Edward Norman Hay facts for kids

Edward Norman Hay (born April 19, 1889 – died September 10, 1943) was a talented Northern Irish composer and a music critic. He wrote many pieces of music and also shared his thoughts on other people's music.

Edward Hay's Early Life

Edward Hay was born in Faversham, Kent, England. His father, Joseph Hay, worked for the government. His mother, Janet Robb, was from Scotland.

Sadly, Edward's mother passed away when he was very young, just two years old. After this, Edward moved to Coleraine, Ireland, to live with his aunts. When he was a child, he got sick with polio. This illness made it hard for him to walk. He couldn't walk on his own until he was about 12 years old.

How Edward Hay Studied Music

Edward started learning the violin when he was eight. But soon, he really wanted to play a keyboard instrument. He decided he wouldn't sleep until he learned the notes on the bass part of the music staff!

He then took piano lessons. His teacher taught him classical pieces by composers like Clementi, Dussek, and Beethoven. She made sure he learned good music and didn't play any "trashy" songs.

Edward continued his music studies in Belfast. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in music from Oxford. Later, he got a special doctorate degree in music for his compositions from Balliol College, Oxford in 1919. He also became a fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 1911. This shows he was a very skilled musician.

Edward Hay's Music Career

After finishing his studies, Edward returned to Ireland. He worked as an organist at St. Patrick's Parish Church in Coleraine from 1914 to 1916. Later, in 1922, he became the organist at Bangor Abbey Church.

He also taught music. From 1922 to 1923, he was the Head of Music at Campbell College in Belfast. He also helped check music degrees at Trinity College Dublin from 1923 to 1924. Just before he passed away, he was a music lecturer at Queen's University, Belfast.

Edward was also a music critic. From 1926, he wrote about music for the Belfast Telegraph newspaper. He used the pen name "Rathcol." He also helped put together "Ulster Airs" for BBC Northern Ireland. He was also an organist at Belmont Presbyterian Church in Belfast.

Edward married Hessie Haughey in 1920. They had two sons, Michael and Joseph.

Edward Hay's Legacy and Music

Edward Hay passed away in 1943 in Portstewart, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. His music was well-known.

Awards and Performances

• In 1918, he won the Carnegie Award for his String Quartet in A.
• His main work, 'Paean', was performed at the famous Three Choirs Festival in 1932.
• Two of his important orchestral pieces were the symphonic poem 'Dunluce' (from 1921) and an 'Irish Rhapsody'.
• 'Dunluce' was even played at the famous London Proms concert series in 1925. 'Paean' was also performed there in 1934.
• His piece 'To Wonder' was specially created for the Belfast Philharmonic Society's 50th anniversary in 1924. It was played when the BBC station in Belfast first opened.
• He won prizes at the Feis Ceoil (an Irish music festival) for a madrigal in 1908 and a sonata in 1916. He also won the Cobbett Prize in 1917 for a string quartet based on Irish folk tunes.

Style of Music

Music expert Barry Burgess said that Hay's music had great orchestration and harmony. Hay himself described his music as "largely diatonic with chromatic decoration in a free modern manner." This means his music mostly used standard scales but added colorful notes in a modern way. You can also hear the influence of Irish folk songs in his melodies.

Recent Performances

Even after his death, Edward Hay's music has been performed.

• In 1987, the Ulster Orchestra played 'Dunluce' on the BBC.
• In 1995, his cantata 'The Wind Among the Reeds' was performed for the first time.
• His String Quartet in A was also broadcast in 1995.
• In 2002, some of his work was performed at Ulster Hall, and his sons were there to hear it.

Edward Hay's Compositions

Here are some of the types of music Edward Hay wrote:

Orchestral Music

These are pieces for a full orchestra:

• Dunluce, a tone poem (1921)
• Fantasy on Irish Folk Tunes (1924)
• Four Irish Sketches (1929–32)
• An Irish Rhapsody, a tone poem (1932)

Vocal Music with Orchestra

These pieces combine singers with an orchestra:

• The Gilly of Christ (1917)
• The Wind Among the Reeds (1921)
• To Wonder (1924)
• Paean (1930)

Choral Music (Unaccompanied)

These are pieces for a choir without instruments:

• Shed no Tear (1923)

Choral Music (with Organ)

These pieces are for a choir with an organ:

• Behold, what Manner of Love (1923)
• Thou O God hast taught me (1927)

Chamber Music

These are pieces for a small group of instruments:

• Cello Sonata, for cello and piano (1916)
• Fantasy on Irish Folk Tunes for string quartet (1917)
• String Quartet in A major (1918)

Songs

These are pieces for a singer, usually with piano:

• The Silent Land (1905)
• A Birthday Song (1918)
• Churnin' Day (1936)
• The Buttermilk Boy, an Ulster folksong (1939)
• Tryste Noel (1940)

Musical Comedy

• The Lady Voters Dilemma (1919)