PERCY YOUNG - 1912-2004
Percy Marshall Young,
who died on 9 May 2004 within a few
days of his 92nd birthday, will be remembered
primarily as a prolific writer on music.
He published over fifty books plus at
least four about football, including
biographies, varying in length, of Handel,
RVW, Sullivan, Elgar, George Grove and
Britten. His History of British Music
(1967), full of fascinating detail,
spoke up especially for British music's
supposedly 'dark era' between Purcell
and Elgar.
Handel and Elgar, who
for many of us are Britain's greatest
composers, benefited most from Young's
industrious research. His book on The
Oratorios of Handel (1949) has been
on my shelves for nearly fifty years;
Messiah - A Study In Interpretation
appeared in 1951. Elgar, OM (1955),
a major biography, was followed by two
volumes of Elgar letters, one devoted
to the correspondence with A.J. Jaeger
(‘Nimrod’), a book about Elgar's controversial
lectures at Birmingham, a biography
of Lady Elgar and Elgar, Newman and
‘The Dream of Gerontius’ (1951).
Young, who may fairly
be described as a scholar but not really
academic, was a stimulating lecturer.
In Handel's bicentenary year (1959)
I remember him talking about Saul
with live illustrations from delighted
Sheffield University students. And when
I organised an Elgar festival in Doncaster
in 1974, he agreed to come and speak
topically on 'Elgar the European'.
Born on 17 May 1912
in Cheshire, Young was educated at Christ's
Hospital and Selwyn College, Cambridge
where he was Organ Scholar. He taught
in Belfast (taking a Doctorate of Music
at Trinity College Dublin) and was Director
of Music at Wolverhampton College of
Technology (1944-66) where he revived
much forgotten music, notably by Handel.
He broadcast frequently, often to children.
And he composed: many
songs including The Virgin's Cradle
Hymn, The Sailor's Consolation
and, for children, Birds and
Beasts (ten songs) and R.L. Stevenson's
A Child's Garden of Verse, plus
Fugal Concerto (1954) for two
pianos and strings, a Festival Te
Deum (1961) for massed voices, semi-chorus
and organ and other church music, the
Lea Hall Overture for massed
(NCB) brass bands and other band pieces
and an Elegy for string orchestra.
He compiled two suites of music from
the early 17th century (he edited much
other early music). And he realised
Elgar's unfinished opera The Spanish
Lady, which was performed on radio
and 'live' in the 1990s, having previously
published from it two songs and a five
movement suite of dances for string
orchestra, which has achieved considerable
popularity.
Young was a man of
wide interests. I have mentioned football
(his books thereon included one on his
local team, Wolverhampton Wanderers).
And he served for a time as a councillor
on Wolverhampton Borough Council. He
retained his lively interest in music
into his latter years. I recall meeting
him at a conference on Music in 19th
Century Britain at Durham University
in the summer of 1999. His untiring
enthusiasm and questing spirit will
be greatly missed.
Philip L Scowcroft
