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| “Play all your life” |
Paul Nettleton Edmonds (1873-1939) was a composer, author, sculptor and artist who left his original music manuscripts (and his royalties) to Margaret Cruso Barnard (Mrs M C Swithinbank), his goddaughter and his cousin's daughter. She in turn passed them on to her son Chris Swithinbank, who is building an archive of his work which will be displayed on this blog. If you have any items to add to this archive please contact him at chris.swithinbank@gmail.com
Paul Edmonds in his later years became a very popular lecturer. His lectures included "lightning sketches".
Here is his self-portrait:
Here are some Suffolk etchings by Paul Edmonds. They were kindly sent to me by Robert Temple.
- Toured with the singer Luisa Tetrazzini as baritone and pianist
- Served in Royal Field Artillery on the Eastern Ottoman Front
- Taken prisoner after siege of Kut
Obituary.
Mr Paul Edmonds was not only a charming and lovable man. He was an artist of distinction, his principal mediums being water-colour and lino and wood engraving: he was also a wood sculptor of merit, devoting the last year or two of his life principally to this work. His other accomplishments included the composition of a large number of part songs, many of which are in frequent demand, and a quantity of delightful children's songs and old nursery rhymes set to new tunes, in addition to a number of works for stringed instruments, and also the writing of several books of travel, illustrated by himself.
Joan of Arc
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Mr Edmonds is the fact that until the War, when he was over 40 years old, he had never worked at any of the many accomplishments (with the exception of music) in which he was afterwards so successful. He was taken prisoner by the Turks in the siege of Kut, and, being bored with prison life in Turkey, wrote home for pencils and paper, and finally arrived back in England with a portfolio full of drawings and several literary efforts, in addition to a good many musical compositions.
Quite another line of artistry was his needlework, examples of which have been included in exhibitions of this work at the Leicester Galleries and elsewhere. His designs were his own, and they ranged from covers for stools (which later he took to making himself, mounting the needlework tops on to them), to handbags in gros point, and pedal mats.
There was almost no art by which he was attracted to which this ingenious and exceptional mind could not aspire-and those which he specially favoured were executed with technical ability and a true feeling for design.
It is sad to think that we shall have no more productions from this versatile artist, but far beyond this thought is that of the incomparable loss to his friends of the endearing combination of kindness, humour, love of beauty and of simple things, and good companionship,which made the name of Paul Edmonds dear to all who knew him.
Paul Edmonds remained in captivity until the end of the first World War. However two of his fellow prisoners escaped wartime captivity. This description comes from the back of the book "The Road to En-Dor" by E H Jones..........Jones was one of the starving garrison of Kut-el-Amara and when the town had surrendered to the Turks,after a long siege, he was marched 500 miles to Yozgad prison camp. Here in 1917 they devised the extraordinary plot of deception and intrigue which brought them untold suffering but eventually gained for them their freedom. This plot centered on the use of a "ouija board" and the fostering, among their fellow-prisoners and their Turkish guards, of the belief that two of the men were really in touch with a "spirit medium", which spelled out messages at seances by controlling the movements of a glass tumbler so that it touched letters of the alphabet placed in a circle round the board..............
Another Obituary
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| St George |
VOCAL PIECES - SERIOUS/SACRED:
3 part song: The earth loveth the spring (2 sops & Alto)
3 part song: Sleep, sleep beauty bright (2 sops & Alto) VERY GOOD
The Easter Anthem "Christ being raised from ....." 4 male voices, 1920
Break forth into Joy SATB Christmas Anthem 1923 (9 copies)
Christmas song: Merry go the bells. Unison voices.
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis for voices in unison and organ.(in manuscript) These are now available in an arrangement for four female voices and organ by Mick Swithinbank.
Requiem, publ1920. [SSA chorus and piano] Text: Robert Louis Stevenson
Canticle of the Sun [SSA chorus and piano] Text St Francis of Assisi
BOOKS
Peacocks &
Pagodas
To the Land of the
Eagle
The Elements of Staff
Notation - with exercises in sight-reading
PIANO MUSIC
The wind: Study in E
minor
Bubbles. Waltz.
