Alfred Edwin Brain Sr. facts for kids
Alfred Edwin Brain (born in London, 4 February 1860; died London, 25 October 1929) was an English musician. He was a famous player of the French horn. He helped start a very important way of playing the horn in England, and many great horn players learned from him or his students. His grandson, Dennis Brain, became one of the most famous horn players ever. Alfred Edwin Brain is often called A.E. Brain Sr. (Senior) because one of his sons, who was also a famous horn player, had the same name.
Contents
Who Was Alfred Brain?
Alfred Edwin Brain was born in 1860. His father was a soldier who fought in the Crimean War. Alfred did not get much schooling. When he was 12 years old, he joined the Scots Guards and played the horn in their band.
Early Life and Music
Alfred married in 1880. He had seven children. Two of his children grew up to be excellent horn players: Alfred Jr. and Aubrey.
Playing in Orchestras
Alfred played the horn in many important orchestras. These included the Philharmonic Society, the Queen’s Hall Orchestra, and the Covent Garden orchestra. He often played for Henry Wood at The Proms, which are famous classical music concerts. In orchestras, he almost always played the fourth horn part. Because of this, his friends gave him the nickname “George IV.”
The London Symphony Orchestra
In 1904, Alfred became a founding member of the London Symphony Orchestra. The four horn players in that orchestra were Adolf Borsdorf, Thomas Busby, Henri Van der Meerschen, and A.E. Brain. They were known as “God’s Own Quartet.” This was because they played so well together and their sounds blended perfectly.
His Legacy
Alfred Edwin Brain died in 1929. He had only been retired for a short time. He left behind a great musical family and a strong tradition of horn playing.
Further Reading
- Oxford Music Online retrieved 21.11.2010
- Pettitt, Stephen. Dennis Brain: A Biography. London: Robert Hale, 1976. ISBN: 0-7091-5772-X
