Biography
Born on 24 March 1912 in London, England, and passing away on 25 April 1963 in Rochester, Kent, England, Hassall first built a foundation through stage acting before appearing in multiple West End productions and serving as understudy for Ivor Novello. Recognizing the untapped songwriting talent Hassall possessed, Novello invited him to co-create a fresh musical comedy. That project, Glamorous Night, opened in 1935 to enormous acclaim and established a creative alliance that delivered some of the most enduring stage musicals ever mounted in British theatre. Both the productions and the Novello-Hassall numbers stayed in circulation for decades, coming to define the characteristic English musical of their era—an identity that ultimately limited their resonance abroad. American tastes had already shifted away from the lightly fantastical melodramas laced with songs that typified the English style, yet Novello’s popularity endured and his collaborations with Hassall continued to please domestic crowds. Among the resulting works were Careless Rapture (1936), Crest Of The Wave (1937), The Dancing Years (1939), Arc De Triomphe (1943) and the hugely successful King’s Rhapsody (1949). Songs drawn from these productions include ‘Fold Your Wings’, ‘Music In May’, ‘Rose Of England’, ‘Waltz Of My Heart’ and ‘Some Day My Heart’. Following Novello’s death in 1951, Hassall supplied the libretto and lyrics for Dear Miss Pheobe (1950) and later adapted King’s Rhapsody for the screen in its 1955 film version. He succumbed to a heart attack in 1963.
Albums