Waltz (Feb 6th 1920)
Four Indian Songs: (text Sarojini Nadu) 1921
1) Village Song
2) The Old Woman
3) Guerdon
4) Hymn to Indra
Other songs:
1) The Pirate (text: John Scaife) 1922
2) The Seafaring Man (text: John Scaife) 1923
3) The Bells of Alderburnham (Text:
William Barnes)
4) The Mother Ship (text: John Scaife) 1923
5) Windy Nights. (Text: R.L.Stevenson) 1921
6) I know not why (text Elsie MarySkeet) 1927 publ Schirmer
7) Come Live with me and be My Love (text Christopher Marlowe) 1927
8) Pan (text Charles T Lusted) 1906
9) If 'tis Love (text Charles Dibdin
10) I know not why (text Elsie MarySkeet) High voice 1927 publ Schirmer
11) My Dear Mistress has a Heart. publ Schirmer
12) Two Breton folk-songs
Three Fletcher Songs: (high voice) 1920 publ Enoch & sons
1) The Gift
2) Song of a Sad Heart
3) Let the mill go round
"Four short-sweet songs:"
1) I had a little husband, no bigger than my thumb. manu
5) Windy Nights. (Text: R.L.Stevenson) 1921
6) I know not why (text Elsie MarySkeet) 1927 publ Schirmer
7) Come Live with me and be My Love (text Christopher Marlowe) 1927
8) Pan (text Charles T Lusted) 1906
9) If 'tis Love (text Charles Dibdin
10) I know not why (text Elsie MarySkeet) High voice 1927 publ Schirmer
11) My Dear Mistress has a Heart. publ Schirmer
12) Two Breton folk-songs
Three Fletcher Songs: (high voice) 1920 publ Enoch & sons
1) The Gift
2) Song of a Sad Heart
3) Let the mill go round
Summer Dusk (text Elsie MarySkeet) A vocal waltz. Music Hall style song of the era? manu
"Four short-sweet songs:"
1) I had a little husband, no bigger than my thumb. manu
2) Lullaby. Sweet very
pleasant harmony. manu
3) The Gardener (explains
the meaning of the word “helve”) manu
4) There was an old woman tossed up in a basket. manu
4) There was an old woman tossed up in a basket. manu
The Soldier (song for
male voice about a soldier on his way home) 6 vs. Words by P.E.
The Turtle-Dove’s
nest Lovely Lovvy-Dovvy
Simon Brodie (unison song)
Over the Water to Charlie (unison song)
Good Master and Mistress (unison song)
Over the Water to Charlie (unison song)
Good Master and Mistress (unison song)
There’s a house that I
do know (Text William Barnes)
Trampers Marching
Song. A song for hikers, scouts & all who travel on foot. TextIvy Sheirson
(2 copies)
Corydon's song (text John Chalkhill) High voice 1924
SOLO SONGS FOR YOUNG LISTENERS:
Buy me a Milk Pail
Hush-a-ba baby, lie still ...............(Mummy's away at the mill)
Two Breton Folk-Songs. publ Chappell arr. Paul Edmonds.
If 'tis love. Song for high voice and Violin obligato. Words by Chas. Dibdin. publ John White.Buy me a Milk Pail
Hush-a-ba baby, lie still ...............(Mummy's away at the mill)
I love little pussy. Sweet very pleasant harmony. 8 bars only.
Jacky come give me thy fiddle
Ladybird Ladybird. Children’s song in Ab in 6/8 very pleasant harmony. Ideal for a set of variations? (2 copies)
Little Dog, Little dog
The Cuckoo (sucks eggs to make his voice clear) Short and Sweet
The Lemon and the Elephant. Text Harry Cecil. 3 verses. Described as nonsense song. Lemonade for you?
The Owl.
The South wind brings wet weather. A song about the weather. Short.
The Lemon and the Elephant. Text Harry Cecil. 3 verses. Described as nonsense song. Lemonade for you?
The Owl.
The South wind brings wet weather. A song about the weather. Short.
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| Fireworks is in the Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| SONGS FOR 4 MALE VOICES |
Ellen McJones Aberdeen
pt song for 4 male voices, text Bab Ballads by W.S.Gilbert (1836-1911)
Little Billee (text
Thackeray) pt song for 4 male voices (5 copies) 1935
Triolet pt song for 4
male voices (text R.F.Murray) 1920 (2 copies)
To Blossoms (text
Herrick) pt song for 4 male voices 1920
Down in Alabama pt
song for 4 male voices. 1927 (9 copies)
Song of the
Buccaneer's ghost (pt song for 4 male voices& Baritone solo) (Text E H
Jones) 1922
Land of Heart's
delight (pt song for 4 male voices) (F W Harvey: Gloucetershire lad) 1919
Anchor Song (pt song
for 4 male voices) Text Rudyard Kipling: The 7 Seas. 1920
A smuggler's song (pt
song for 4 male voices) Text Rudyard Kipling: Puck of Pook's Hall (8 copies)
Jolly good ale and
old.(pt song for 4 male voices) Text
John Still 1920
Solomon & David
Humorous pt song for 4 male voices
Tiger, Tiger Text Blake. Manuscript.
