HURD, Michael 1928-

(Michael John Hurd)

PERSONAL: Born December 19, 1928, in Gloucester, England; son of John Edwin George and Amy Florence (Hatton) Hurd. Education: Pembroke College, Oxford, M.A., 1953; also studied music under Sir Lennox Berkeley.

ADDRESSES: Home—4 Church St., West Liss, Hampshire, England.

CAREER: Royal Marines School of Music, professor of music theory, 1953–59; freelance composer, writer, and lecturer, 1959–; broadcaster for the British Broadcasting Corp., beginning 1956. Conductor of Alton Choral Society and Petersfield Operatic Society. Founder, Port Fairy Music Festival, Australia, 1990–. Military service: British Intelligence Corps, 1947–49; served in Vienna, Austria.

WRITINGS:

Immortal Hour: The Life and Period of Rutland Boughton, Routledge & Kegan Paul (London, England), 1962, revised and enlarged edition published as Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1993.

Young Person's Guide to Concerts, Routledge & Kegan Paul (London, England), 1962, Roy (New York, NY), 1965.

Young Person's Guide to Opera, Routledge & Kegan Paul (London, England), 1963, Roy (New York, NY), 1965.

Sailors' Songs and Shanties, Walck (London, England), 1965.

Young Persons' Guide to English Music, Roy (New York, NY), 1965.

Soldiers' Songs and Marches, Walck (London, England), 1966.

Benjamin Britten, Novello (London, England), 1966.

The Composer, Oxford University Press (Oxford, England), 1968.

An Outline History of European Music, Novello (London, England), 1968, 2nd revised edition, 1988.

Elgar, Crowell (New York, NY), 1969.

Mendelssohn, Faber (London, England), 1970, Crowell (New York, NY), 1971.

Vaughan Williams, Crowell (New York, NY), 1970.

The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney (biography), Oxford University Press (Oxford, England), 1978.

The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, Oxford University Press (Oxford, England), 1978, 2nd edition, 1988.

The Orchestra, Phaidon (Oxford, England), 1981.

Vincent Novello and Company (biography), Granada (London, England), 1981.

(Editor, with Howard Ferguson) Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson, Boydell Press (Rochester, NY), 2001.

Also author of introduction to Stars in a Dark Night: The Letters of Ivor Gurney to the Chapman Family, edited by Anthony Boden, Alan Sutton (Gloucester, England), 1986.

MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS

Little Billy (opera; for children), 1964.

Flute Sonatina (chamber music), 1964.

Jonah-man Jazz (vocal), 1966, revised version, 1967.

Music's Praise (choral suite), 1968.

Violin Sonata (chamber music), 1970, revised version, 1986.

Mr. Punch (opera; for children), 1970.

Concerto to an Unwritten Comedy, 1970.

The Widow of Ephesus (chamber opera), first performed at the Stroud Festival, October 23, 1971.

Harlequin Suite: For Brass Quintet, 1971, revised edition, Novello (Borough Green, Kent, England), 1984.

Dance Diversions, 1972.

Swingin' Samson (vocal), 1972.

Sinfonia Concertante (for violin and string), 1973.

Hip-Hip Horatio (vocal), 1974.

This Day to Man (choral suite), 1974.

Rooster Rag (vocal), 1975.

Shepherd's Calendar (for orchestra, chorus, and baritone), 1975.

Pilgrim (vocal), 1979.

Adam-in-Eden (vocal), 1981.

Nine and Anon: Songs for Unison and Two-Part Voices with Piano, Novello (Borough Green, England), 1982.

Mrs. Beeton's Book: A Music-Hall Guide to Victorian Living for Narrator, SSA and Piano, Novello (Borough Green, England), 1983.

Come, O Come in Pious Lays: A Festival Anthem for SATB and Organ, words by George Wither, Novello (Borough Green, England), 1984.

A Little Suite, Novello (Borough Green, England), 1985.

Bagatelles for Piano, Novello (London, England), 1986.

(Editor, with Geoffrey Bush) Glees and Madrigals, Galaxy Music Corp. (New York, NY), 1986.

Once in a Dream: For Upper Voices and Piano, Novello (London, England), 1986.

Overture to an Unwritten Comedy, 1987.

A New Nowell: A Cantata for Unison Voices (with Divisions) and Piano, Novello (London, England), 1987.

Genesis (for choir), 1987.

Concerto da Camera: For Oboe and Piano, Novello (London, England), 1988.

Captain Coram's Kids (vocal), 1988.

Prodigal (vocal), 1989.

The Liberty Tree: A Ballad Cantata for Narrator, Unison Voices, and Piano, Novello (London, England), 1989.

(Editor, with Geoffrey Bush) Madrigals and a Glee for SSATB, Galaxy Music Corp. (Boston, MA), 1990.

King and Conscience: A Ballad Cantata for Narrator, Unison Voices, and Piano, Novello (London, England), 1990.

The Day's Alarm: Five Songs for Baritone and Piano to Words by Paul Dehn, Novello (London, England), 1991.

Five Preludes, Novello (London, England), 1992.

Night Songs of Edward Thomas: For SATB Unaccompanied, Novello (London, England), 1994.

The Aspern Papers (opera), first performed at the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, Australia, 1995.

Five Spiritual Songs (for choir), 1996.

(Editor, with Geoffrey Bush) Three and Four Part Glees and Madrigals for Male Voices (ATBarB), Stainer & Bell (London, England), 1996.

The Night of the Wedding, first performed at the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, Australia, 1998.

