Alfred Gaul

Alfred Robert Gaul (30 April 1837 — 13 September 1913) was an English composer, conductor, teacher and organist.

Life and career

Gaul was born in Norwich, where he studied under Zechariah Buck. By the age of nine he was a chorister at Norwich Cathedral, and at the age of seventeen he was appointed as the organist of the parish church at Fakenham. In 1859 he moved to Birmingham, where at the age of twenty two he was appointed organist at St. John's Church, Ladywood. later becoming Professor of Orchestration and Composition at the school. In 1887 he succeeded William Cole Stockley as conductor of the Walsall Philharmonic Society. He taught singing and harmony at the King Edward VI High School for Girls At the time of Gaul's death in 1913 it was the most performed work of English choral music in history, The Holy City and his earlier cantata Ruth (1881) were also popular in the United States.

In 1914, following the composer's death, his Executors published an announcement in The Musical Times to the effect that they were

"prepared to grant licences to approved applicants (under certain restrictions) to orchestrate [Gaul's The Bard of Avon] for a public performance; and are further prepared to send to any performance so arranged a qualified representative who shall be empowered in due course to make an offer, up to £50, for the most approved Full Score; or, if preferred, to arrange for the purchase of the full score on the basis of a Royalty payable on the Sales of the Vocal Score. In the event of any Score made under any such licence not being acquired by the Executors, nothing contained in this advertisement, or in the licence, is to be taken to confer any right of publication or of public performance, or any copyright whatever in respect of such Score."

In the event, the work was orchestrated by Julius Harrison. Scholes reported the enormous number of vocal scores of Gaul's choral works which were sold by Novello and concluded that

"Decidedly Gaul was a 'best-seller'!"

Gaul married Charlotte Cory and they had six children.

Works (selective list)

Operetta

1893 - The Legend of the Wood, juvenile operetta 1899 - The Elfin Hill, juvenile operetta 1899 - The Hare and the Tortoise; or, Slow and Steady Wins the Race, juvenile operetta

Orchestral

1909 - Suite No.1

Choral and vocal

Major works

1861 - Hezekiah, oratorio (Amateur Harmonic Association, Town Hall, Birmingham, 29 November 1861) 1881 - Ruth, harvest pastoral, Op.34 (Festival Choir of the Birmingham Sunday-School Union, Town Hall, Birmingham, 3 October 1881) 1882 - The Holy City, cantata, Op.36 (Birmingham Festival, 30 August 1882) 1883 - Passion Service for the Season of Lent (Passion Music), Op.37 1887 - Joan of Arc, cantata, Op.41 (Birmingham Festival Choral Society, Birmingham, 13 October 1887) 1887 - The Children, part-song 1890 - The Ten Virgins, cantata, Op.42 (a selection with piano accompaniment, Town Hall, Birmingham, 13 September 1890) 1892 - Israel in the Wilderness, cantata, Op.43 (Crystal Palace, London, 9 July 1892) 1893 - Una, cantata, Op.45 (Norwich Festival, 4 October 1893) 1895 - Around the Winter Fire, Christmas cantata for female voices and piano 1897 - Toilers of the Deep, cantata for female voices 1901 - Prologue to The Holy City, Op.36 1903 - Prince of Peace, cantata 1904 - The Centurion's Servant, sacred cantata 1914 - The Bard of Avon, Shakespearian suite for solo voices and chorus, with orchestral accompaniment by Julius Harrison (Birmingham Choral and Orchestral Association, Town Hall, Birmingham, 14 November 1914)

Anthems and other smaller sacred works

1865 - Blessed is the man (Psalm 1) 1886 - Praise ye the Lord (Psalm 150) (St Paul's Cathedral, London, 1886) 1905 - Office for the Holy Communion in F 1887 - Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, anthem, Op.26 1886 - Yule-tide, carol for church use

Part-songs and other smaller secular works

1875 - The Shipwreck, glee, Op.11 1876 - The Silent Land, part-song, Op.21 1882 - Old Neptune, part-song 1886 - The Birds, six trios for treble voices, Op.40 1885 - Lord Ullin's Daughter, descriptive choral song for male voices 1894 - The Harvest Feast, part-song 1892 - A Song of Life, ode to music for chorus, Op.44 1897 - The Union Jack, unison song for chorus and orchestra 1903 - The Singers, part-song 1864 - Oh for the Swords of former time, part-song

Instrumental

1876 - The Tournament, march for piano, Op.22 1876 - Welcome to our Prince, marche triomphale for piano, Op.24 1879 - Continental Sketches, for piano, Op.30 1889 - Harold, march for piano Piano Sonata in B flat minor

Songs

1865 - Six Sacred Songs, Op.4 1885 - The Months, twelve songs for soprano, contralto and piano, Op.38 1895 - Midland Songs 1896 - Six Action Songs 1908 - Six Songs for voices of medium compass and for school use

Scores and manuscripts

Novello, Ewer & Co., London, published vocal scores of Around the Winter Fire, The Bard of Avon, The Elfin Hill, The Hare and the Tortoise, The Holy City, Israel in the Wilderness, Joan of Arc, The Legend of the Wood, The Passion Service, The Prince of Peace, Ruth, A Song of Life, The Ten Virgins, Toilers of the Deep and Una together with orchestral parts for The Union Jack and piano arrangements of the Gavotte and Musette from Suite No.1.

Autograph scores of Around the Winter Fire, Dance of the Elves, Dance of the Reapers, The Holy City, Israel in the Wilderness, Joan of Arc, The Passion Service, Praise ye the Lord, Ruth, A Song of Life, The Ten Virgins, Una, The Union Jack and Yule-tide are held by the Library of the Royal College of Music (Add. Mss 5086).