Thomas Willert Beale (1828 – 3 October 1894) was an English miscellaneous writer, who also wrote under the pseudonym Walter Maynard.

Life

Beale was the only son of Frederick Beale (d. 1863), of the music publishing firm of Cramer, Beale, & Addison of

Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash and James Burton. It runs from Waterloo Place ...

. He was admitted student of

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

on 18 April 1860, and was called to the bar in 1863; but music claimed his interests, and, having received lessons from Edward Roeckel and others, he managed operas in London and the provinces, and toured with some of the most notable musicians of his time. As 'Walter Maynard,' he wrote an account of one of these tours, with reminiscences of

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Grisi Grisi may refer to: * Alfredo Grisi (1900–?), Mexican Olympic fencer * Carlotta Grisi (1819–1899), Italian ballet dancer, cousin of Giuditta and Giulia * Giuditta Grisi (1805–1840), Italian mezzo-soprano opera singer, sister of Giulia * Giuli ...

, Guiglini, Lablache, and others, entitled 'The Enterprising Impresario' (London, 1867). Beale originated the national music meetings at the Crystal Palace with the object of bringing meritorious young musicians to the front, and took a leading part in the institution of the

New Philharmonic Society The New Philharmonic Society was a British music society, established in 1852, giving annual series of subscription concerts of orchestral music in London until 1879. The concerts in the first season were conducted by Hector Berlioz. History Prosp ...

, at which Berlioz conducted some of his compositions by Beale's invitation. It was under his management that Thackeray came out as a lecturer. He wrote a large number of songs and pianoforte pieces, besides ''Instructions in the Art of Singing'' (London, 1853), and a series of ''Music Copy Books'' (London, 1871). In February 1877 he produced at the Crystal Palace a farce called ''The Three Years' System'', and a three-act drama, ''A Shadow on the Hearth''; an operetta, ''An Easter Egg'', was produced at

Terry's Theatre Terry's Theatre was a West End theatre in the Strand, in the City of Westminster, London. Built in 1887, it became a cinema in 1910 before being demolished in 1923. History The theatre was built in 1887, near Fountain's Court, on the site of a ...

in December 1893. His autobiography, ''The Light of other Days as seen through the wrong end of an Opera Glass'', was published in 2 vols., London, 1890. He died at

Gipsy Hill Gipsy Hill in south London is a hilly neighbourhood spanning the southern parts of the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark characterised for its great views of the City of London and Dulwich. Historically, north of its traditional Westow ...

on 3 Oct. 1894, and was buried at Norwood Cemetery. Late in life he married the widow of John Robinson of Hong Kong ; she was a good singer and musician.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Beale, Thomas Willert 19th-century English non-fiction writers English writers about music 1828 births 1894 deaths Burials at West Norwood Cemetery