Charles Wilfred Orr

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Charles Wilfred Leslie Orr, generally known as C. W. Orr (31 July 1893 – 24 February 1976), was an English composer. He is particularly noted for his songs, though his output was small. He wrote only 35 songs in 82 years, 24 of them setting words by A. E. Housman.[1]

Biography

Born in

Guildhall School of Music with Orlando Morgan. He was attracted to the music of Frederick Delius after approaching him at a London restaurant in 1915 and Delius became his mentor, helping him with his early compositions. He also came to know Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock
), who helped him in publishing his early songs.

eczema, and he contracted tuberculosis
as an adult. He would remain in Painswick for the rest of his life.

His work as a composer was dominated by the composition of songs accompanied by piano; his life's study was the expressive setting of poetry to music. He was a particular admirer of A. E. Housman, and wrote more settings of his poetry than any other composer. He became acquainted with Housman's poetry just after

Cambridge University. He asked for permission to translate A Shropshire Lad
into German so he could bring his songs into wider circulation, but the request was refused.

His piano accompaniments and

scaffold in The Carpenter's Son. His harmonic language is a mixture of English modality and late Romanticism. Orr is regarded[by whom?
] as one of Britain's finest 20th century songwriters.

Works

His music is published by

Chester Novello and Oxford University Press
.

Songs

For solo voice and piano.

  • Plucking the Rushes (1921)
  • Silent Noon (1921)
  • The Earl of Bristol's Farewell (1927)
  • Tryste Noel (1927)
  • When as I Wake (1928)
  • Hymn before Sleep (1953)
  • While Summer on is Stealing (1953)
  • 4 Songs (1959): Bahnhofstrasse (1932), Requiem (1954), The Time of Roses (1955), Since Thou, O Fondest and Truest (1957)

Housman settings

  • When the Lad for Longing Sighs (1921)
  • 2 Songs from A Shropshire Lad: 'Tis Time I Think by Wenlock Town, Loveliest of Trees, The Cherry (1921–1922)
  • The Carpenter's Son (1922)
  • When I was One-and-Twenty (1924)
  • With rue my heart is laden (1924)
  • Is my team ploughing (1925)
  • On your Midnight Pallet Lying (1925)
  • O When I Was in Love with You (1926)
  • This Time of Year (1926)
  • Soldier from the Wars Returning (1928)
  • 7 Songs from A Shropshire Lad (1934): Along the Field (1927), When I Watch the Living Meet (1930), The Lent Lily, Farewell to barn and stack and tree (1928), O fair enough are sky and plain (1931), Hughley Steeple (1930), When Smoke Stood Up from Ludlow (1929)
  • The Lads in their Hundreds (1936)
  • 3 Songs from A Shropshire Lad (1940): Into My Heart an Air that Kills (1935), Westward on the High-Hilled Plains (1927), O see how thick the goldcup flowers, (1939)
  • The Isle of Portland (1938)
  • In Valleys Green and Still (1952)

Choral music

  • The Brewer's Man, bass and two-part choir (1927)
  • Slumber Song, choir and piano (1937)
  • Fain would I change that note, three-part choir and piano (1937)

Instrumental music

  • Cotswold
    Hill-Tune    , string orchestra, (1937)
  • Midsummer Dance, cello and piano (1957)

Recordings

Songs (complete)

Songs (extracts)

References

  1. ^ Trevor Hold. Parry to Finzi: Twenty English Song Composers (2007), Chap. 17, pp. 314-329
  2. JSTOR 956461
    .

Further reading

  • Stephen Banfield: Sensibility and English Song: Critical Studies of the Early 20th Century (Cambridge, 1985).
  • I. A. Copley: An English Songwriter: C.W. Orr; in Composer no.29 (1968)
  • Trevor Hold: Parry to Finzi: Twenty English Song-Composers (2001), Chap. 17
  • Sydney Northcote: The Songs of C.W. Orr; in Music & Letters XVIII (1937)
  • Christopher Palmer: C.W. Orr: an 80th Birthday Tribute; in Musical Times CXIV (1973)
  • Christopher Palmer: In Memoriam C.W. Orr; in Delius Society Journal no.55 (1977)
  • J. Wilson: C.W. Orr: the Unknown Song-Writer (London, 1989)

Sources

External links
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