Brian Boydell facts for kids

Brian Patrick Boydell (born March 17, 1917 – died November 8, 2000) was a famous Irish composer. He wrote many different kinds of music. These included big orchestral pieces, music for small groups of instruments (called chamber music), and songs.

He was a Professor of Music at Trinity College Dublin for 20 years. Brian also started a music group called the Dowland Consort. He led the Dublin Orchestral Players and often talked about music on radio and TV. He was also a music expert who studied Irish music from the 1700s.

Growing Up

Brian Boydell was born in Howth, County Dublin, Ireland. His family was well-off. His father, James, ran a business that made malt. His mother, Eileen Collins, was one of the first women to graduate from Trinity College.

After Brian was born, his family moved a few times. They finally settled in Shankill, County Dublin. Brian started school in Dublin. Later, he went to the Dragon School in Oxford, England. From there, he went to Rugby School. His music teacher there, Kenneth Stubbs, greatly influenced him. Brian felt some people at Rugby were not kind to Irish people. However, he was thankful for the great science and music education he received.

In 1935, after finishing school, Brian spent the summer in Heidelberg, Germany. He learned more about music there. He wrote his first songs and studied the organ. He then won a scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge. There, he studied natural science and graduated with top honors in 1938.

But Brian loved music most. So, he went to the Royal College of Music. He studied how to compose music with famous teachers like Patrick Hadley, Herbert Howells, and Vaughan Williams. Brian was already a good pianist. During this time, he also became skilled at playing the oboe.

When World War II started, Brian returned to Dublin. In 1942, he earned another degree in music from Trinity College. He also took more lessons in composing from John F. Larchet.

A Busy Musical Life

Brian Boydell had a very busy life. He taught, performed, and composed music. After a short time working in his father's business, Brian joined Dublin's classical music scene.

In 1943, he became the leader of the Dublin Orchestral Players. He worked with this amateur orchestra for 23 years, until 1966. In 1944, he became a Professor of Singing at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He held this job for eight years. In 1948, he helped start the Music Association of Ireland. He worked with other composers like Edgar M. Deale and Aloys Fleischmann. Their goal was to share classical music across Ireland.

Brian was very interested in Renaissance music, especially madrigals. In 1959, he started the Dowland Consort. This was a group of singers he performed with for many years. They even made a record. In 1962, he earned a Doctorate in Music. He was then made Professor of Music at Trinity College. He quickly updated the music course to be more modern. He also served on the Arts Council for many years.

Brian was a great communicator. His excitement for music was contagious. He hosted shows on RTÉ Radio and later on Telefís Éireann (Irish TV). These shows taught people about music history and how music is performed. Many people learned to love classical music through his programs.

Brian had interests beyond music, too. In the 1940s, he was a surrealist painter. He even took lessons from Mainie Jellett. He was part of a group called The White Stag group. He also loved cars and photography.

Later Years

After retiring from Trinity College, Brian focused on studying music. He wrote two books about music in Dublin in the 1700s. He also wrote for the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, a very important music encyclopedia.

Brian Boydell passed away at his home in Howth when he was 83. His wife of 56 years, Mary, and their sons, Cormac and Barra, were with him. Another son, Marnac, had passed away before him.

His Music

When Brian was a young composer, he was inspired by musicians like Delius, Bartók, and Sibelius. He wanted to create modern Irish music. He aimed for it to fit into the European music tradition. However, he tried not to just use Irish folk tunes. He wanted his music to have its own unique Irish feel.

His first big success was in 1948. It was an orchestral piece called In Memoriam Mahatma Gandhi, Op. 30. This 12-minute piece honored the Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, who had recently died. Brian admired him greatly. Brian himself led the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra when it was first performed in Dublin. His first String Quartet, Op. 31, written in 1949, won a prize from Radio Éireann.

In 1961, Brian arranged an orchestral version of Amhrán na bhFiann (the Irish national anthem) for RTÉ. This version was played every day at the end of TV broadcasts for many years.

Over the next 50 years, Brian wrote a wide range of music. This included large orchestral works like his Violin Concerto, Op. 36. He also wrote more personal pieces for a single voice or instrument. An example is his harp piece, A Pack of Fancies for a Travelling Harper, Op. 66. It was first played at the Dublin Festival of Twentieth Century Music in 1971.

His very last work was a short piece for brass band. It was called Viking Lip-Music, Op. 91. The Royal Danish Brass Ensemble first played it in Drogheda in November 1996. Brian was there to see it.

In his later years, Brian looked at his place in the music world with a bit of humor.

Awards and Recognition

Brian Boydell received many special awards for his contributions to music. These included:

• An honorary music degree from the National University of Ireland (1974).
• The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1983), which means "Commander of the Italian Republic."
• Being chosen for Aosdána (1984), which is Ireland's special group for creative artists.
• An honorary membership in the Royal Irish Academy of Music (1990).