Ernest Walker (15 July 187021 February 1949) was an Indian-born English composer and writer on music, as well as a pianist, organist and teacher. Ernest Walker, circa 1903

Biography

Ernest Walker was born in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, in 1870, where his father was a partner in a merchant firm (his father had also had ambitions to be a writer, and even published two novels under the pseudonym "Powys Oswyn", but these plans were abandoned). Ernest came to England with his parents in 1871. From an early age he exhibited a mystic attraction to nature. He studied the piano with

Ernst Pauer Ernst Pauer (21 December 1826 – 5 May 1905) was an Austrian pianist, composer and educator. Biography Pauer formed a direct link with great Viennese traditions: he was born in Vienna, his mother was a member of the famous Streicher family o ...

and harmony with Alfred Richter (a son of the cantor at St Thomas's Church, Leipzig). Through a mutual friend, he became friendly with

Harold Bauer Harold Victor Bauer (28 April 1873 – 12 March 1951) was a noted pianist of Jewish heritage who began his musical career as a violinist. Biography Harold Bauer was born in Kingston upon Thames; his father was a German violinist and his mot ...

(then still only a violinist) and the two would often play duos together. He was educated at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, becoming a Doctor of Music in 1898. There, his mystical bent was fostered and became more pronounced. He was assistant organist at

Balliol College Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

from 1891 to 1901, and organist from 1901 to 1913 (resigning only because he felt his private views on religion were incompatible with the religious nature of the texts sung by the choir, even though there was no requirement that the organist profess Christian beliefs). He remained at Oxford for the rest of his life, and died there. He was director of music at Balliol from 1901 to 1925 and organised the Sunday chamber music concerts there, at which he often appeared as a pianist. He arranged appearances at these concerts by artists such as the baritone

Harry Plunket Greene Harry Plunket Greene (24 June 1865 – 19 August 1936) was an Irish baritone who was most famous in the formal concert and oratorio repertoire. He wrote and lectured on his art, and was active in the field of musical competitions and examinations ...

, the tenors

Steuart Wilson Sir James Steuart Wilson (21 July 1889 – 18 December 1966) was an English singer, known for tenor roles in oratorios and concerts in the first half of the 20th century. After the Second World War he was an administrator for several organ ...

and

Gervase Elwes Gervase Henry Cary-Elwes, DL (15 November 1866 – 12 January 1921), better known as Gervase Elwes, was an English tenor of great distinction, who exercised a powerful influence over the development of English music from the early 1900s up un ...

, the pianists

Fanny Davies Fanny Davies (27 June 1861 - 1 September 1934) was a British pianist who was particularly admired in Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, and the early schools, but was also a very early London performer of the works of Debussy and Scriabin. In England ...

Leonard Borwick Leonard Borwick (26 February 1868 – 15 September 1925) was an English concert pianist especially associated with the music of Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. Early training and debuts Born in Walthamstow, Essex, of a Staffordshire fam ...

and

Donald Tovey Sir Donald Francis Tovey (17 July 187510 July 1940) was a British musical analyst, musicologist, writer on music, composer, conductor and pianist. He had been best known for his '' Essays in Musical Analysis'' and his editions of works by Bach ...

, the violinists

Adolf Busch Adolf Georg Wilhelm Busch (8 August 1891 – 9 June 1952) was a German–Swiss violinist, conductor, and composer. Life and career Busch was born in Siegen in Westphalia. He studied at the Cologne Conservatory with Willy Hess and Bram Elderin ...

and

Jelly d'Arányi Jelly d'Aranyi, fully Jelly Aranyi de Hunyadvár ( hu, Hunyadvári Aranyi Jelly (30 May 189330 March 1966) was a Hungarian violinist who made her home in London. She was born in Budapest, the great-niece of Joseph Joachim and sister of the violin ...

, and the violist

Lionel Tertis Lionel Tertis, CBE (29 December 187622 February 1975) was an English violist. He was one of the first viola players to achieve international fame and a noted teacher. Career Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants ...

. These concerts often featured works then hardly known in England, such as

César Franck César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in modern-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of his birth was p ...

