Louis Honig (26 March 1849 – 17 March 1906) was a composer, pianist, and Professor of Music at his Academy of Music in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

. He was born on 26 March 1849 in :de:Nieder-Ohmen,

Alsfeld Alsfeld () is a town in the center of Hesse, in Germany. Located about north of Frankfurt, Alsfeld is in the center of Hesse and part of the densely populated Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. It is well known for its well-preserved old ...

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...

n, Germany. His father was Johannes Honig (1811–1878).

Life

By the 1860s the family were living at White Hart Court, Greenfield Street,

Commercial Road Commercial Road is a street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. It is long, running from Gardiner's Corner (previously the site of Gardiners department store, and now Aldgate East Underground station), through ...

. Louis was already performing on the piano. By the 1870s he was advertising as a music teacher and held annual concerts at the Bow and Bromley Institute from about 1865. In 1869 he was recorded giving music lessons at 183, Cannon Street-road; in 1870 he was organist of St. Matthew's Church, Princes Square, and organist and choirmaster of St Benet's,

Mile End Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...

Road. He adapted music for the London Gaelic Choir, and in 1880 he was musical director of the Eastern District Post Office Brass Band of Bow. He described himself as a 'Professor of Music' with his Musical Academy established 1865 at 7 Bromley Street, Stepney. By the 1881 Census the family were living at 725, Commercial Road, Limehouse,

Stepney Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name appl ...

. A report on one of his Bow and Bromley concerts in 1882 noted how as "a youth of about 16 years of age, began to be talked of as a dashing pianist and a good singer" and "how rapidly he became teacher, organist, choirmaster, composer, musical director and master of all sorts of musical classes and societies", from "the local Town Hall to the Great St. James's Hall". In 1893 he reported that he had "instructed 1,750 pupils and brought forward 500 of them at his concerts." He was a member of the

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, composing and performing music for them. He was installed as the Worshipful Master of the Lodge of Asaph (for members of the musical and theatrical professions) in 1902 at Freemasons’ Hall. He published about ninety musical publications. In 1882 he composed the music for the comic opera 'The Postillion of Bath'. In 1887 he adapted a German comedy play by Von Moser called 'The Quack' for the

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

. In 1893 he composed the music for the operetta 'The King's Command' which toured the country as well as London, and another of his comic operettas, 'Katawompos', toured the provinces in 1896. According to the Thames Valley Times "His ballad, 'Loved Richmond' was much appreciated by the Princess of Wales". He was musical director to the Theatre Royal, Richmond, which had opened in 1890. From about 1883 the family lived at Waterford Lodge, 40 Queens Road,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

. On the 1891 Census they were living 70 Church Road, Richmond. His children were also musicians: Lily and Marguerite toured with Madame Levante's Orchestra of Ladies, Carl (Charles), performed with his parents at the

Royal Aquarium The Royal Aquarium and Winter Garden was a place of amusement in Westminster, London. It opened in 1876, and the building was demolished in 1903. The attraction was located northwest of Westminster Abbey on Tothill Street. The building was design ...

in 1892. Lily, Maggie and Louis Jr were reported returning from eight months' tour of Sweden and Norway in 1899. Louisa and Adelaide also performed. His nephew was the musician Victor Opfermann.

Selected works

Personal life

On 8 May 1870 he married Charlotte Cutler (b 1853) in

Emmanuel Church, Forest Gate Emmanuel Church, Forest Gate is a Church of England church in Forest Gate, east London. It was built in the Decorated Gothic variant of the neo-Gothic style in 1852 to designs by George Gilbert Scott and a new parish formed for it from parts of ...

, Essex. She died in 1874. Their children were Louise (b 1871), and Adelaide Henrietta (b 1872) both born in

Ratcliff Ratcliff or Ratcliffe is a locality in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames between Limehouse (to the east), and Shadwell (to the west). The place name is no longer commonly used. History Etymolog ...

. On 14 February 1875 he married Louisa Margaretta Schmidt (b 13 April 1853,

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, Hessen, Germany) in

St George's German Lutheran Church St George's German Lutheran Church is a church in Alie Street, Whitechapel just to the east of the City of London. From its foundation in 1762 until 1995 it was used by German Lutherans. Today the small vestry serves as an office for the Historic ...

Whitechapel Whitechapel is a district in East London and the future administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a part of the East End of London, east of Charing Cross. Part of the historic county of Middlesex, the area formed ...

, London. She died on 31 March 1885 of

consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...

. They had 8 children: Pauline (1875–1876), Louis John (1876–1926), Charles (b 1878), Caroline/Lilly (b 1880), Katherine (1882–1883), Margaretta (b 1882), Elizabeth (b & d 1884) and Philip (1884–1885). On 5 December 1885 he married Annie Grace Fladgate at St. Mary's Church, Walthamstow. She died following childbirth on 2 November 1887 at Waterford Lodge, Richmond Hill. They had two children: Max Lynton (1886–1974) and Grace Lucy (b 1887). His fourth marriage on 14 January 1889 was to Hannah Rosetta Dinah Parks (b 1860, Clerkenwell, London), held at

St John the Divine, Richmond St John the Divine, Richmond, in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, is a Grade II listed church on Kew Road, in Richmond, London, near Richmond railway station. Built in 1836, and a parish in its own right since 1838, it was designed by Lewis V ...

. She was a virtuoso flautist known as the 'Queen of Flute Players' who worked mainly in theatres using the name '

Cora Cardigan Cora Cardigan was the stage name of Hannah Rosetta Dinah Parks (1860 – 1931), an English virtuoso flautist known as the 'Queen of Flute Players' who worked mainly in theatres. She performed throughout Europe and the United States, and was known ...

'. She performed throughout Europe and the United States, and was known for her skill playing the flute, piccolo and violin. Their daughters were Pauline (1889-1982) and Lucy (1891-1892). He died on 17 March 1906 at his home Waterford Lodge, Queens Road, Richmond, of influenza and meningitis. He is buried in Richmond Old Cemetery along with his wife Louisa and his mother Elizabeth. Three Masonic Lodges were represented at his funeral as well as three bandsmen of the

1st Life Guards The 1st Regiment of Life Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1788 by the union of the 1st Troop of Horse Guards and 1st Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards. In 1922, it was amalgamated w ...

, where his son Carl was a trumpeter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Honig, Louis 1849 births 1906 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century English musicians 19th-century British male musicians English Freemasons German composers Musicians from London English musical theatre composers Burials at Richmond Cemetery