SONGS FOR FEMALE VOICES
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis for voices in unison and organ.(in manuscript) These are now available in an arrangement for four female voices and organ by Mick Swithinbank.
3 part song: The earth loveth the spring (2 sops & Alto)
3 part song: Sleep, sleep beauty bright (2 sops & Alto)
Part-songs S A T B
SONGS FOR 2 MALE VOICES:
Tiger, Tiger Text Blake. Manuscript.
| The Arethusa (text Prince Hoare) https://www.muziekweb.nl/Link/DAX3466/Lieder?WorkID=U00002603768 1935 (2 copies) |
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis for voices in unison and organ.(in manuscript) These are now available in an arrangement for four female voices and organ by Mick Swithinbank.
3 part song: The earth loveth the spring (2 sops & Alto)
3 part song: Sleep, sleep beauty bright (2 sops & Alto)
Requiem, publ1920. [SSA chorus and piano] Text: Robert Louis Stevenson
Canticle of the Sun [SSA chorus and piano] Text St Francis of Assisi
Follow me, Follow [solo soprano and 2 female voices]
Part-songs S A T B
Dance to your Daddy:
Part song for Sop solo, couner-tenor, tenor & Bass. Manuscrpit.
Kindly watchen by my
bed, SATB (text George du Maurier) Melancholy death-bed song. (2 copies both
manuscript)
Clap clap Handies SATB
A Frog he would
a-wooing go. 3 pt song (childrens' song with an unhappy end! Adult humour
really)
ART WORKS
1.Venice (watercolour
painting) see above (at my home in Chiswick)
2.Cavendish Hyde Park
Corner (Lino cut) see below
4. Print – Fireworks - see above - About 1930, Colour woodcut and stencil, Museum no. E.3955-1934 Victoria and Albert Museum, https://catamongthepigeonspress.wordpress.com/tag/paul-edmonds/
5. Watercolour - Landscape No. 2, Cavendish, Suffolk – Accession number 1948/7/65 – Auckland (NZ) Art Gallery, https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/explore-art-and-ideas/artist/1780/paul-edmonds
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| "Hyde Park Corner" in Cavendish, Suffolk My grandfather, JD Barnard, was Rector here. His wife Gwendolene née Edmonds was Paul Edmonds' first cousin |
Items missing/lost: I'm still looking for the following:
Chamber Music Scores missing/lost:
2 minature suites for Strings (unpublished I think)
Art Works missing/lost:Sculptures (bust of AudreyBeamish nee Barnard, Margaret's sister. This could be the sculpture of Lot, see below, which was perhaps modelled by Audrey?)
Watercolour drawing " Big Ben Embankment" (sold in auction 2010)
Paintings missing/lost:
Watercolour drawing P. Edmonds "Big Ben Embankment" (sold in auction recently)
Cavendish Church viewed from "Over Hall"
Cavendish Church viewed from "Over Hall"
Music/book lost/found!
The Bells of London (children's song book, publ. Curwen c.1930) (in British Library)
Songs missing/lost:
O there's a house that
I do know (song)
Cradle song (Text: Padraic Colum)
The old woman (Text: Joseph Campbell)
Mr John Blunt
The squirrel
Jig Jog
3 Part-songs for 4 male voices missing: (performed on Feb 11th 1919)
Cavaliers' Song
Take, Oh take those Lips away
It was a Lover and his Lass
3 Part-songs for 4 male voices missing: (performed on Feb 11th 1919)
Cavaliers' Song
Take, Oh take those Lips away
It was a Lover and his Lass
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| Lot's wife
NOVELTY SONGS
Have you heard the fairies? text Rose Blemen. For 2 voices in thirds. Charming. Manuscript.
The Cuckoo (for 2 voices)
St Valentine's day. 5 bar snippet, Manuscript. Love song.
Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme. Romantic.
I love sixpence (I love my wife) (2 copies)
The Reverend Blake humorous song , Manu
Jacky,come give me thy fiddle.humorous song , Manu
The young lady of Brighton. Limerick. Manuscript.
The growing family. Nonsense song. 2 versions. Manu
Elsie Marley. Manu.
The Lady of Oklahoma. Lewd but funny. Manu.
The Barber shaved the mason. Nonsense song. 4 bars. Manu.
Molly and I.Nonsense song. 4 bars. Manu.
As I went to Bonner.Nonsense song. 4 bars. Manu.
2 little dogs sat by the fire.Nonsense song. 4 bars. Manu.