's Violin Sonata in A major, and songs by

Joseph Marx Joseph Rupert Rudolf Marx (11 May 1882 – 3 September 1964) was an Austrian composer, teacher and critic. Life and career Marx was born in Graz and pursued studies in philosophy, art history, German studies, and music at Graz University, earni ...

and

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

. He was for many years an examiner and member of the Board of Studies for music, and he did much to improve the standard of the B.Mus and D.Mus degrees. He encouraged many promising musicians, among them the Australian

Frederick Septimus Kelly Frederick Septimus Kelly (29 May 1881 – 13 November 1916) was an Australian and British musician and composer and a rowing (sport), rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. After surviving the Gallipoli campaign He was killed in action ...

, who was killed in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and Donald Tovey, who became his lifelong friend. Tovey dedicated his ''Balliol Dances'' for piano duet to Ernest Walker. He championed the music of

Hugo Wolf Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (13 March 1860 – 22 February 1903) was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or Lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Ro ...

and

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

, and introduced some of

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

's late works to England (the piano pieces, Op. 117, and the Rhapsody from Op. 119). He also played for the first time in England some

Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (; russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин ; – ) was a Russian composer and virtuoso pianist. Before 1903, Scriabin was greatly influenced by the music of Frédéric Chopin and composed ...

and Debussy piano pieces,

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University ...

's ''Aus meinem Tagebuch'', and

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

's Prelude in C sharp minor. Walker had a great reputation as an accompanist, and played for artists such as

Pablo Casals Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), usually known in English by his Castilian Spanish name Pablo Casals,

, on one occasion in 1898 performing together for

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

at Osborne House. As late as 1947, Casals wrote to Walker expressing his admiration for the musicianship he had displayed almost 50 years earlier. He also accompanied

Joseph Joachim Joseph Joachim (28 June 1831 – 15 August 1907) was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher who made an international career, based in Hanover and Berlin. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of ...

in concert; Joachim later wrote to Walker to express his gratitude for the quality of his playing. Privately, he played violin sonatas with

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...

. He edited the ''Musical Gazette'', a quarterly publication, from 1899 to 1902. He wrote the

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

number of the ''Music of the Masters'' series (1905). He wrote a number of articles for the 2nd edition of

Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the History of music, ...

(1902). He wrote articles and critiques for ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' and ''

Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', and wrote program notes for concerts. His most important literary work is ''History of Music in England'' (1907, rev. 1923; rev. 1952 by

Jack Westrup Sir Jack Westrup (26 July 190421 April 1975) was an English musicologist, writer, teacher and occasional conductor and composer. Biography Jack Allan Westrup was the second of the three sons of George Westrup, insurance clerk, of Dulwich, and his ...

). In 1996, the musicologist

Paul Henry Lang Paul Henry Lang (August 28, 1901 – September 21, 1991) was a Hungarian-American musicologist and music critic. Career Lang was born as "Pál Láng" in Budapest, Hungary, and was educated in Catholic schools. In 1918, as World War I was coming ...

, wrote of it: Walker's essays written over a 30-year period were collected in ''Free Thought and the Musician'' (1946), in which he explains his philosophical, religious and mystical views. Although he is described as a man of unfailing integrity and kindliness, he was a man of strong prejudices: he condemned Victorian music:

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

("disgraceful rubbish"), and

John Stainer Sir John Stainer (6 June 1840 – 31 March 1901) was an English composer and organist whose music, though seldom performed today (with the exception of ''The Crucifixion'', still heard at Passiontide in some churches of the Anglican Communi ...

's ''

The Crucifixion The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and considere ...

'', and he dismissed all medieval music as "pre-artistic". Among Walker's students were

Herbert Murrill Herbert Henry John Murrill (11 May 1909 – 25 July 1952) was an English musician, composer, and organist. Education and early career Herbert Henry John (later just Herbert) Murrill was born in London, at 19, Fircroft Road in Upper Tooting, th ...

Reginald Jacques Thomas Reginald Jacques (13 January 1894 – 2 June 1969) was an English choral and orchestral conductor. His legacy includes various choral music arrangements, but he is not primarily remembered as a composer. Jacques was born in Ashby-de-l ...

Victor Hely-Hutchinson Christian Victor Noel Hope Hely-Hutchinson (26 December 1901 – 11 March 1947) was a British composer, conductor, pianist and music administrator. He is best known for the ''Carol Symphony'' and for humorous song-settings.Hurd, Michael'Hely ...

