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A Greville Cooke Catalogue A Preliminary Overview 'Cormorant Crag' is one of a number of works that have been a personal desideratum for the last 35 years. I remember sorting through a great pile of music in a second-hand bookshop in Llandudno. I had been looking inside an album of vocal music by a composer now escaped my mind. However it was published by Joseph Williams and on the back cover there was a partial catalogue. My eyes fell on the poetic title – ‘Cormorant Crag.’ There was just something so evocative about this work that I wanted to hear it. I looked carefully through the rest of the music just in case it was there. I was not lucky. It was not until many years later that I came across a British Music Society Journal review of Georgian piano music. There, printed in extremely small scale was the complete piece. Of course I tried to play it, but it is well beyond me. Although just 'sight' reading it in my head made me convinced that I had been right to be curious about this piece back in my boyhood. Everything about the ‘look’ of the music suggested John Ireland or perhaps Frank Bridge (whose own piano works are relatively unknown). This was a true ‘undiscovered country.’ It was not until a few years ago that I discovered some other evocative pieces by Cooke. Who could resist a piece called Reef's End or Haldon Hills? Yet the scores have always remained elusive. Of course I could nip up to the British Library or the Royal Academy of Music and inspect them any time I choose. But I suppose I hope that they will turn up in some second hand music shop before I am much older –then I can have my own copies on the music desk. It would be a truly ideal world if some worthy pianist such as Eric Parkin, Leslie De’ath or Alan Cuckston would take up some of the best of these pieces for a new CD! The raison d’etre of this catalogue is to discover more about Greville Cooke and his music. I write it as a seeker rather than a self styled expert! Any comments, corrections and anecdotes will always be welcome. It is quite hard to piece together Greville Cooke’s career. There is no reference in Grove and web-searches do not disclose much information. What few notes I have about Cooke were given to me by Rob Barnett or found in Philip Scowcroft’s Light Music Garlands. Greville Cooke was born in 1894 and soon displayed an interest in music. However he was to multi-task for most of his life. His musical activities were conducted alongside his career as a clergyman in the Church of England. He was eventually to rise to become a Canon of Peterborough. Of course, there was a considerable crossover of interests. He was to compose a number of anthems and hymns for church use. Strangely no organ solos seem to have been written. He had good education at Hamilton House, Ealing before going up to the Royal Academy of Music. After study here he went to Christ’s College, Cambridge as an organ scholar. After a succession of qualifications he was ordained to the Anglican Priesthood in 1918. There seems to be no record of any war service. In fact he seems to have been studying during the entire war. He received his BA and B. Mus. in 1916. After ordination he served livings in Tavistock, Ealing, St Paul’s’ Cransley and Buxted. His final appointment was as a non- residential canon of Peterborough Cathedral in 1955. However his incumbencies could not have been too stressful: he was a professor at the Royal Academy from 1925 to 1959. He was also in considerable demand as an adjudicator at local music festivals. Greville Cooke died in 1992 at a very convincing 98 years old.   