Also composer of other choral works and songs. Author of introduction to Eleven Songs, by Ivor Gurney, Thames Publishing (London, England), 1998.

SIDELIGHTS: British composer Michael Hurd has written a wide range of music, from cantatas to chamber music to operas, but he is best known for his light scores and choral music. In addition to being a composer, he is also a conductor, lecturer, and broadcaster, and he has had a long association with the British Council, for which he has traveled to countries around the world. The founder of the Port Fairy Music Festival in Australia, where some of his pieces have been performed, Hurd has helped educate others about music through his books, too, penning a number of biographies about composers, as well as guides to music and opera, many of which are intended for younger audiences.

Hurd gained critical attention for completing the editing of Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson. The epistolary collection, originally edited by the late Ferguson, records the friendship of these two twentieth-century composers. For helping to finish what Ferguson had started, Hurd was called a "Good Samaritan of twentieth-century British music scholarship" by Notes contributor Julian Onderdonk. Byron Adams concluded in another Notes article, "Scholars of twentieth-century English music can be grateful that the final task that Ferguson undertook, and, with Hurd's assistance, accomplished so elegantly, was the publication of this valuable collection."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

AB Bookman's Weekly, May 1, 1967, review of Soldiers' Songs and Marches, p. 1820.

American Book Review Annual, 1981, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 459.

Booklist, June 1, 1966, review of Sailors' Songs and Shanties, p. 960; April 1, 1967, review of Soldiers' Songs and Marches, p. 857; November 15, 1970, review of Vaughan Williams, p. 264; September 15, 1971, review of Mendelssohn, p. 100; February 1, 1980, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 770; February 15, 1981, review of The Orchestra, p. 787; October 1, 1981, review of The Orchestra, p. 259.

Books & Bookmen, September, 1984, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 37.

Book World, November 9, 1980, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 17.

British Book News, August, 1980, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 457; April, 1982, review of Vincent Novello and Company, p. 248; October, 1984, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 581; November, 1987, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 721.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, October, 1966, review of Young Person's Guide to Opera, p. 27; April, 1980, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 154.

Choice, April, 1979, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 210; April, 1981, review of The Orchestra, p. 1072; January, 1994, W. Metcalfe, review of Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals, p. 796.

Christian Science Monitor, December 7, 1984, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. B5.

Emergency Librarian, May, 1993, review of Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 50.

Horn Book, October, 1970, review of Vaughan Williams, p. 487; October, 1971, review of Mendelssohn, p. 492.

Instructor, October, 1971, review of Mendelssohn, p. 146.

Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 1966, review of Young Person's Guide to Opera, p. 118; May 15, 1969, review of Elgar, p. 570; July 1, 1970, review of Vaughan Williams, p. 691; June 15, 1971, review of Mendelssohn, p. 646.

Library Journal, March 15, 1966, review of Sailors' Songs and Shanties, p. 1701; July, 1966, review of Young Person's Guide to Opera, p. 3543; February 15, 1967, review of Soldiers' Songs and Marches, p. 880; November 15, 1969, review of Elgar, p. 4286; November 15, 1970, review of Vaughan Williams, p. 4062; March 15, 1971, review of Soldiers' Songs and Marches, p. 1133; September 15, 1971, review of Mendelssohn, p. 2920; February 1, 1979, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 405; January 15, 1981, review of The Orchestra, p. 150.

Listener, November 23, 1978, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 680.

McCall's, December, 1980, Helene Brooks, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. V16.

Musical Times (London, England), spring, 2002, Richard Drakeford, "Among Friends," review of Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson, p. 66.

Music Educators Journal, March, 1970, review of Elgar, p. 90.

Music & Letters, November, 1994, Trevor Bray, review of Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals, p. 630; August, 2002, John Joubert, review of Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson, pp. 498-499.

New Statesman, May 16, 1969, review of Elgar, p. 704; October 20, 1978, Paul Fussell, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 506.

New York Times Book Review, December 11, 1966, review of Soldiers' Songs and Marches, p. 42.

Notes, September, 1995, Julian Onderdonk, review of Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals, p. 108; September, 2002, Byron Adams, review of Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson, p. 87.

Observer (London, England), August 13, 1969, review of Elgar, p. 25; July 26, 1970, review of Mendelssohn, p. 24; October 29, 1978, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 35; December 17, 1978, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 36; August 19, 1984, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 19.

Publishers Weekly, November 7, 1980, Genevieve Stuttaford, review of The Orchestra, p. 57.

School Library Journal, December, 1980, Kenneth F. Kister, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 19.

School Media Quarterly, fall, 1988, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 43.

Spectator, May 16, 1969, review of Elgar, p. 658.

Times Educational Supplement, November 23, 1979, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 130; January 5, 1990, review of Captain Coram's Kids, p. 26; January 4, 1991, review of The Liberty Tree, p. 25.

Times Literary Supplement, December 9, 1965, reviews of Sailors' Songs and Shanties and Young Person's Guide to Opera, p. 1155; November 24, 1966, review of Soldiers' Songs and Marches, p. 1095; January 30, 1969, review of The Composer, p. 118; March 20, 1969, review of An Outline History of European Music, p. 310; April 3, 1969, review of Elgar, p. 363; July 2, 1970, review of Vaughan Williams, p. 719; October 30, 1970, review of Mendelssohn, p. 1268; October 13, 1978, review of The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, p. 1137; December 14, 1979, review of The Oxford Junior Companion to Music, p. 130; November 5, 1993, Calum MacDonald, review of Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals, p. 3; July 26, 2002, Diana McVeagh, "Private Territory," review of Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson, p. 20.