Frederick William Nicholls Crouch (30 July 1808 – 18 August 1896) was an English composer and cellist.

Biography

Crouch was born in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

in London. He emigrated to the United States in 1849 and settled in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Crouch took up arms for the Richmond Grays and the 1st Richmond Howitzers, Confederacy. Crouch was noted as a fine cellist, having played in the King's Theatre as well as

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

in London, before relocating to the United States, but the majority of his compositions were not successful. His most famous song is "

Kathleen Mavourneen "Kathleen Mavourneen" is a song written in 1837, composed by Frederick Crouch with lyrics by a Mrs. Crawford. Crawford's name is variously cited as Annie, Julia,Bruce Stewart, ''Ricorso: A Catalogue of Full-text Works on Ireland in the Internet Arc ...

". During his years in the United States, Crouch composed two operas and unsuccessfully tried various musical undertakings (i.e., conducting, singing and teaching). Well traveled after the Civil War, Crouch eventually settled in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Maryland. He was married four times, and was the father of 27 children, including the famous French courtesan

Cora Pearl Cora Pearl (born Eliza Emma Crouch; December 1836 – 8 July 1886) was an English courtesan or cocotte of the French demimonde who became most well known during the period of the Second French Empire. Early life Eliza Emma Crouch was born in Ply ...

. He died on 18 August 1896 in Portland, Maine, and was buried on Confederate Hill in Baltimore's

Loudon Park Cemetery Loudon Park Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. It was incorporated on January 27, 1853, on of the site of the "Loudon" estate, previously owned by James Carey, a local merchant and politician. The entrance to the cemetery i ...

.''Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers''
/ref>

References

External links

Frederick Nicholls Crouch on allmusic Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederic ...

* * English Romantic composers English classical composers English classical cellists 1808 births 1896 deaths 19th-century classical composers English male classical composers 19th-century English musicians 19th-century British composers 19th-century British male musicians Burials at Loudon Park Cemetery 20th-century cellists {{UK-composer-stub