, Sir Thomas Armstrong,

Graham Peel Gerald Graham 'Graham' Peel (1877 – November 1937) was an English composer. Life Graham Peel's father was Gerald Peel, a millionaire Lancashire cotton spinner and magistrate of Pendlebury, near Manchester, England. During his life, Peel was on ...

, Sir William McKie,

Robert Still Robert Still (10 June 1910 – 13 January 1971) was a wide-ranging English composer of tonal music, who made strong use of dissonance.Still, Elizabeth. Biographical note toIsmeron CD JMSCD 8(2006) He produced four symphonies and four string qua ...

, and

Gervase Hughes Gervase Alfred Booth Hughes (1 September 1905 – July 1984) was an English composer, conductor and writer on music. From 1926 to 1933, Hughes pursued a career as a conductor and chorus master, principally at the British National Opera Company, ...

. He resigned as Director of Music at Balliol College to devote himself to composition. In 1942 the Cobbett Gold Medal of the

Worshipful Company of Musicians The Worshipful Company of Musicians is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Its history dates back to at least 1350. Originally a specialist guild for musicians, its role became an anachronism in the 18th century, when the centre of ...

was conferred on him. He died in 1949, aged 78. He was mourned by many, and those who paid tribute to him included

Albert Schweitzer Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was an Alsatian-German/French polymath. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. A Lutheran minister, Schwei ...

Music

Ernest Walker's style as a composer is conventional and conservative. It was described by ''The Manchester Guardian'' as not particularly distinguished but sensitive in expression and technically skilful. After 1914 his chromatic harmony became much more pronounced. The majority of his music is written for voices – many choral pieces (partsongs, anthems and motets), songs, and vocal duets and quartets. His works include a ''Stabat Mater'' (1898), ''I will lift up mine eyes'', Op. 16, No. 1 (1899), ''Hymn to Dionysus'', Op. 13 (1906), ''Ode to a Nightingale'', Op. 14 (1908; words by

John Keats John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tuberculo ...

), and ''One generation passeth away'', Op. 56 (1934). There is also vocal

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...

to '' Rhesus'' (attrib.

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

; 1922; sung to a Greek text). He wrote little orchestral music and no concertante works. His major orchestral work was ''Fantasia-Variations on a Norfolk folksong'', Op. 45 (1930; also exists as a piano duet). His chamber music includes: a piano trio, 2 piano quartets, a piano quintet, a horn quintet, a Minuet and Trio for 2 violins and piano, and a Fantasia for string quartet. He also wrote other instrumental music: 2 violin sonatas (1895, 1910); a viola sonata (1897); a cello sonata (1914); Variations on an Original Theme for viola and piano (1907); Variations on a Theme by

for violin and piano (1918); and other pieces for piano with violin, viola, cello, clarinet or horn. His solo piano music consists mainly of short pieces, miniatures, album leaves, preludes and the like. There is also ''Variations on a Norwegian Air'', Op. 4 (1894), the suite ''The Days of the Week'' (1904), a ''West African Fantasietta'', Op. 63 (1935), and a Study for the Left Hand, Op. 47. He arranged the ''Allegro assai'' from

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...

's String Quartet in F minor, for piano solo. For piano duet, he wrote Six Duettinos, Op. 39 (1926), a ''West African Fantasia'', Op. 53 (1933), and a Rhapsody and Fugue, Op. 57 (1934). There is also a ''Waltz Suite'', Op. 60 (1935) for two pianos. He wrote

cadenza In music, a cadenza (from it, cadenza, link=no , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvisation, improvised or written-out ornament (music), ornamental passage (music), passage played or sung by a solo (music), sol ...

s for five

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

piano concertos, and for

's Piano Concerto No. 3. He wrote two solo pieces for piano left hand, composed long before he met the left-handed pianist

Paul Wittgenstein Paul Wittgenstein (November 5, 1887March 3, 1961) was an Austrian-American concert pianist notable for commissioning new piano concerti for the left hand alone, following the amputation of his right arm during the First World War. He devised nove ...

