Thorpe Davie, Cedric

Thorpe Davie, Cedric, Scottish composer and teacher; b. London, May 30, 1913; d. Kirkcudbrightshire, Jan. 18, 1983. He began his training at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow, then studied in London with Craxton, Thiman, and A. Brain at the Royal Academy of Music and with R.O. Morris, Vaughan Williams, and G. Jacob at the Royal Coll. of Music, where he won the Cobbett and Sullivan prizes in composition (1935); subsequently received instruction in piano from Petri, and also in composition from Kodály in Budapest and from Kilpinen in Helsinki. He taught theory and composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music (1936-45), then was master (1945-73) and prof. (1973-78) of music at St. Andrews Univ. In 1955 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire. He publ. Musical Structure and Design (London, 1953) and ed. the Oxford Scottish Song Book (London, 1968).

Works

dramatic: Gammer Gurion’s Needle, opera (1936); comic operas; operettas; music for theater, films, and broadcasting. ORCH .: Elegy (1932); Concert Overture (1934); Concerto for Piano and Strings (1943); Sym. (1945); The Beggar’s Benison (1949); Festival Overture (1950); Royal Mile, march (1952); Diversions on a Tune by Dr. Arne (1964); New Town, suite (1966).CHAMBER : Piano Trio (1932); Fantasy-Quartet for Strings (1935); Violin Sonata (1939). VOCAL : Dirge for Cuthullin for Chorus and Orch. (1935); 3 anthems for Chorus and Organ (1937); Ode for St. Andrew’s Night for Tenor and Orch. (1950); part songs; solo songs; arrangements.

Bibliography

C. T.D.: Catalogue of Works (Fife, 1988).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire