William Vincent Wallace. a Centenary Notice Author(S): WH Grattan
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William Vincent Wallace. A Centenary Notice Author(s): W. H. Grattan Flood Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 53, No. 833 (Jul. 1, 1912), pp. 448-449 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/906891 Accessed: 27-01-2016 00:42 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 192.236.36.29 on Wed, 27 Jan 2016 00:42:50 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 448 THE MUSICAIL TIMES.-JuLY I, I912. Many a jaded musician will doubtless support our WILLIAM VINCENT WALLACE. view that no summer can be considered ideal holiday A CENTENARY NOTICE. unless it afforda complete escape from 'the jarring concord of sounds.' Yet many there are who seek for BY W. H. GRATTAN FLOOD. a musical holiday. Hitherto they have turned their eyes to Bayreuth or, more lately, Munich; or more Although the centenary of the birth of William modest purses have opened to suggestions of Vincent Wallace has not received due attention, it is Bournemouth. now offerstwo further England tempta- appropriate to furnishsome new facts concerning the tions for the foregatheringof music-lovers. Those biography of the composer of 'Maritana,' and to whom the folk-music of their native land attracts arouse fresh interest in the personality of a of and Dance at really can attend the School Folk-Song remarkable Irish composer. to be held in connection with the Stratford-on-Avon, Most of the memoirs of Wallace give wrong dates Shakespeare summer celebrations from August 3 to for his birth,but while some give June I, 1814, others If wish to be of the lectures August 31. they informed give March, and July I, 1813. The true date is on the and lore of and I815, theory,history, English song March II, and this is given in the present in I812, dance, and of the classes singing-games, Morris, writer's ' History of Irish Music' (1905). To settle country-,and sword-dances that have been arranged, the matter, here is the extract from the Waterford they should write to Miss Rainbow, Box Office, Register :-' William, the son of William and Stratford-on-Avon. If they fall to this temptation Elizabeth Wallace, was born March IIth, I812. they will return,judging from the experience of their Registered, March I5th, I812, by me, Richard J. predecessors of last summer, with new sympathies Hobson, Curate.' awakened and many of their muscles developed. Thus, on March I I, 1812,William Wallace firstsaw the light in the city of Waterford,in a house at the of Lady Lane and Colbeck Street, memorable The other temptation is to those who favour corner also as being self-same house in which Charles critical, and historical discussion, and is the esthetical, Kean, the great actor, had been born a year previously. offered by the Home Music Study Union. This the His father was an Irshman, a native of Ballina, co. up-to-date organization, which owes much to a Scotchman, as generally his of Mr. Percy Scholes, offers Mayo--not stated--and energy a musicians' mother a lady of varied accomplish- holiday at Bideford, North Devon, fromAugust Io to was Waterford ments. In June of the same year, Mr. and Mrs. August 24. It has taken complete possession for Wallace returned to Ballina (where a second son, the fortnight of Edgehill College, 'a fine modern Wellington, was born), and in that village building at a breezy elevation, with lovely grounds, remained for twelve years. His father,being a good musician, tennis courts, &c.,' and invites musicians to come and taught the future composer all that he knew stay there for per week. They will have the ofi 35s. instrumental music. From the Army records I find advantage of congenial company, fine scenery,and the that Wallace pare joined the Regiment in opportunity of hearing lectures on the most widely 29th I822, was promoted sergeant on August 27, and in diverse topics delivered by Mrs. Kennedy Fraser, Is823, 1825 proceeded with it to \Vaterford, remaining Mr. G. C. Ashtcn Jonson, Mr. Albert Visetti, there from October, to 1826, when he M. M.-D. Calvocoressi (the esteemed contributor 182a, April, purchased his discharge for (April to our columns), Mr. Stewart Macpherson, and Mr. ?20 14, I826). Young Wallace found an excellent patron in Sir Scholes. A point is made of the atmosphere of John Buchan, Colonel of the 29th Regiment, and his that is aimed at. A similar project has camaraderie clarinet playing was much admired. As the regiment been carried out before with excellent results,and we was ordered to the Mauritius, Mrs. Wallace would not cordially wish the promotersa still greater success in and the this consent to go, hence she provided purchase- theirpresent venture. Those who fallto temptation money for the discharge f her husband, who was should write to the General Secretary of the Home bandmaster as aplswell sergeant. While in Waterford Music Study Union, Mr. J. E. Lawrence, 52, Francis received lessons fromOtho Hamilton Street, Leeds, as soon as possible. Master Wallace and John Ringwood (organist of the Cathedral), as well as from his father. The Wallace familyin the winterof 1826 removed to Dublin, and the fatherwas We regret to hear that the season's work of the in Brighton Sacred Harmonic Society has resulted in a at once given the post ofbassoon-player the Adelphi heavy loss. The cause of the diminished attendances Theatre orchestra. Not long afterwards the two is the rivalry of the Municipal Concerts, which are sons were engaged at the Theatre Royal: William supported out of the rates and can thereforebe given as second violin and Wellington as second flute, the at cheap prices. No blame, however, attaches to the then conductor being James Barton. Municipal authorities on account of their zeal on In 1827 Wallace was regarded not only as a skilful behalf of music. performeron the violin and clarinet, but also as a good organist, and he took lessons on the pianoforte A sale of valuable musical instrumentstook place at from W. S. Conran and Logier, and organ lessons Puttick & Simpson's on June 14. A Gagliano from Haydn Corri, thenorganist of the pro-Cathedral, Marlborough Street, Dublin, also studying orchestra- violoncello went for ?360, a 'Strad' violin for /J400, tion with Phelps MacDonald. and a silver-mounted violoncello bow, by Francois Tourte, for Altogether the bow and twelve At Christmas, 1829, the post of organist of Thurles stringed instruments,?I75. were sold for ?3,896. Think of Roman Catholic Cathedral was vacant, and Wallace the concerts of British music that could be financed was asked to make an application forit, doubtless on by this sum ! the recommendation of Haydn Corri. J. W. Glover was about to apply for the position, but learning that Wallace was already in the field he did not care to In our report last month of the visit of the Leeds appear as a rival, as he himself told me in 1877. Choir to Paris, it should have been stated that the Consequently in January, I830, Wallace took up his work of preparing the chorus had been carried out by residence in Thurles, and was also appointed professor Mr. H. A. Fricker, who also officiatedas organist at of music at the Ursuline Convent of that town, he the performances. being then in his eighteenth year. This content downloaded from 192.236.36.29 on Wed, 27 Jan 2016 00:42:50 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-JuLY I, 1912. 449 While in Thurles-from January, 183o to August, Newport in July, I850, and became infatuated with I83I--Wallace was the spoiled child of the community. the pianist, Helkne Stoepel, whom he married three In particular, the Ursuline Nuns were very kind to months later. Returning to London in 1853, he him, and by way of return he composed a Mass and settled down as a fashionable teacher of the piano- some Motets for them. He also composed an forte,for which instrumenthe composed an enormous 'O Salutaris,' which he subsequently utilised for the quantity of music. In the same year his portrait in melody of 'Hear me, gentle Maritana.' Among the water-colour was painted by J. Hanshew, almost full boarders was a charming Dublin girl, Miss Isabella length, seated in a garden-chair, holding a book in Kelly, of Frascati, Blackrock, and as she was one of his right hand and a pear in his left. This portrait- his firstpupils he fell in love with her. At the time, rather a flamboyant production-was purchased for Miss Kelly's eldest sister was a nun in the same the National Gallery of Ireland in 190o3. convent, and she exerted her influence to prevent any No need to dwell on the successes of his operas of entanglement, all the more as Wallace was a 'Lurline' (February 23, I860)-the performingrights Protestant. In the autumn of 1830 the young of which he assigned to Pyne & Harrison for ten composer beame a Catholic, and took the additional shillings !-and his 'Amber Witch' (February 28,1861).