and became friendly with him: Study for the Left Hand, Op. 47 (1901); and Prelude (Larghetto), Op. 61. He later presented these to Wittgenstein. In 1933 he wrote a piano quintet specifically for Wittgenstein and dedicated it to him. This was the Variations on an Original Theme for clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano left hand. It was premiered by Wittgenstein on 24 March 1935 in Vienna. Only two works for organ came from his pen: a Prelude and Fugue in D, Op. 23 (1908), and ''Ten Preludes on the Lady Margaret Hall Hymn-tunes'', Op. 50 (1923). This last work has been described as among the few significant contributions to English organ music of the 20th century. The Ten Preludes also exist in a choral version (Op. 51). Some of his music has been recorded: the Cello Sonata; the Adagio for Horn and Organ; and some of his choral pieces.

List of works

;Stage * ''Rhesus'', Incidental Music to the play by

for male chorus, Op. 35 (1923) ;Orchestral * ''Lyrics'' for string orchestra (1892) * ''Concert Overture'' in F minor (1897) * ''Intermezzo'' for string orchestra (2 clarinets ad libitum) and piano, Op. 22 (1908) * ''Ground'' for string orchestra (1911) * ''Fantasia-Variations on a Norfolk Folk Song'', Op. 45 (1930); original version for piano 4-hands ;Chamber music * Piano Trio in C minor for violin, cello and piano (1896) * ''Ballade'' in D minor for violin and piano, Op. 6 (1896) * Sonata No. 1 in A minor for violin and piano, Op. 8 (1895); published 1898 * ''Romance'' in B major for viola (or clarinet) and piano, Op. 9 (1898) * Quartet in D major for violin, viola, cello and piano (1899) * Quintet in B minor for horn, 2 violins, viola and cello (1900) * ''Ballade'' in F major for cello and piano, Op. 11 No. 1 (1900) * Adagio in E major for cello (or horn) and piano, Op. 11 No. 2 (1900) * ''Minuet and Trio'' for 2 violins and piano, Op. 20 (1904) * ''Romance and Caprice'' for violin and piano (1904) * Quintet in A major for 2 violins, viola, cello and piano (1905) * ''Variations on an Original Theme'' for viola and piano (1907) * Quartet in C minor for violin, viola, cello and piano (1910) * Sonata in C major for viola and piano, Op. 29 (1897); published 1912 * ''Variations on an Original Theme'' for clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano left-hand (1913); written for

* ''Fantasia'' in D major for string quartet, Op. 32 (1923) * ''Variations on a Theme of

'' for violin and piano, Op. 40 (1918); published 1927 * Sonata in F minor for cello and piano, Op. 41 (1914); published 1928 * Sonata No. 2 in E major for violin and piano, Op. 44 (1910); published 1930 * '' The Londonderry Air'', Arrangement for violin and piano, Op. 59 (1935) ;Organ * ''Prelude and Fugue in D'', Op. 23 (1908) * ''Ten Preludes on the Lady Margaret Hall Hymn-Tunes'', Op. 50 (1932); also for chorus, Op. 51 ;Piano * ''Rhapsody'' in G minor (1892) * ''Variations on a Norwegian Air'', Op. 4 (1894) * ''Romance and Capriccio'', Op. 5 (1895) * ''Album Leaf No. 1'' (1895) * ''Mazurka'' (1897) * ''Intermezzo in Tenths'' (1897) * ''Album Leaf No. 2'' (1898) * ''The Days of the Week'', 7 Short Pieces (1904); No. 1 published as Op. 37 * ''Prelude'' in E major, Op. 37 (1904); published 1925; used in the variation movement of Violin Sonata, Op. 44 * ''6 Duettinos'' for piano 4-hands, Op. 39 (1926) * ''3 Dedications'', Op. 42 (1929) * ''Easter Piece'', Op. 43 (1929) * ''Fantasia-Variations on a Norfolk Folk-Song'' for piano 4-hands, Op. 45 (1930); also orchestrated * ''4 Miniatures'', Op. 46 (1931) * ''Study for the Left Hand'' for piano left-hand, Op. 47 (1901); published 1931; written for

