Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer facts for kids

Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer

Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer (born October 8, 1882 – died November 29, 1957) was an Irish composer. He mostly wrote operas and songs. He was the first person to create music for poems by the famous writer James Joyce.

His Life Story

Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer was born in England. His parents were Irish Protestants. He grew up near London, where his father was a church leader.

He went to Oxford University. In 1901, he earned a music degree. He was the youngest person in the college's history to do so. Later, he studied music composition in London.

In 1910, Palmer moved to Ireland. He worked as a church organist in Dublin. From his early twenties, he had a health condition called multiple sclerosis. This made it hard for him to work independently. In his later years, he used a wheelchair. His two sisters took care of him. They ran a girls' school near their home in Sandycove, south Dublin. Palmer passed away in Dublin.

His Music

Palmer wrote at least three operas. He also created many choral pieces and songs. He was very interested in opera. This was a difficult time in Irish history. Ireland was fighting for independence. Some people thought opera was not part of Irish culture.

His Operas

Palmer had early success with his first stage work. It was called Finn Varra Maa. This name means "good Finbar" in Irish. It was also called The Irish Santa Claus. This work was a political satire. It was criticized for being too nationalistic.

His opera Sruth na Maoile ("The Sea of Moyle") was performed in 1923. It was shown again in 1924. The story is based on the legend of the Children of Lir. The music used many Irish traditional tunes.

A third opera, Grania Goes, was a light, funny opera. It was planned for 1924. But it could not be performed after Ireland became independent. The original music for Sruth na Maoile and Grania Goes is kept in the National Library of Ireland.

Between 1925 and 1930, Palmer started a series of three big operas. They were based on the Cuchullain stories. One of them was Deirdre of the Sorrows (1925). The writer of the words praised Palmer's "beautiful music." However, Palmer's illness stopped him from finishing the music.

Songs and Other Works

Palmer was mostly known for his light songs and ballads. These often had a folk style. They were published in England and performed often. His choral music was usually short pieces. One longer piece was the cantata The Abbot of Innisfallen (1909). He also wrote some orchestral music.

The James Joyce Connection

After Palmer died, something amazing was discovered in 1982. It turned out that Palmer was the first composer to put music to the poems of James Joyce. These musical settings were thought to be lost. But they were found in a library in the United States.

James Joyce himself once wrote about Palmer. In 1934, he said that many composers had set his poems to music. He believed Palmer was the best. Palmer set 32 of the 36 poems from Joyce's book Chamber Music (1907). He worked on these from 1907 to 1949.

These songs were never published while Palmer was alive. Some were performed in Ireland after Joyce died in 1941. Some people think Palmer might have kept these songs a secret. This is because being linked with James Joyce was difficult in Ireland for many years. Palmer did not want to cause problems for his sisters who cared for him.

The most special thing about the Joyce songs is how good they are. They are more artistic and modern than his other works. Even though they have been performed and recorded, they are not yet widely known by singers today.

Selected Works