London City and North

Large cultural complex from 1982. The Barbican Hall with 1943 seats is the home platform of the London SO and the BBC SO. The Barbican Library houses the largest music collection of Britain. www.barbican.org.uk 
At the Barbican Highwalk there is a 500 years old Beech tree stump from Burnham forest in Buckinghamshire. This was a favourite spot of Felix Mendelssohn during his London visits and it is said that he composed, sitting in this tree’s shadow. It fell down in a storm in 1990 and was moved here to become a memorial to the great composer.

Next to the Barbican is the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, a first rank conservatory, established in 1880 as a municipal music school. The addition of ‘drama’ and the actual building are from 1982. www.gsmd.ac.uk

In the 15^th century Guildhall, Frédéric Chopin gave a recital preceding a fundraising ball for the Friends of Poland at 6 November 1848. He had to play on a bad piano and before a indifferent public; tragically it was to be his last public appearance.

In July 1871, Anton Bruckner stayed in London to give organ recitals in the Royal Albert Hall and the Crystal Palace. He probably stayed at Seyd’s German Guesthouse on this spot and started the composition of his Second Symphony.

The composer William Boyce (1711-1779) became the organist of this church in 1736. The organ was made in 1684 by Renatus Harris and also played by Purcell. Its case and mechanical structure have not survived but the original pipework is a part of the actual instrument by Nicholson (2010, III/p/63). Frequent organ recitals are given.

Organ by Renatus Harris from 1704, replaced by his son-in-law John Byfield in 1744. After many alterations in the 19^th century it was restored in 2005 to the state of 1744 (III/p/22).

The monumental St Paul’s Cathedral by Christopher Wren houses the graves of the composers Arne, Atwood, Boyce, Clarke, Greene, Parry and Sullivan; there is a monument for John Stainer, organist in this church. The organ of that time, which also was played by Handel and Mendelssohn, has disappeared.

The astronomer and England’s leading medieval composer John Dunstable (c 1390-1453) was buried in this church but his grave got lost in the great fire of 1666. In the new church by Wren, a memorial for him was placed in 1924.

The great lutenist and composer John Dowland (1753-1626) was buried here but his grave is not marked.

There is a relief in memory of John Dowland in this church.

The grave of Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623), a renowned composer of madrigals, is in the crypt of St Bride’s; the crypt survived the destruction of the church in 1940 and the rebuilding.

In this church are the graves of the composers Thomas Campion (1567-1620) and Philip Rosseter (1567/8-1623). The Harris organ from 1675 was totally altered.

Daniel Purcell (brother of Henry) was organist at this church from 1713 until his death in 1717. Later in the 18^th century, Maurice Greene and John Stanley were organists here. The present organ was built in 1750 after the design by Handel and placed in the Foundling Hospital; it was moved here in the 1930s. Only the upper part of the casework is original.

In the so called ‘National Music Church’ is a ‘musicians chapel’ with the ashes of the conductor Henry Wood, organist here and the founder of the Promenade Concerts; also windows in the memory of Wood, of the singer Nellie Melba and of the composers John Ireland and Walter Carroll. A choir festival is held every year on 22 November, St Cecilia Day.

The Harris organ from 1670 was played by Handel and Mendelssohn, but only the beautiful case recalls the original instrument.

The German born composer J. Christoph Pepusch (1667-1752) is best known by the Three Pennies Opera with the text by John Gay which served as the example for the Dreigroschenoper by Brecht/Weill. Pepusch worked as organist in the Chapel of this hospital and was buried there. Another organist was John Hullah (1812-1884), a composer of very popular songs during the Victorian age.

House and grave of John Wesley, whose ideas about church music were of great influence in England and the USA. He was the uncle of the hymn composers Samuel and Charles Wesley. The house also is a museum of Methodism.

House of Benjamin Britten from 1965 until 1970.

London pied-à-terre of Benjamin Britten from 1970 until 1976.

Birthplace of the black composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912). His father, a surgeon from Sierra Leone, went back to his homeland after the birth of his son, who was raised by his English mother. More memories of him in Croydon (> 3801-11).

The music historian Charles Burney (1726-1814) lived here, probably in one of the authentic houses at the south side of the square; a house number is not provided. Burney was a composer of chamber music and songs, but his fame rests on the two books with his observations about ‘the state of music’ on the continent, collected during grand tours in 1770 and 1772; they still are of inestimable value for music historians today.

