Philip J. Bone

Philip James Bone (29 January 1873 – 17 June 1964) was an English mandolinist and guitar player in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Life Bone was born and died in Luton. He studied guitar and mandolin with G. B. Marchiso at Trinity College of Music, London. Making fast progress, he was chosen to perform Beethoven's Sonata and Adagio for mandolin and piano at a college recital. He was also the founder and conductor of the Luton Mandolin Orchestra, "probably the first British mandolin orchestra to play on the mainland of Europe", conducted in Paris in 1909. In 1951, he became president of the British Federation of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists.

The Guitar and Mandolin While his day-to-day work was as a teacher and music dealer, he is remembered today as the author of the book The Guitar and Mandolin: Biographies of Celebrated Players and Composers for These Instruments, published by Schott and Augener (London, 1914). He was also a Medallist, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London. Other honours given him include being a medallist at the International Music Contests in Bologne, medallist in the International Music Contest in France (1st Prize Honours), and medalist of the I.U.M. in London. He conducted of the Luton Mandolin Orchestra.

Besides sheet music, Bone also sold musical instruments, as shown in this 1914 advertisement from the back of his book.

His book The Guitar and Mandolin, first issued at a time when interest in the two instruments was minimal, In writing the book, Bone did not include people living at the time, as he felt that it was the job of future historians to decide who would be notable. The book contains biographies for composers and musicians throughout western Europe. Many of those who were prominent have been forgotten today, and the book has information not readily available elsewhere.

In 1953, Bone wrote to Vahdah Olcott-Bickford, who had assisted him with his book. He told her he had continued the research since the first printing and was trying to get another edition published with his new information. He was having difficulty finding a publisher willing to take a risk on a new edition. A second edition appeared in 1954, published by Schott & Co. Ltd, who also reissued that edition unaltered in 1974. In the revised version Bone also included entries on composers and players still living at the time, including Julian Bream, Elton Hayes and Andres Segovia.

Bone continued his researches until his death at Luton in 1964, aged 91.

List of biographies in The Guitar and Mandolin of these instruments Verini, Phillipe Raphael Jean Baptiste 297 guitar, vocalist, composermethod: First riders of a Spanish guitarVidal, B. 297 guitar, composer Vimercati, Pietro 298 mandolin early mandolin virtuoso, toured Europe early 1800s Wanczura, Joseph 299guitar, piano, composer Wanhall, John Baptist 299violin, guitar, composition alt. Vanhall. no less than a hundred symphonies, a like number of quartets, numerous masses and other church music, much piano music and many compositions for the guitar Wassermann, Heinrich 300violin, guitar Weber, Carl Maria 300 300-306guitar, piano, composer founder of German opera. author of more than ninety songs with guitar accompaniment, and in addition, many compositions for the guitar in combination with other instruments. Weber, Gotfried 306-308 composer, musical theorist, guitar, flute, piano, violin-cello close friend of Carl Maria Weber Wyssotzki, Michael Th.308 308 7-string guitarpupil of the great virtuoso Sychra, Zumsteeg, Johann Rudolf 308 violin-cello, guitar Bertucci, Constantino 310 309 mandolin, guitarmethod: Method for the mandolin, in three parts Donizetti, Gaetano 310opera composer wrote for the guitar Hummel, J. N. 310-312opera composer writes for guitar; Concerto for the mandolin