Charles O'Neill (31 August 1882 – 9 September 1964) was a Canadian
bandmaster,
composer,
organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...
,
cornetist, and
music educator
Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...
of Scottish birth and Irish parentage. Although he wrote many symphonic and choral works, the majority of his compositional output was devoted to band music.
Education and early career
Born in
Duntocher
Duntocher (Scottish Gaelic: ''Dùn Tòchair'' or ''Druim Tòchair'') is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It has an estimated population of 6,850. The etymology of the name of the village indicates that its name means "the fort on the c ...
to Irish parents, O'Neill began his musical training in the piano as a young child. He then studied the
organ with Albert Lister Peace in Glasgow and
music theory with Archibald Evans in London.
From 1897 to 1901 he serves as organist at
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of L ...
,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
and was a cornet player in a local band in that city.
In 1901 O'Neill moved to the United States, settling first in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
and then in New York City in 1903. He moved again in 1905 to
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...
in Canada, where he played in the
Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Band as a cornet soloist. In 1908 he returned to England to receive training as a bandmaster for at the
Royal Military School of Music
The Royal Military School of Music (RMSM) trains musicians for the British Army's fourteen regular bands, as part of the Royal Corps of Army Music. Until August 2021, the school was based at Kneller Hall in Twickenham, however it moved to HMS ...
at
Kneller Hall
Kneller Hall is a Grade II listed mansion in Whitton, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It housed the Royal Military School of Music, training musicians for the British Army, which acquired the building in the mid-19th century. I ...
through the support of the
Canadian Department of National Defence
The Department of National Defence (DND; french: Ministère de la Défense nationale) is the department of the Government of Canada which supports the Canadian Armed Forces in its role of defending Canadian national interests domestically and i ...
.
After earning a diploma from the RMSM in 1909, O'Neill returned to Canada in 1910 to succeed
Joseph Vézina
François-Joseph Vézina (June 11, 1849 in Quebec City – October 5, 1924 in Quebec City) was a Quebec conductor, composer, organist and music professor. Vézina is buried in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-de-Belmont in Sainte-Foy.
Early life
V ...
in the post of music director of the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery Band at the
Citadelle of Quebec
The Citadelle of Quebec (french: Citadelle de Québec), also known as ''La Citadelle'', is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of both the Canadian monarch and the governor general of Canada. It is located atop C ...
. He obtained the rank of captain in 1919. While directing the band he pursued further studies in music composition and theory with
Herbert Sanders
Herbert Sanders (20 September 1878 – 18 May 1938) was a Canadian organist, pianist, conductor, composer, music writer, and music educator of English birth. His compositions include numerous sacred songs, anthems, and organ works. He twi ...
in Ottawa and then entered the music program at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
. He earned a
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of pre ...
degree from McGill in 1914. Ten years later he earned a
Doctor of Music
The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted b ...
from McGill with an emphasis in composition. He composed his largest work, the
cantata ''The Ancient Mariner'' for chorus and orchestra, for his doctoral exercise.
Conductor, bandmaster, and adjudicator
In 1922 O'Neill was appointed the director of the
band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
*Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
*Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
of the newly formed
Royal 22nd Regiment
, colors = Scarlet with blue facings (full dress and mess dress)
, march = Quick: ''Vive la Canadienne''Slow: ''Marche lente du Royal 22e Régiment: La Prière en famille''
, mascot ...
; a post he held for the next 15 years.
The band was selected as the featured band of the 1927
Canadian National Exhibition
The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as The Exhibition or The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the third Friday of August leading up to and including Canadian Labour Day ...
, and he later conducted the Composite Permanent Force Band of Canada at the CNE in 1930.
He also served regularly as an adjudicator at the CNE from 1923 on. In 1928 he was a co-adjudicator with
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...
and
Edwin Franko Goldman
Edwin Franko Goldman (January 1, 1878 – February 21, 1956) was an American composer and conductor. One of the most significant American band composers of the early 20th century, Goldman composed over 150 works, but is best known for his marches. ...
at the US State and National Band Contests. He was also the vice president of the
Dominion College of Music during the 1920s and 1930s.
In 1933 to 1934 O'Neill served as the president of the
American Bandmasters Association
The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman to promote concert band music.Raoul F. Camus. "American Bandmasters Association." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/sub ...
. From 1935 to 1937 he was the conductor of the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
's orchestra in Quebec. He also worked as a guest conductor with several orchestras in Canada and the United States. In 1937 he was a guest conductor at the coronation of
George VI of the United Kingdom in London.
Later career and retirement
O'Neill resigned from his post with the Royal 22nd Regiment in 1937 in order to take a position on the faculty of the
Crane School of Music
The Crane School of Music is located in Potsdam, New York, and is one of three schools which make up the State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam.
Crane consists of approximately 630 undergraduate and 30 graduate students and a faculty o ...
at the
State University of New York at Potsdam where he taught music composition and conducting through 1947. He served as the head of the school's music department from 1942 to 1947. During these years he also served as the director of the summer music program and a summer school instructor at the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
.
In 1948 O'Neill returned to Canada to join the music theory and composition faculty at
The Royal Conservatory of Music
The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto Con ...
in Toronto. He taught there until his retirement in 1954. He served as honorary president of the
Canadian Band Association
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
from 1960 to 1964. He lived the remainder of his life in Quebec City and continued to compose up until his death in September, 1964 at the age of 82.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Charles
1882 births
1964 deaths
Alumni of the Royal Military School of Music
Canadian composers
Canadian male composers
Male conductors (music)
Canadian organists
Male organists
Canadian trumpeters
Male trumpeters
McGill University School of Music alumni
Canadian music educators
State University of New York at Potsdam faculty
Academic staff of The Royal Conservatory of Music
University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty
People from West Dunbartonshire
Canadian Army personnel
20th-century organists
20th-century trumpeters
20th-century Canadian conductors (music)
20th-century Canadian male musicians
Scottish emigrants to the United States
Scottish emigrants to Canada
Scottish people of Irish descent
Canadian people of Irish descent
Canadian military musicians