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Sir William Sterndale Bennett: A Brief Review of his Life and Works

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

Arthur O'leary
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Extract

With no startling incidents or striking events to mark its course, the life of Sterndale Bennett will yet be always interesting to every one who likes to trace the progress and development of a truly artistic genius. It will be my endeavour to put before you plainly and simply the salient features of a career highly important in the history of musical art in England. The Bennett family were of Derbyshire orgin. Sterndale Bennett's grandfather, John Bennett, was born in the picturesque village of Ashford-in-the-Peak in 1750. Whilst still a youth he left for Cambridge, where he was appointed lay clerk at King's. He married, and had a numerous family. Robert, one of the elder sons, father of Sterndale Bennett, studied the organ and composition with Dr. Clarke. He became a musician of ability, and settled in Sheffield, where he took an excellent position and held the office of organist at the parish church. Amongst his many friends were Mr. William Howard and Mr William Sterndale, the latter a man of literary tastes, some of whose verses were set to music by Robert Bennett and published by subscription. In 1812 he married Elizabeth, daughter of James Donn, curator of the Botanical Gardens, Cambridge, and author of a classified catalogue of plants. He had two daughters and a son— William Sterndale Bennett—who was born on April 13, 1816, in Norfolk Row, Sheffield. Little Sterndale was not fated to know for long a father's care or a mother's love. He lost his mother when two years old, and his father died a year afterwards. Thus he was doubly orphaned in tender age. Happily his grandfather adopted him, and Mr. Howard took charge of the child until he could be sent to Cambridge. Here he was placed, when eight years old, as chorister at King's College, and had the educational advantages afforded to the boys of the various choirs.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Musical Association , Volume 8 , 1881 , pp. 123 - 145
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Musical Association, 1881

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References

∗ The following notice, from the Harmonicon, of Bennett's composition and performance may prove not uninteresting: “The most complete and gratifying performance was that of young Bennett, whose composition would have conferred honour on any established master, and his execution of it was really surprising, not merely for its correctness and brilliancy, but for the feeling he manifested, which, if he proceed as he has begun, must in a few years place him very high in his profession.”Google Scholar

∗ The bow window in which his writing-table stood was removed to his London residence, in St. John's Wood Road, when the old inn was pulled down.Google Scholar

∗ These lectures are still in manuscript.Google Scholar

∗ See Musical World for 1867.Google Scholar

∗ The Times critic thus refers to the music performed: “The programme was designedly short, and merely included the overture called ‘The Najades,’ long celebrated over Europe, together with two beautiful partsongs, ‘Sweet stream’ and ‘Come, live with me.’ The overture was admirably played by the Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mr. W. G. Cusins. The part-songs were intrusted to Mr. Henry Leslie's choir, with Mr. Leslie himself as director. Both were sung to perfection, the second so well that it had to be repeated. This was but a small modicum of Sir W. S. Bennett's music for such an occasion; but the other proceedings occupied so much time that a longer concert might have been inconvenient”Google Scholar

∗ Referring to this concert, a critic of that time, not always guilty of paying Bennett compliments, speaks as follows: “Mr. S. Bennett's performance was in true keeping with so noble and dignified a composition. His feeling, his taste—so opposed to the prevailing style of most of the pianists of the present day—remind one of a great retired performer. That the mantle of J. B. Cramer has fallen upon our countryman is the general opinion. May he long continue to wear and deserve it.”Google Scholar

∗ We find the following interesting quotation in the Crystal Palace Analytical Programme: “‘In “Parisina,” says Lord Jeffreys, there is no tumult or stir. It is all sadness and pity and terror. There is too much of horror, perhaps, in the circumstances, but the writing is beautiful throughout, and the whole wrapped in a rich and redundant veil of poetry, where everything breathes the pure essence of genius and sensibility.’ It would be difficult in a few words to give a closer idea of Bennett's music than the great critic has here conveyed in his judgment on Byron's poetry.”Google Scholar