* ''3 Fughettas'', Op. 49 (1932) * ''A West African Fantasia'' for piano 4-hands, Op. 53 (1933) * ''Christmas Piece'', Op. 54 (1933) * ''Rhapsody and Fugue'' for piano 4-hands, Op. 57 (1932); published 1934 * ''A Waltz Suite'' for 2 pianos, Op. 60 (1935) * ''Prelude for the Left Hand'', Larghetto for piano left-hand, Op. 61 (1935); written for

* ''West African Fantasietta'', Op. 63 (1935) ;Vocal * ''Brown Is My Love'', Madrigal for 5 voices (1893) * ''From the Upland and the Sea'' for baritone, 2 violins, viola, cello and piano (1894); words by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

* ''A Message'' for voice and piano (1894); words by G. H. F. Cookson * ''Le Tsigane dans la lune'' for voice and piano (1894); words by

Jean Lahor Henri Cazalis (; 9 March 1840, Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Val-d'Oise – 1 July 1909, Geneva) was a French physician who was a symbolist poet and man of letters and wrote under the pseudonyms of Jean Caselli and Jean Lahor. His works include: *''Cha ...

* ''Why So Pale and Wan?'' for voice and piano (1895); words by John Suckling * ''6 Songs'' for medium voice and piano, Op. 1; words by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and

Ludwig Uhland Johann Ludwig Uhland (26 April 1787 – 13 November 1862) was a German poet, philologist and literary historian. Biography He was born in Tübingen, Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, but also took an interest i ...

* ''3 Songs'' for voice and piano (1898); words by Olga von Gerstfeldt * ''6 Two-part Songs'' for 2 female voices and piano, Op. 2 (published 1898); words by Robert Herrick,

and

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...

* ''6 Songs'' for voice and piano, Op. 3 (1893); words by

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

and Karl Candidus * ''6 Two-part Songs'' for 2 female voices and piano, Op. 7 (1897); words from ''

Songs of Innocence and of Experience ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' is a collection of illustrated poems by William Blake. It appeared in two phases: a few first copies were printed and illuminated by Blake himself in 1789; five years later, he bound these poems with a ...

'' by

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

* ''The Wind on the Wold'' for high voice and piano (1902); words by

William Ernest Henley William Ernest Henley (23 August 184911 July 1903) was an English poet, writer, critic and editor. Though he wrote several books of poetry, Henley is remembered most often for his 1875 poem "Invictus". A fixture in London literary circles, the o ...

* ''Three War Songs'' for voice and piano (1902); words from '' The Princess'' by

* ''2 Duets'' for soprano, baritone and piano (1902); words by Robert Herrick and from an Elizabethan songbook * ''6 Songs'' for low voice and piano, Op. 12; words by

Christina Rossetti Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English writer of romantic, devotional and children's poems, including "Goblin Market" and "Remember". She also wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in Brit ...

, Olga von Gerstfeldt,

, Robert Herrick and

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...

* ''I Care Not for the Idle State'', Anacreontic Ode for baritone and piano, Op. 15; words by

* ''Corinna's Going A-Maying'' for voice and piano, Op. 18 (1902); words by Robert Herrick * ''Camilla Fair'' for voice and piano (1903); words from an Elizabethan song-book * ''2 Songs'' for voice and piano, Op. 19 (1903); words by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

and

Charles Kingsley Charles Kingsley (12 June 1819 – 23 January 1875) was a broad church priest of the Church of England, a university professor, social reformer, historian, novelist and poet. He is particularly associated with Christian socialism, the working ...

* Duets for alto and tenor (1904); words by

* ''Bluebells from the Clearings'' for voice and piano, Op. 21 (1906); words by

* ''3 Songs'' for voice and piano, Op. 27 (1909); words from an Elizabethan manuscript and by

Sydney Thompson Dobell Sydney Thompson Dobell (5 April 182422 August 1874) was an English poet and critic, and a member of the so-called Spasmodic school. Biography Dobell was born at Cranbrook, Kent. His father, John Dobell, was a wine merchant and his mother Julie ...

* ''To Althea'' for voice and piano (1909); words by Richard Lovelace * ''Come into the Garden, Maud'' for voice and piano, Op. 28 (1911); words by

* ''5 Songs'' for voices and piano, Op. 36 (1924); words by Robert Greene,

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

Thomas Ravenscroft Thomas Ravenscroft ( – 1635) was an English musician, theorist and editor, notable as a composer of rounds and catches, and especially for compiling collections of British folk music. Little is known of Ravenscroft's early life. He prob ...

