Felix CORBETT 1861 - 1940 Composer Cinderford (General)

by peteressex , Sunday, June 24, 2012, 08:41 (4538 days ago) @ slowhands

Felix Corbett's setting of "Butterflies" and other works were performed in Henry Wood's Promenade Concerts of 1895 and 1896 - their first two seasons. Such an accolade suggests considerable popularity swiftly achieved by his early thirties. He was also a highly-regarded concert accompanist by around then. Another Forest boy made good.

I was just moved to do some googling about him because I see he appears to have died at Reigate only a few miles from where I now live. There is more to discover about him by that means. Despite being a church organist (of sorts) myself, I had been unaware of his eventual presence locally, so I don't know if he was active round here after his travels from Cinderford, but extant evidence of the nature of his compositions hints at his having been one of that late Victorian school of composers who located a niche, or some might say "trough", between traditional church music and the syrupy slobber of music hall, a seductive trend doubtless encouraged by sentimentality at the long reign of Victoria plus complacency at the extent of Empire.

The Forest's probably more famous church musician, Herbert Howells of Lydney, born 1892, was too late to be so enticed by the same vat of treacle. This possibly explains why he remains better known.