Thomas Bidgood (7 October 1858 – 1 March 1925) was an English conductor, composer and arranger.

Life

Thomas Bidgood was born in

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. His father was William John Bidgood, a master plumber, and his mother was Jane Bidgood, née Williams. His early musical training included learning the

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

at the London Academy of Music, taught by Signor Erba, and singing in the church choir. He also learnt a number of wind instruments after going to concerts given by the band of the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. He played the althorn and E bass in the band of the 9th Kent Artillery Volunteers. While studying at the London Conservatory of Music, Bidgood won several awards for his achievements. After graduation, he worked as an orchestral conductor, teacher and composer. While working at the

Beckton Gas Works Beckton Gasworks was a major London gasworks built to manufacture coal gas and other products including coke from coal. It has been variously described as 'the largest such plant in the world' Winchester C (Ed), ''Handling 2,000,000 tons of coa ...

, he became bandmaster of the Beckton Band of the Gas, Light and Coke Company. Later, Bidgood founded various theatre orchestras in addition to conducting his own professional orchestra and

wind band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...

. As a composer he wrote entertainment music,

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...

es, dances and marches. A glimpse into his personal life is given by a report in ''

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'' (f ...

''. In February 1891, he and his wife were living at 5 Vicarage Lane,

West Ham West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham. The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancient ...

, and the house was burgled. Bidgood returned from a professional engagement at around 2 a.m., went down for supper, and apprehended the burglar in the breakfast room. At the Police Station, the burglar was relieved of Bidgood's waistcoat, jacket, blue dust coat, overcoat, watch and chain, and other articles. With his wife Emily, Bidgood had two children, but this marriage did not last. He set up home with Rosetta Butler (née Casselden), and they settled in

under the surname of Barnard and had four sons. By 1911, they had moved to 162, Harringay Road,

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Wal ...

, 1911 census. The couple lived at the time at 162, Harringay Road in

Harringay Harringay (pronounced ) is a district of north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the New River, where it crosses Green Lanes by Finsbury Park, and Duckett' ...

. Wife's forename from 1922 Electoral Register for Tottenham. where they stayed until Bidgood's death on 1 March 1925 at that same address."BIDGOOD Thomas of 162 Harringay-road Green-lanes Tottenham Middlesex died 1 March 1925 Administration (with Will) to Emily Louise Bidgood widow. Effects £100." According to a coroner's report written on 3 March 1925, Bidgood committed suicide by gas poisoning "while of unsound mind" and is buried in an unmarked grave in

Tottenham Cemetery Tottenham Cemetery is a large burial ground in Tottenham in the London Borough of Haringey, in north London, England. It was opened in 1858 by the Tottenham Burial Board to replace the churchyard of All Hallows' Church, Tottenham which had clo ...

. He left an estate valued at £100, and his widow, Emily Louise, had the administration of it. He was the father of bandleader Harry Bidgood as well as the composer, conductor and founder of the London Chamber Orchestra,

Anthony Bernard Anthony Bernard (25 January 18916 April 1963) was an English conductor, organist, pianist and composer. Early life Anthony Bernard's birth was registered as Alan Charles Butler in West Ham, then classified as Essex, in early 1891. His mother was ...

Works

His works include: *'' Sons of the Brave'', his most famous march, written in 1898, very popular during the

Boer Wars The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. It covers civil wars and wars of aggression and of self-defence both within South Africa and against it. It in ...

, later used in the film ''

A Canterbury Tale ''A Canterbury Tale'' is a 1944 British film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger starring Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price and Sgt. John Sweet; Esmond Knight provided narration and played two small roles. For the post-war American ...

'' (1944) *''In Coonland'' (1901) - American Fantasia *other marches including: **''Knight Errant'' (1901) **''The Lads in Navy Blue'', ''Merry Soldiers'', ''Silent Heroes'' (1909) **''The British Legion'' and ''A Call to Arms'' (1912) **''My Old Kentucky Home'' and ''On to Victory'' (1917) **''For King and Country'' (1920) **''

Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...

'' (1921) **''Heroes of the Flag'' (1926) **''Allies Parade'', ''The Farmer's Boy'', ''The Heroes of England'', ''Rubinstein March'', ''Where Glory Leads'' and ''St Patrick’s March'' *''A Motor ride'', a humorous orchestral piece that had some popularity in the pre-1914 motoring age *''Honoraria''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bidgood, Thomas English composers 1858 births 1925 deaths British military musicians 1925 suicides People from Harringay Suicides by gas Suicides in Tottenham