George Perry (composer)
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George Frederick Perry (1793 – 4 March 1862) was a British violinist and organist, and composer of operas and
oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...
s. He was musical director of the
Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
, and later was leader of the orchestra of the Sacred Harmonic Society.


Early years

Perry was born in
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
in 1793; his father was a turner and an amateur bass singer who took part in the annual performance of an oratorio at the cathedral, under
John Christmas Beckwith John Christmas Beckwith (25 December 1759 – 3 June 1809) was an English organist and composer. Life Beckwith was born in Norwich on 25 December 1759, son of Edward Beckwith (1734–1793). His father and uncle were lay clerks at Norwich Cathedra ...
. Through Beckwith, Perry became a member of the cathedral choir, and his musical ability was noticed. Perry locally learned violin and piano, also harmony and composition. About 1818 Perry became leader of the orchestra at the
Theatre Royal, Norwich The Theatre Royal is an art-deco theatre in Norwich, Norfolk, England. It is one of the country's oldest established theatres. It hosts a large range of touring productions. The theatre had a £10m refurbishment in 2007, designed by Tim Foster ...
, then an institution enjoying a high reputation. Perry wrote an oratorio, ''The Death of Abel'' (text by George Bennett of the Norwich Theatre), which was first performed in Norwich, and afterwards repeated by the Sacred Harmonic Society in 1841 and 1845. Shortly after his appointment to the theatre he wrote another oratorio, ''Elijah and the Priests of Baal'', to a text by
James Plumptre James Plumptre (1771–1832) was an English clergyman and dramatist. Life James Plumptre was born at Cambridge on 2 October 1771, the third son of Robert Plumptre, President of Queens' College, Cambridge, by his wife, Anne Newcome.''ODNB'' The ...
, which was first performed in Norwich on 12 March 1819.


Haymarket Theatre

About 1822 Perry was appointed musical director of the
Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
in London, where he wrote a number of operas. His comic opera ''Morning, Noon, and Night'', with libretto by
Thomas John Dibdin Thomas John Dibdin (21 March 1771 – 16 September 1841) was an English dramatist and songwriter. Life Dibdin was the son of Charles Dibdin, a songwriter and theatre manager, and of "Mrs Davenet", an actress whose real name was Harriett Pitt ...
, included Madame Vestris in the cast; its opening night was 9 September 1822. A few years later he produced the oratorio ''The Fall of Jerusalem'', the text compiled from a poem by
Henry Hart Milman Henry Hart Milman (10 February 1791 – 24 September 1868) was an English historian and ecclesiastic. Life He was born in London, the third son of Sir Francis Milman, 1st Baronet, physician to King George III (see Milman Baronets). Educat ...
. A song from the oratorio, "Fair are the flowers", was reviewed in 1828: "The song perhaps cannot be said to contain either novel or striking ideas, yet it is by no means commonplace, for there is a prevailing good taste which uniformly preserves it from falling into the beaten track of everyday compositions." While still holding his appointment at the Haymarket, Perry became organist of the Quebec Chapel, and later, from 1846, organist of Trinity Church, Gray's Inn Road.


Sacred Harmonic Society

In 1832 the
Sacred Harmonic Society The Sacred Harmonic Society (1832-1888) was an amateur musical organization of London. It was organized for the weekly practice of sacred music and the performance of oratorios and other sacred music. Performances It was noted for its performances ...
, an amateur choral society, was founded in London, and Perry was chosen as leader of the orchestra. It performed sacred works, particular those of
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
. At their first concert, on 15 January 1833, the programme contained a selection from Perry's oratorios ''The Fall of Jerusalem'' and ''The Death of Abel''. From 1836 the Society gave concerts in the
Exeter Hall Exeter Hall was a large public meeting place on the north side of the Strand in central London, opposite where the Savoy Hotel now stands. From 1831 until 1907 Exeter Hall was the venue for many great gatherings by promoters of human bettermen ...
in London. Perry was connected with the society until 1848; during his time there, Perry was never absent from a performance. In 1847 he led the orchestra in the first performance in London of the revised version of
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 ...
's ''Elijah'' with the composer conducting. The Times said: "Mr. Perry, the leader, was constantly beating time with his fiddle-stick in such a manner as to obstruct the views of the Conductor and confuse the attention of the instrumentalists." A performance in 1838 of ''The Fall of Jerusalem'' by the Society at the Exeter Hall, with Perry "the zealous and enthusiastic leader" of the orchestra, was reviewed: "The prevailing defect is an absence of dramatic feeling.... The music is too tame, too sluggish, for the due expression of the passions, which the characters embody.... The style in which the composition is written, supplies evident proofs of Mr. Perry's intimate acquaintance with choral music.... Many of the movements, if they reveal no striking beauties, present no glaring defects.... The choral fugues are not elaborately worked; but yet there are displayed in them a steadiness of purpose, and simplicity of outline, which demand commendation...." Perry also wrote an oratorio, ''Hezekiah'' (1847); a sacred cantata, ''Belshazzar's Feast'' (1836); a festival anthem with orchestral accompaniment; and ''Blessed be the Lord thy God'', for
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
's accession (1838). His ''Thanksgiving Anthem for the Birth of the Princess Royal'' (1840) was performed with great success by the Sacred Harmonic Society, the orchestra and chorus numbering five hundred, Caradori Allan being the solo vocalist. He also wrote additional accompaniments to a number of Handel's works, and made scores for piano of several more. Perry died on 4 March 1862, and was buried at
Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederic ...
.


Composing method

Perry's undoubted gifts enabled him to imitate rather than to create. His fluency proved disastrous to the character of his work. It is said that he was in the habit of writing out the instrumental parts of his large compositions from memory before he had made a full orchestral score, and he frequently composed as many as four or five works simultaneously, writing a page of one while the ink of another was drying.


References

Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, George 1793 births 1862 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century English musicians Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery English opera composers Male opera composers Oratorio composers 19th-century British composers 19th-century British male musicians