Prudent Percy (knows what side his bread is buttered) 18 bars.Manu.
When I was a little boy.
The Old Man of Victoria
The Hippo
One Misty Moisty Morning (2 copies)
There was a man of Newington
There was a man and he had nought.
Archdeacon Brown. poor old chap is ticked off for speaking too loud........
The Dinosaur. Advice on meeting a Dinosaur.
The Jovial Welshman ...hunting on St David's Day
Philosophical Phillip
Dressy David (wore too much scent)
Bow wow wow. (2 copies)
ARMY HUMOUR NOVELTY SONGS
Taffy was a Welshman. Dark humour.Nonsense song. 8 bars. Manu.
Doctor Faustus Dark humour.Nonsense song. 12 bars. Manu.
Naughty Henry 33 bars. Manu
Uncle James (I hate little boys) Good galopping rhythm for horsey Uncle James
Tommy Briggs. 26 bars. Pig painting boy.
The Gentleman of Clare. Pushed his daughter in the river. 24 bars
The Elephant (ate Nelly!) 20 bars.
Betsey Pringle (2 copies)
There was an old woman had three sons.(2 copies)
If "ifs" and "ans" or No Need for Tinkers.
January (children at play on icy pond)
The Wedding Feast ...Melodrama: (ends in death of the Bride)
BALLET MUSIC (for piano) (All unpublished)
5 dances from Tattercoats (Children’s ballet)
1. Allegretto
2.Larghetto
3. Con moto
4. Allegretto E maj
5. Andante
2. Dance of the Elves
8. Witches' frolic
11.The Lily pond.
12. The last dance.
SONG ALBUMS for children, illustrated by Paul Edmonds
100 nursery rhymes for school and home with New Tunes (signed from cousin Paul)
Songs and Marching Tunes for Children
Rhythmic Tunes and Songs for Children
12 songs for the very young (2 copies)
Higgledy Piggledy 13 songs for children
Hoddley Poddley 11 songs for children
CHILDRENS SONGS IN MANUSCRIPT.
Little Betty Blue.
I love sixpence.
The Lion and the Unicorn. 8 bars.
Little Robin Redbreast. 8 bars. Sweet.
I had a little hobby horse. (2 copies)
Deedle deedle dumpling. 8 bars. (2 copies)
A little cock sparrow.
Looby looby. Galopping jig, "Put your right hand in"........Fun actions!
The Robin and the Red Breast
Twinkle, Twinkle little Star
The Queen of Hearts (2 copies)
There were 2 blackbirds
Little Robin Redbreast
Diddledy, Diddledy, Dumpty (2 copies)
London Bridge is broken down.
ClapClap Handies.
Letters
Hannah Bantry
Twinkle, Twinkle
Pat-a-cake
Great A Little A
The Cat has ate the pudding string
Charlie Wag
I love little pussy.
Ten little mice.
Wallpaper (2 copies)
Cock Robin got up early.
What are little boys made of? (2 copies)
The Barber. (3 verses)
2 songs with text by Rose Fyleman "If" and "I don't like beeltles"
Ambitions
Something to go to bed with (2 copies)
Voices in the wood (fairies) Sweet (3 copies)
I wonder Text Harry Cecil (2 copies)
Little pretty maid.
Good KIng Arthur
Evening Red & Morning Grey
Sally Walker
Titty Mouse. A wise mouse avoids the cat.
Around the Green Gravel.
The Brown Owl (2 copies)
Can Ye sew cushions? Scottish.
Rain ,Rain. Go Away!
About the bush Willie
A swarm of bees in May
I had a little Hobby Horse
High Diddle Doubt
King Pippin's Hall
There was an Owl
UNISON SONGS FOR SCHOOLS
53. Dance to your Daddy
54. Cock a doodle doo. (3 copies)
Over the Water to Charlie (unison songs for Juniors J.B.Cramer & co)
The Coal Mine (life in a mine) manuscript
WIDDY WIDDY WAY 18 SHORT SONGS,
CHOREOGROPHED FOR CHILDREN'S BALLET,
INCLUDES DANCE INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH SONG.COMPLETE. IN MANUSCRIPT:
Tiggy Tiggy Touchwood
I had two pigeons
Corporal Tim
Pease Porridge Hot
The north wind doth blow
There was a crooked man
Oh my pretty cock
Good morrow to you Valentine
Little Betty blue
I had a little nag
Little blue Ben
See Saw Sacradown
Lilies are white
Two little dogs sat by the fire
Widdy, widdy, way
The Barber shaved the mason
As I went to Bonner
Molly and I
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