Gervase Elwes facts for kids
Gervase Henry Cary-Elwes (born November 15, 1866 – died January 12, 1921), known as Gervase Elwes, was a famous English tenor singer. He had a big impact on English music from the early 1900s until his sudden death in 1921. He died in a train accident in Boston, USA, when his career was at its peak.
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Becoming a Singer
Gervase Elwes was born in Billing Hall, Northampton. His family was part of the landed gentry, which means they owned a lot of land. He went to Catholic schools and then to Christ Church, Oxford University. At Oxford, he enjoyed playing cricket and the violin.
When he was 22, he married Lady Winifride Mary Elizabeth Feilding. After university, he trained to be a lawyer and diplomat. He spent some years in Brussels, where he started taking singing lessons at age 28. Back then, it was unusual for someone from a wealthy family to become a professional singer. But Elwes didn't let that stop him. In his late thirties, he finally started performing professionally in London. His main singing teachers were Jacques Bouhy in Paris and Victor Biegel in London.
First Performances
Elwes's first professional show in London was in April 1903. He sang in a piece called Wallfahrt nach Kevlaar by Engelbert Humperdinck. Soon after, he was heard by famous composers like Charles Villiers Stanford and Hubert Parry. They were very impressed. A violinist named Professor Kruse quickly hired him. This led to Elwes's first performance in Edward Elgar's famous work, The Dream of Gerontius, in 1904.
What Made His Voice Special
Gervase Elwes had a unique voice. It was very sincere and full of feeling, and also quite powerful. He was known for singing clearly and always hitting the right notes. His singing had a deep, spiritual quality, which came from his strong religious beliefs. His parents had become Roman Catholic when he was five years old.
His teacher, Victor Biegel, helped Elwes's voice become even stronger and more relaxed. This allowed him to sing big, demanding roles for nearly two decades.
Elwes and Folk Music
In the early 1900s, Elwes and his wife helped organize music festivals in Lincolnshire, where their family lived. Elwes often conducted or sang at these events.
In 1905, a friend suggested they add a competition for folk singers. This led to the discovery of many old English folk songs. One important singer they found was Joseph Taylor. A song he sang became the basis for a famous piece by Frederick Delius called Brigg Fair.
Famous Performances
Gervase Elwes became one of the best singers of Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. He performed this work 118 times! He was also well-known for singing the role of the Evangelist in Bach's St Matthew Passion. He performed regularly at big music festivals like the Three Choirs Festival.
In 1909, Elwes sang Gerontius and the St Matthew Passion in New York. His performances helped him become known as the top singer for these important works. During World War I, he even sang for British soldiers in France.
Singing German Songs
Elwes was also a leading English singer of German Lieder, which are German art songs. He was especially good at singing the songs of Johannes Brahms. In 1907, he toured Germany, giving concerts where he sang German songs in German. People greatly admired his performances.
He also sang in the first performance of Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde in London in 1913. Brahms's songs remained a key part of his performances throughout his career.
Impact on English Music
Elwes left a lasting mark as a singer of English art songs. Many leading English composers, like Ralph Vaughan Williams and Roger Quilter, wrote songs with his voice in mind. He was the first to sing and record Vaughan Williams's famous song cycle On Wenlock Edge.
Composers from different generations, from Charles Villiers Stanford to Frank Bridge, greatly admired him. He also inspired many other British singers of his time.
His Family
Gervase Elwes was married to Lady Winefride Mary Elizabeth Feilding. They had six sons and two daughters. Some of his descendants became well-known, including his grandson, the actor Cary Elwes, and his granddaughter, Maggie Keswick, who founded Maggie's Centres to help people with cancer.
His Death
On January 12, 1921, Gervase Elwes died in a tragic accident at Back Bay railway station in Boston, USA. He was on a concert tour in America. After getting off the train with his wife, he tried to hand an overcoat back to the conductor. He leaned too far and was hit by the moving train. He died from his injuries a few hours later, at the age of 54.
His death was a great shock to the music world. Edward Elgar wrote that the loss was "greater than I can bear to think upon."
How He Was Remembered
Many concerts were held to remember Gervase Elwes. The Musicians' Benevolent Fund, a charity that helps musicians, was first started as the Gervase Elwes Memorial Fund for Musicians. This shows how important he was to English music in the 20th century.
A special plaque with his portrait was placed in the Queen's Hall in London, where many of his concerts took place. It had a motto that said, "With his whole heart he sang songs and loved Him that made him."
Sir John Barbirolli, a famous conductor, remembered Elwes as "that great and noble artist."
Recordings
Gervase Elwes made recordings between 1911 and 1913 for the Gramophone Company and later for the Columbia Graphophone Company. These recordings allow us to still hear his amazing voice today.
- Phyllis hath such charming graces (recorded 1911)
- Absent yet present (recorded 1911)
- Morning Hymn (recorded 1911)
- To Daisies, and Song of the Blackbird (recorded 1911)
- Sigh no more, ladies (recorded 1912)
- Ich liebe dich (recorded 1911)
- So we'll go no more a-roving (recorded 1911, 1912)
- Blow, blow thou winter wind (recorded 1916)
- Now sleeps the crimson petal, and Love's Philosophy (recorded 1916)
- The Roadside Fire (recorded 1920)
- O Mistress Mine! and Fair House of Joy
- Songs my mother taught me
- Where'er you walk
- On Wenlock Edge (recorded with the London String Quartet)
- Is my team ploughing? (recorded with the London String Quartet)
- Bredon Hill (recorded with the London String Quartet)
- Clun (recorded with the London String Quartet)
- Lift up your heads on high