Catalogue Choral Incidental Instrumental Orchestral Piano Vocal Choral Bach Prelude No. 9 from Das Wohltemperirte Clavier "God is our help and Strength" Arranged by Greville Cooke Joseph Williams, London 1929 St. Cecilia Series 19 No. 17 Bread of the World – Eucharistic Anthem Words by Bishop Heber Joseph Williams, London 1955 Church Music No.120 Claribel – part song for S.A.T.B Words by Lord Tennyson Hawkes & Son, London 1928 Cobwebs - A Quiet Carol for eight voices Words by Lucy Bickersteth Joseph Williams, London 1956 Deep River – Negro Spiritual arranged for men’s voices J Curwen & Sons, London 1926 The Apollo Club, No.636 Drop, slow tears – Anthem Words by P. Fletcher J. Curwen & Sons, London 1933 Here Beauty Dwells – Hymn (Unison or harmony) Words by Greville Cooke Joseph Williams, London 1943 Here Beauty Dwells – Anthem for S.A.T.B (Unaccompanied) Words by Greville Cooke Joseph Williams, London 1958 How can I help England? Home thoughts from the sea. Part Song for S.A.T.B Words by Robert Browning Hawkes & Son, London 1928 Jesus Christ, my Heart’s true Captain – Hymn (unison or harmony) Words by Greville Cooke Joseph Williams, London 1933 Jillian of Berry –part song for men’s voices Words by John Fletcher Bosworth & Co. London 1945 Let us with a Gladsome Mind – Thanksgiving Anthem Words by John Milton J. Curwen & Sons, London 1933 Lo! God is here! – Festival Anthem, written for 1300 year anniversary of Peterborough Cathedral Words by G. Tersteegen, translated by John Wesley Joseph Williams, London 1955 Nobody knows – for male voice chorus. Negro Spiritual Words Traditional J Curwen & Sons, London 1926 The Apollo Club No.635 O Jesus I have promised…Confirmation Hymn Words by J.E. Bode Novello & Co. London 1923 Oh! Hush thee my Baby. Seal Lullaby (for mixed voices) Words by Rudyard Kipling Hawkes & Son, London 1928 Oh, to be in England…Home Thoughts from Abroad – part song for S.A.T.B Words by Robert Browning Hawkes & Son, London 1928 Seven Lace Tells of Bedfordshire, Buckingham & Northamptonshire for two part treble voices Words by Greville Cooke Joseph Williams, London 1953 Shepherd Boy’s Song – Unison song Words by John Bunyan Banks & Son, York 1936 York Series No.1232 Sing, my soul – Processional Hymn Words – not known C1955 Publisher – unknown This Joyful Eastertide –anthem for Easter (based on Old Dutch Melody) Words by Dr G.R Woodward Joseph Williams, London 1936 St Cecilia Series 2 No.15 Weep no more, sad fountains – Unison Song Words by John Dowland Joseph Williams, London 1936 Incidental Music For all Eternity (1935) for the Strand Theatre. Details not known. Instrumental High Marley Rest – Melody for Violin & Piano Joseph Williams, London 1935 Sea-Croon for Violoncello & Piano Joseph Williams, London 1929 Orchestral Prelude for Strings Joseph Williams, London 1940 String Orchestra Series Piano Bargain Basement: A suite of seven pieces for piano Joseph Williams, London 1936 Cormorant Crag, for pianoforte Joseph Williams, London 1934 Gothic Prelude for Piano Joseph Williams, London 1952 Haldon Hills (Devon) – for pianoforte Joseph Williams, London 1929 High Marley Rest – Melody for Pianoforte Joseph Williams, London 1933 In the Cathedral – for piano Joseph Williams, London 1929 La Petite - A Period Piece for Pianoforte Bosworth & Co. London 1946 Meadowsweet – for pianoforte Joseph Williams, London 1929 Over the Hills – A Suite of Three Short Pieces for the Piano Joseph Williams, London 1934 Reef’s End – for Pianoforte Joseph Williams, London 1934 Song Prelude – for Piano Joseph Williams, London 1955 Sundown – for piano Joseph Williams, London 1953 Time-Keepers – a suite for 4 hands on one or two pianos Joseph Williams, London 1935 Whispering Willows – for Piano Joseph Williams, London 1936 Vocal The Bells of Heaven - song Words by Ralph Hodgson Joseph Williams, London 1936 But Yesterday – song Words by George Barlow Joseph Williams, London 1929 Eileen Aroon "When, like the early rose" Words by Gerald Griffin Joseph Williams, London 1929 My Heaven – "They say that on the streets of gold" Words by Greville Cooke Joseph Williams, London c1930 The Shepherdess Words by Alice Meynell Stainer & Bell, London 1921 Also the following:- Pet’s Corner for piano; Up the Ladder for piano; A Day at the Sea for piano; Daydreams – song; Your Gentle Care – song; Bereft – song No details of these works are available. John France: August 2005 Advertising on Musicweb Donate and keep us afloat   New Releases All Naxos reviews All Hyperion reviews All Foghorn reviews All Convivium reviews All Acis Reviews   All Divine Art reviews   All Lyrita Reviews   Obtain 10% discount

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