Beaumont and Fletcher Beaumont and Fletcher were the English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, who collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I (1603–25). They became known as a team early in their association, so much so that their jo ...

, Mary Scott * ''Songs with Small Orchestra'' for high voice and small orchestra (or piano), Op. 38 (1926); words by

* ''Ring Out, Wild Bells'', Canon for two equal voices and piano, Op. 64 (1937); words by

;Choral * ''Psalm 130 "De Profundis"'' for soloists, chorus and orchestra (1892) * ''Stabat Mater'' for 4 solo voices, mixed chorus and orchestra (1897) * ''5 Songs'' for 4 voices and piano, Op. 10 (1900); words from

Englands Helicon ''Englands Helicon'' is an anthology of Elizabethan pastoral poems compiled by John Flasket, and first published in 1600. There was an enlarged edition in 1614. The word Helicon refers to the Greek mountain on which, in Greek mythology, two s ...

(1600) * ''A Hymn to Dionysus'' for mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 13 (1906); words by

* ''Ode to a Nightingale'' for baritone solo, clarinet solo, mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 14 (1908); words by

* ''2 Anthems'' for male voices and organ, Op. 16 (1899) :# I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes (also for female voices and organ) :# Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Refuge (also for mixed voices and organ) * ''6 Three-part Songs'' for 3 female voices and piano, Op. 17 (1901–1908) * ''The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls'' for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 24 (1906); words by

* ''The World's Wanderers'', Part-Song for 3 female voices and piano, Op. 25 (1906); words by

* ''Liberty'', Part-Song for 4 male voices a cappella, Op. 26 (1906); words by

* ''Neptune's Empire'', Choral Lyric for chorus and orchestra (1910); words by

Thomas Campion Thomas Campion (sometimes spelled Campian; 12 February 1567 – 1 March 1620) was an English composer, poet, and physician. He was born in London, educated at Cambridge, studied law in Gray's inn. He wrote over a hundred lute songs, masques for ...

* ''3 Part-Songs'' for 3 female voices a cappella, Op. 30 (1912, 1914); words by Robert Herrick * ''In Pride of May'', Part-Song for 3 female voices and piano, Op. 31 (1914); words from an Elizabethan songbook * ''Orpheus with His Lute'', Part-Song for mixed voices a cappella, Op. 33 (1922); words by

* ''Full Fathom Five'', Song for 6 soprano voices a cappella, Op. 34 (1923); words by

* ''Soft Music'', Part-Song for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 48 (1931); words by Robert Herrick * ''The Lady Margaret Hall Hymn-Tunes'' for chorus a cappella, Op. 51 (1932); also for organ * ''The Earth Is the Lord's'', Motet for female chorus a cappella, Op. 52 (1932) * ''Sunset and Evening Star'', Choral Song for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 55 (1932); published 1934; words by

* ''One Generation Passeth Away'', Motet for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 56 (1934); Biblical words from

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes (; hbo, קֹהֶלֶת, Qōheleṯ, grc, Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklēsiastēs) is one of the Ketuvim ("Writings") of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Wisdom literature of the Christian Old Testament. The title commonly use ...

* ''Hearken to Me, Ye That Follow after Righteousness'', Motet for female chorus a cappella, piano or organ ad libitum, Op. 58 (1934); Biblical words from the

Book of Isaiah The Book of Isaiah ( he, ספר ישעיהו, ) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BC ...

* ''Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis'' in D major for female voices and organ, Op. 62 (1935) * ''Song from Schiller's "Wilhelm Tell"'' for voice and piano (1937); words by

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...

* ''Dirge in Woods'' for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 65 (1939); words by

George Meredith George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but he gradually established a reputation as a novelist. ''The Ord ...

References

Sources

* Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed. 1954 *
Margaret Deneke, Ernest Walker, 1951

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Ernest 1870 births 1949 deaths English classical composers 20th-century classical composers English classical pianists Male classical pianists English classical organists British male organists English writers about music English music journalists British music educators Classical accompanists English male classical composers 20th-century English composers British male pianists 20th-century British male musicians Male classical organists