HAROLD WILLIAMS
(Baritone)
THE WIRELESS MILITARY BAND
Conducted by B.
IN his young days, Sir Edward German spent a good deal of his leisure time as conductor of a small band of amateurs in his native town of Whitchurch, arranging and evan composing much of the music which was played. His enthusiasm was sufficient to bring the team to such a pitch that it could make successful appearances at local concerts. In that way the beginning of his musical career was rather like Sir Edward Elgar 's.
German's.own instrument was the violin, which ho had largely taught himself, but in that direction, as in conducting, ho was so sueccosul, that not only his band, but he himself as soloist made many successful appearances before the local public. At the age of eighteen he began his musical studies in earnest at the Royal Academy in London, where ho had a distinguished career, leaving it in 1887, at the age of twenty-five, as an Associate.
For the next few years the theatre claimed a large share oi his work, and ho acted for a. time as conductor at the ' Globe' Incidental music for plays first brought his name before the public as a composer, and many of his dances and other pieces written originally for productions of Shakespeare, have long ago won universal popularity. His purely instrumental music, except for the ' Welsh Rhapsody,' is not quite so often heard, but ' The Seasons' is always popular wherever it is played. In every way an important work, dignified in design and admirable' in its. craftsmanship. it is all fresh and. wholesome music, setting forth the ideas of its subject in the happiest way. In its melodious grace and its rhythmic vigour, listeners will easily discern some kinship with the well-known dances from. the music for the Shakespeare plays, and tho whole work is,, in the best sense of the word, English in conception and character.