—XVIII
EASTHOPE MARTIN
A Recital by CHARLES TILL (Baritone)
Fairings (Four Songs of the Fair) How Wonderful (Four Dedications)
Wayfarer's Night Song (Songs of the Open
Country)
Everywhere I go (Four Pastorals)
Easthope Martin was born at Kidderminster in 1883. At' about nine years of age, having shown genuine musical ability, he was placed under the care of a local music teacher, who taught him to play the piano and violin. From the beginning he surprised his master by his remarkable memory, for after hearing a piece that attracted him, he was able to return home and play it through with few, if any, mistakes.
At the age of sixteen Martin came to London to seek his fortune, but for some time he led a precarious existence. Finally, by dint of hard work, he managed to write a string quartet which he sent! to the Trinity College of Music. The result was a scholarship for three years.
The conclusion of his studies brought Martin the post of organist at Aeolian Hall and, in addition, publishers began to display an interest in his compositions. Then he wrote Songs of the Fair', which soon became an enormous success, and from that time until his premature death, in 1925, Martin enjoyed the fruits of fame.