The British Museum has no separate music department but has the dispose of a collection of antique and ethnic musical instruments, partly displayed in different rooms. In its library are famous 14^th century manuscripts, such as the Summercanon – the oldest notated canon in music history – and the Old Hall Ms., and autographs by Haydn, Brahms, Elgar and Vaughan Williams.

Birthplace of the composer Elisabeth Lutyens (1906-1983). She made her way with difficulty due to financial problems and alcohol, but her compositions are innovative.

Museum devoted to the Foundling Hospital, established in 1739, to which Handel was a benefactor. The exhibits in the Handel Gallery from the collection of Gerald Cooke include Handel’s will and the autograph of the Messiah.

The French composer Charles Gounod lived in the Tavistock House between 1871 and 1874 under the spell of the hysterical singer Georgina Weldon. It was the most hectic episode of his life (‘the Weldon affair’).

The building was demolished in 1901; a plaque remembers another Charles who lived here in the 1850s: the novelist Dickens.

The British Library has a large music department, the Sir John Ritblat Gallery.

Graves of Bach’s youngest son Joh. Christian and his colleague Carl Friedrich Abel, both responsible for the famous ‘Bach-Abel concerts’ during the 1770s and ‘80s.Also the graves of the composer Samuel Webbe and the creator of the Glass Armonica (and USA statesman) Benjamin Franklin (>2119).

Former graveyard of St Michael’s. Grave of the singer, actor and composer Charles Dibdin (1745-1814).

Last house from 1947 of the composer and orchestrator Constant Lambert (1905-1951).

The pianist and composer Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870) lived here from 1830 until 1846. His guests include Mendelssohn, Paganini, Meyerbeer and Liszt. Henri Litolff was his pupil here.

Seat of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, established in 1930 by the collector of folk music, Cecil Sharp. In the building are concerts, courses and a shop. It also houses the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. www.fcsk.org.uk

House of the conductor Henry Wood (1863-1944) from 1902 to 1937. Visits by Saint-Saëns, Sibelius, Delius, Janáček and Bartók.

House of the composer Elisabeth Lutyens after her marriage with Edward Clark. (cf >1115)

The composer Frederick Delius lived here in 1918/19.

Last house of the composer Ernest John Moeran (1894-1950).

Second London house of Edward Elgar; he lived here from 1912 to 1921. The beautiful house was demolished.

Last house of the folk music collector Cecil Sharp (1859-1924).

House of the great alto singer Kathleen Ferrier from 1942 to 1952.In the same street, at nr 108, is the house of the Russian ballerina Tamara Karsavina, who lived in England since 1917 and was co-founder of the Royal Academy of Dance.

House of William Walton (with plaque, but no details available).

The composer Arthur Bliss (1891-1975) lived in this beautiful house between 1929 an 1939.

This building from 1686 houses the Benton Fletcher collection of early keyboard instruments, all in playable condition (concerts, demonstration tours). The 1612 Ruckers harpsichord is supposed to have been owned by Handel.

House of the black bass singer Paul Robeson who played the role of Othello in Shakespeare’s drama in 1929/30. There was some controversy about his publicly kissing Desdemona (Peggy Ashcroft); off stage he did anyhow.

Graves of the hymn composer William Henry Monk (melody of Abide With Me), of Alma Mahler, daughter of the composer and of a pianist named Harry Thornton whose monument is a stone grand piano.

The composer Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960) died in this house. Benjamin was the piano teacher of Britten.

Grave of the legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977).

House of the composer, flutist, teacher and painter William Alwyn (1905-1985).

Grave of the pianist and composer Nikolay Medtner.

House of the Russian-born pianist and composer Nikolay Karlovich Medtner (1880-1951) from 1935 until his death. He was a friend and kindred spirit of Rakhmaninov, witness his virtuoso piano works and fine songs.

House of the Dutch born composer Bernard van Dieren (1887-1936). He lived in England since 1907.

The composers Ivor Novello, Vaughan Williams and Ketelbey and the singer Kathleen Ferrier were cremated here in the 1950s.

Baroque church, built on the estate of Lord Chandos, the benefactor of Handel. His palace on the adjoining Cannons Park which was frequently visited by Handel has been demolished. The composer certainly has played the organ of St Lawrence. The parish clerk and blacksmith William Powell, whose grave is in the churchyard, is said to have inspired Handel to the Variations on The Harmonious Blacksmith.