Harry Plunket Greene facts for kids
Harry Plunket Greene (born June 24, 1865 – died August 19, 1936) was a famous Irish singer. He was a baritone, which means he had a deep singing voice. He was best known for his performances in formal concerts and large musical works called oratorios. Besides singing, he also wrote and gave talks about music. He was very involved in music competitions and exams. Harry Plunket Greene also wrote a book about fly fishing called Where the Bright Waters Meet in 1924.
Contents
Early Life and Music Training
Harry Plunket Greene was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Richard Jonas Greene, was a lawyer. His mother, Louisa Lilias Plunket, wrote books for children. Her grandfather was William Conyngham Plunket, who was a very important judge in Ireland.
Harry went to Clifton College for school. He was expected to study Law at Oxford. However, a football accident changed his path. He was badly injured and had to rest for a year. During this time, he discovered his love for music.
He began studying music in Dublin with Arthur Barraclough. Then, he went to the Stuttgart Conservatory in Germany for two years. He also studied in Florence, Italy, and in London, England.
Starting His Music Career
Harry Plunket Greene first performed in London in 1888. He sang in Handel's famous work, Messiah. The next year, he sang in Redemption by Gounod. In 1890, he performed in operas at Covent Garden. He sang the parts of Commendatore in Don Giovanni and the Duke of Verona in Romeo et Juliette. After these opera roles, he decided to focus on giving solo concerts, known as recitals.
He became well-known for singing in oratorios. His first big festival performance was in Worcester in 1890. In 1892, he created the main role in Hubert Parry's Job at the Gloucester Festival. This role included a very long and challenging song called the Lamentation of Job. Another singer, David Bispham, said Harry performed it with "superb dramatic feeling." Harry Plunket Greene was often the first to perform many of the songs by Hubert Parry.
Famous Partnerships and Performances
In 1895, Harry Plunket Greene and pianist Leonard Borwick gave an important concert in London. They performed all of Schumann's Dichterliebe for the first time in public. They worked together for many years. However, they both became very busy with their own tours. Harry often toured in the United States, where he felt audiences were very welcoming. He also enjoyed singing for audiences in northern England and for schoolboys.
Harry Plunket Greene was a good friend of the famous composer Edward Elgar. In 1900, Harry was the original baritone singer in the first performance of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. This was a very important musical event.
He also helped make the Songs of Travel by Ralph Vaughan Williams famous. The composer dedicated these songs to Harry. Harry often used these songs in his own performances and in his book about singing. He worked hard to improve the quality of English songs performed in concerts.
Harry also supported Gervase Elwes, another tenor singer, throughout his career. They were lifelong friends. Harry encouraged Elwes and helped him join important music clubs.
In 1914, Harry Plunket Greene sang Stanford's Songs of the Sea at the Promenade Concerts in London. He had refused to sing them earlier because the orchestra used a very high musical pitch.
Music Competitions and Teaching
In his later years, Harry Plunket Greene spent a lot of time organizing music events and teaching. In 1923, he traveled to Canada to be a judge in music competitions. He visited many festivals across Canada, including in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. These festivals helped encourage choirs, singers, and musicians to do their best by offering prizes. He returned to judge in Saskatchewan in 1931.
He also taught many students, including Keith Falkner, Robert Easton, and Margaret Ritchie.
Personal Life
Harry Plunket Greene married Gwendolen Maud Parry in 1899. She was the younger daughter of the composer Hubert Parry. They had three children: Richard Plunket Greene (born 1901), David Plunket Greene (born 1904), and Olivia Plunket Greene (born 1907). They separated in 1920.
His grandson, Alexander Plunkett Greene, later married the famous fashion designer Mary Quant in 1953.
Harry Plunket Greene passed away on August 19, 1936, at the age of 71. He was buried in the churchyard of Hurstbourne Priors, near his two sons.
Recordings
Harry Plunket Greene made recordings of songs for both the Gramophone Company and Columbia Records. He recorded many different types of songs, including traditional tunes and works by famous composers.
He also recorded a lecture called 'On The Art of Singing' for Columbia Records. This lecture was part of an educational series.
