at 31 Woburn Square, London, on 13 January 1904, the younger of the two sons of William Arthur Addinsell, chartered accountant, and his wife, Annie Beatrice Richards. His adoring mother arranged for him to be educated at home, and this seemingly made him allergic to institutions thereafter. He went to ...
Article
Addinsell, Richard Stewart (1904–1977), composer and pianist
Andrew Lamb
Article
Addison, John (c. 1766–1844), double bass player and composer
W. B. Squire
revised by David J. Golby
Addison, John (c. 1766–1844), double bass player and composer, was born in London, the son of a village mechanic. As a child he showed considerable musical ability, learning to play a variety of instruments, including the flageolet, flute, bassoon, and violin. He was also self-taught in composition, and his early works include a set of ...
Article
Adler, Lawrence Cecil [Larry] (1914–2001), harmonica player and composer
Raymond Holden
Adler, Lawrence Cecil [Larry] (1914–2001), harmonica player and composer, was born on 10 February 1914 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, the son of Louis Adler, plumber, and his wife, Sadie Hack. His family were of Russian descent and changed their name from Zelakovitch to ...
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![Cover Adler, Lawrence Cecil [Larry] (1914–2001)](/cover/searchableMedia/odnb-9780198614128-e-1013083-graphic-1-thumbnail.jpg)
Adler, Lawrence Cecil [Larry] (1914–2001)
Maker: Ida Kar
In
Lawrence Cecil Adler (1914–2001) by Ida Kar, 1950s © National Portrait Gallery, London
Article
Adson, John (bap. 1587?, d. 1640), musician and composer
David Lasocki
Adson, John (bap. 1587
Article
Alcock, John (1715–1806), organist and composer chorister
H. Diack Johnstone
Alcock, John (1715–1806), organist and composer, was born at the family home, Crane Court, St Peter's Hill, London, on 11 April 1715, the third of the eight children of Daniel Alcock (bap. 1686) and his wife, Mary. They lived only a stone's throw from ...
Article
Allan [Allen], James [Jimmy] (1734–1810), Northumbrian piper and rogue
Keith Gregson
Allan [Allen], James [Jimmy] (1734–1810), Northumbrian piper and rogue, was born at Hepple, Northumberland, probably in March 1734, and baptized at Rothbury, Northumberland, on 21 April 1734, the son of William Allan or Allen, also known as Wull Faa, a noted vermin hunter and performer on the Northumbrian small pipes. ...
Article
Alvars, Elias Parish- (1808–1849), harpist and composer
R. H. Legge
revised by David J. Golby
Alvars, Elias Parish- (1808–1849), harpist and composer, was born on 28 February 1808 at Teignmouth, where he was baptized on 13 March 1808 as Eli Parish, the second child and eldest son of Joseph Parish (1781–1833), organist, singing teacher, and music dealer, and his wife, ...
Article
Ambrose, Benjamin Baruch [Bert] (1896–1971), bandleader and violinist
Peter Gammond
Ambrose, Benjamin Baruch [Bert] (1896–1971), bandleader and violinist, was born in Warsaw, Poland, in the Russian empire, on 11 September 1896, the son of Lewis Ambrose (1869/70–1962), a dealer in rags in the East End of London, and his wife, Becky or Rebecca (1870/71–1945)...
Article
Amner, John (d. 1641), composer and organist
John Morehen
Amner, John (d. 1641), composer and organist, came from a family which was intimately associated with the music at Ely Cathedral for over half a century. Michael Amner, his uncle, was a lay clerk at the cathedral (1576–88), as was also Ralph Amner...
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Anderson, Lucy (1797–1878)
Maker: Richard James Lane
Lucy Anderson (1797–1878) by Richard James Lane, pubd 1835 (after Johannes Notz, c. 1833–4) © National Portrait Gallery, London
Article
Anderson [née Philpot], Lucy (1797–1878), pianist
W. B. Squire
revised by Anne Pimlott Baker
Anderson [née Philpot], Lucy (1797–1878), pianist, was born on 12 December 1797 in Bath, the daughter of John Philpot (1757/8–1843), a music seller, and his wife, Susanna Saunders. Her father, who intended her to take up the harp, was her first piano teacher, but in spite of her poor eyesight she soon made such progress on the piano that she appeared as a solo player in ...
Article
Anderson, Thomas James [Tom] (1910–1991), fiddler and collector of traditional music
Brian Smith
Anderson, Thomas James [Tom] (1910–1991), fiddler and collector of traditional music, was born on 29 August 1910 in the isolated district of Eshaness in Shetland, the eldest of six children of James Anderson, fisherman–crofter, and his wife, Harriet Margaret, née Johnson. His grandfather and uncle taught him to play the fiddle when he was eight. He came under the influence of ...
Article
Armes, Philip (1836–1908), organist
J. C. Bridge
revised by Nilanjana Banerji
Armes, Philip (1836–1908), organist, born at Norwich on 15 August 1836, was the eldest son of Philip Armes (1814–1882), a schoolmaster and bass singer and his wife, Mary, née Harcourt (1814–1863). He was a chorister in Norwich Cathedral from 1846 to 1848, then joined the choir of ...
Article
Armstrong [née Cobbe], Lucy Anne [Lucie] (1850–1907), musician and writer on etiquette
Rosemary T. Van Arsdel
Armstrong [née Cobbe], Lucy Anne [Lucie] (1850–1907), musician and writer on etiquette, was born at Church Street, Edmonton, Middlesex, on 22 December 1850, the youngest daughter in the family of three daughters and three sons of Major Charles Henry Cobbe...
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Armstrong, Sir Thomas Henry Wait (1898–1994)
Maker: Walter Bird
In
Sir Thomas Henry Wait Armstrong (1898–1994) by Walter Bird, 1968 © National Portrait Gallery, London
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Armstrong, Sir Thomas Henry Wait (1898–1994), organist and college administrator
Richard Stoker
Armstrong, Sir Thomas Henry Wait (1898–1994), organist and college administrator, was born on 15 June 1898 at Peterborough, the only son of Amos Ebenezer Armstrong (1878–1950), an organist and choirmaster, and his wife, Elizabeth Annie West, née Handford (1880–1939), a former headmistress. He had two younger sisters, ...
Article
Arne, Michael (1740/41–1786), musical performer and composer
See Arne family
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Arne, Thomas Augustine (1710–1778)
Maker: William Humphrey
In
Thomas Augustine Arne (1710–1778) by William Humphrey, pubd 1778 (after Robert Dunkarton, c. 1770) © Copyright The British Museum
Article
Arne, Thomas Augustine (1710–1778), composer and musical performer
David J. Golby
Arne, Thomas Augustine (1710–1778), composer and musical performer, was born in King Street, Covent Garden, London, on 12 March 1710, the son of Thomas Arne (bap. 1682, d. 1736) [see under Arne family], upholsterer and undertaker, and his second wife, Anne, ...
