Percy Eastman Fletcher (12 December 1879 – 10 September 1932) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

best known today for his brass and military band music. He also worked as a highly successful musical director at London theatres.Obituary, ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 73, No. 1076 (October 1932), p. 944
/ref>

Life

Born in Derby, Fletcher was largely self-taught, though his parents were both musical and he learned to play violin, piano and organ before embarking on a career of theatrical conducting. He took positions at the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...

and the

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

under

Johnston Forbes-Robertson Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson (16 January 1853 – 6 November 1937''Sir Johnston Forbes Robertson, Beauty And Grace in Acting'', Obituaries, ''The Times'', 8 November 1937.) was an English actor and theatre manager and husband of actress Gertru ...

. In 1915 he was appointed musical director at His Majesty's Theatre by Sir Herbert Tree, where he stayed until his death. Here, from 1916, he conducted (and mostly orchestrated) the music for the record-breaking five year run of

Frederic Norton George Frederic Norton (11 October 186915 December 1946) was a British composer, most associated with the record breaking ''Chu Chin Chow'', which opened in 1916. Biography Norton was born in Broughton, Salford, England. He studied with Sir P ...

's ''

Chu Chin Chow ''Chu Chin Chow'' is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of ''Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves''. Gänzl, Kurt"''Chu Chin Chow'' Musical Tale of ...

''.Self, Geoffrey. 'Fletcher, Percy (Eastman)' in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001) As its successor, Fletcher composed his own musical comedy, ''Cairo'', which ran for 267 performances in 1921. A further comedy, ''The Good Old Days'' was produced at Her Majesty's in 1925. Although working in London, Fletcher lived in Farnborough, Hampshire for many years. There is a blue plaque marking his former residence on Sycamore Road, Farnborough Park. He died from a cerebral haemorrhage in

Holloway Sanatorium Holloway Sanatorium was an institution for the treatment of those suffering temporary mental illness, situated on of aesthetically landscaped grounds near Virginia Water, Surrey, England, about south-west of Charing Cross. Its largest buildin ...

Virginia Water Virginia Water is a commuter village in the Borough of Runnymede in northern Surrey, England. It is home to the Wentworth Estate and the Wentworth Club. The area has much woodland and occupies a large minority of the Runnymede district. Its nam ...

, aged 52.

Music

Works commissioned from Fletcher for brass band competitions include the tone poem ''Labour and Love'' used by the Irwell Springs Band to win the 1913 National Championships. This piece is often regarded as a significant moment in the development of the modern brass band movement and repertoire. It was followed by ''An Epic Symphony'', used as the test piece for the Championship Section of the National Championships in 1926, and revived regularly since. Philip Scowcroft rates it as his "most serious work in any medium".Scowcroft, Philip L. ''British Light Music'' (2013), p.45 It was recorded by the

Black Dyke Band Black Dyke Band, formerly John Foster & Son Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best-known brass bands in the world. It originated as multiple community bands founded by John Foster at his family's textile mill in Queensbury, West ...

in 1975. An article written for the brass band website 4barsrest.com places Fletcher amongst the ten greatest brass band composers. Fletcher also composed ballads, works for chorus, a string quartet, and suites for light orchestra, as well as the ''Passion of Christ'' (1922) and organ voluntaries for church use.'Fletcher: Music for Organ'
reviewed by ''MusicWeb International'' Intended to be performed by smaller, less experienced choirs, the ''Passion'' is sometimes used as an alternative to Stainer'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 ...

'', though its influences derive more from

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

than from

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 music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositi ...

. The orchestral suites (most of them also transcribed for piano), such as ''Rustic Revels'' (1918) and ''Sylvan Scenes'' (1921), suggest Fletcher's responses to Grieg and Coleridge-Taylor. Of the suites, ''Woodland Pictures'' gained widespread popularity, as did the waltz 'Bal Masque' from ''Parisienne Sketches'' (1914). Some vintage recordings of movements from these suites have been re-issued by Cavendish Music.'Percy Fletcher', The Cavendish Archive
/ref> Fletcher also orchestrated the ''Hiawatha'' (1919) and ''Minnehaha'' (1925) suites from Coleridge-Taylor's posthumous music.

Works

* ''At Gretna Green'', suite for orchestra (1926) * ''Ballade and Bergomask'' for orchestra (1931) * ''A Choral Rhapsody on Scottish Airs'', for chorus and orchestra (1915) * ''Cupid's Garland'', soloists, chorus and orchestra (1931) *''The Deacon's Masterpiece or The Wonderful "One-Hoss Shay"'' (1911) *''An Epic Symphony'' for brass band (1926) * ''Famous Beauties'', suite for orchestra *''Festival Toccata'' for organ (1915, written for

Edwin Lemare Edwin Henry LemareFrequently misspelled "Lamare" in early publications (9 September 1865 – 24 September 1934) was an English organist and composer who lived the latter part of his life in the United States. He was one of the most highly regarde ...

) *''Folk Tune and Fiddle Dance'' for strings (1914) *''Fountain Reverie'' for organ (1915) *Hymn Tune Voluntaries for the Organ (1906) *''Idylesques'' (aka ''Five Lyrical Pieces'', 1919) * ''In the Olden Style'', suite for orchestra *''Labour And Love'', tone poem for brass band (1913) * ''Parisienne Sketches'' suite for orchestra (1914) * ''Prelude, Interlude and Postlude'', for organ, Op.27 (1910) * ''The Passion of Christ'' for chorus (1922) *''Ring Out, Wild Bells'', a "Festival Carol" for choir and organ (1914) * ''Rustic Revels'', suite for orchestra (1918) *''A Song of Victory'' for SATB chorus and piano * ''The Spirit of Pageantry'', march (1911) * ''Sylvan Scenes'', suite for orchestra (1921) *''Vanity Fair'', overture *''The Walrus and the Carpenter'', for chorus (1910) * ''Woodland Pictures'', suite for orchestra (1920)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Percy 1879 births 1932 deaths Brass band composers English composers Light music composers People from Derby