Biography
The name of English composer Frederic Austin has largely faded from memory. Though he earned considerable renown in his era as a baritone, even that aspect of his career left only a faint mark; he made few recordings. Nevertheless, Austin left two lasting imprints on England’s common musical heritage—one familiar and one ubiquitous—through his restoration of the score for John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera and his adaptation of the folk tune The Twelve Days of Christmas into the version universally recognized today.
Born on March 30, 1872, in Poplar, now part of East London, Austin was the son of a tailor. Early signs of musical promise led to formal instruction in singing and organ. After receiving a music degree from Durham University in 1896, he secured a teaching post at the Liverpool College of Music. There he encountered composer Cyril Scott, who introduced him to a circle of emerging British composers that included Roger Quilter, H. Balfour Gardiner, Percy Grainger, and Arnold Bax. Initial acclaim came through his work as a composer and instructor—he gave composition lessons to the future conductor Thomas Beecham—yet his vocal career soon overshadowed these efforts. From 1905 to 1920 he became a regular presence in major British vocal repertoire, performing twice under Edward Elgar in The Dream of Gerontius and The Apostles, and appearing frequently in both traditional and modern oratorios. In 1909 he sang the role of Gunther in an English-language production of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and later took on more substantial Wagnerian parts.
That same year, Novello published Austin’s arrangement of The Twelve Days of Christmas, which received prominent critical attention. Although earlier folk versions contained the phrase “five golden rings,” Austin originated the distinctive two-measure passage that isolates those words. His piano accompaniment remains in frequent use. In 1920 he both performed in and recorded his own revival of The Beggar’s Opera, a production that achieved major success with nearly 1,500 performances.
Following his retirement from the stage, Austin returned to composition while serving as director of the British National Opera. He completed two operas, one drawing on the life of Robert Burns, along with incidental music for theater and later film scores for London’s Ealing Studios. Several of his pieces have received modern performances, among them the orchestral Rhapsody Spring (1907) and a Symphony in E minor (1913); neither score appeared in print during his lifetime. With his wife, Amy, he had a son and a daughter; his son, Richard, later became director of what is now the Bournemouth Symphony. Austin died in London on April 10, 1952.
Born on March 30, 1872, in Poplar, now part of East London, Austin was the son of a tailor. Early signs of musical promise led to formal instruction in singing and organ. After receiving a music degree from Durham University in 1896, he secured a teaching post at the Liverpool College of Music. There he encountered composer Cyril Scott, who introduced him to a circle of emerging British composers that included Roger Quilter, H. Balfour Gardiner, Percy Grainger, and Arnold Bax. Initial acclaim came through his work as a composer and instructor—he gave composition lessons to the future conductor Thomas Beecham—yet his vocal career soon overshadowed these efforts. From 1905 to 1920 he became a regular presence in major British vocal repertoire, performing twice under Edward Elgar in The Dream of Gerontius and The Apostles, and appearing frequently in both traditional and modern oratorios. In 1909 he sang the role of Gunther in an English-language production of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and later took on more substantial Wagnerian parts.
That same year, Novello published Austin’s arrangement of The Twelve Days of Christmas, which received prominent critical attention. Although earlier folk versions contained the phrase “five golden rings,” Austin originated the distinctive two-measure passage that isolates those words. His piano accompaniment remains in frequent use. In 1920 he both performed in and recorded his own revival of The Beggar’s Opera, a production that achieved major success with nearly 1,500 performances.
Following his retirement from the stage, Austin returned to composition while serving as director of the British National Opera. He completed two operas, one drawing on the life of Robert Burns, along with incidental music for theater and later film scores for London’s Ealing Studios. Several of his pieces have received modern performances, among them the orchestral Rhapsody Spring (1907) and a Symphony in E minor (1913); neither score appeared in print during his lifetime. With his wife, Amy, he had a son and a daughter; his son, Richard, later became director of what is now the Bournemouth Symphony. Austin died in London on April 10, 1952.
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