Dyneley Hussey facts for kids

Dyneley Hussey (born February 27, 1893 – died September 6, 1972) was an English writer. He was known for his poetry, especially about war. He also worked as a journalist and wrote about art and music.

A Look at Dyneley Hussey's Life

Dyneley Hussey was born in Deolali, India. His father was Colonel Charles Edward Hussey. Dyneley went to school at St Cyprian's School and The King's School Canterbury. He later studied at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

Serving in World War I

During World War I, Hussey was a lieutenant. He served in the Thirteenth Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. He wrote a book of poems about his experiences in the war. Two of his most famous war poems are "An Oxford Retrospect" and "Courage." After the war, he worked for five years in the finance department at the Admiralty.

Becoming a Critic and Journalist

After working for the government, Hussey started a new career. He worked at the National Gallery and began writing. By 1923, he was writing about art. However, his main passion was music, especially Italian opera.

He became a music critic for The Times newspaper. He wrote for them from 1923 to 1946. He also wrote for other magazines like the Saturday Review and Spectator. During World War II, he again took on a job at the Admiralty.

In 1946, he joined the BBC Third Programme to work on music. He also became the music critic for The Listener magazine. He stayed there until 1960. He wrote many articles for the Musical Times about music and gramophones.

Writing About Composers

Dyneley Hussey wrote a book about the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi. This book was part of the Master Musicians series and came out in 1940. It was inspired by a new interest in Verdi's music in the 1930s. For many years, it was seen as the main book about Verdi in English. The book was updated five times. It focused a lot on Verdi's later operas, like Aida.

Family Life and Later Years

In 1926, Hussey married Irene Duncan. They had one son and two daughters. Irene passed away in 1941. Later, he married Dr. Florence Costello. Dyneley Hussey died in Cheltenham when he was 79 years old.

Dyneley Hussey's Published Works

Here are some of the books and writings by Dyneley Hussey:

• Fleur de Lys (a collection of war poems)
• Eurydice: Or, The Nature of Opera
• An introduction to a book about the artist George Clausen (1923)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1928)
• Verdi (Master Musicians series, first published in 1940)
• Some Composers of Opera (1952)