Sidney Nelson
Sidney Nelson (1 January 1800 – 7 April 1862)[1][2][3][4] was an English composer, particularly of songs, including the popular "Rose of Allendale" and "Mary of Argyle".
Life
[edit]Nelson was born in London in 1800, son of Solomon Nelson. Showing musical ability when quite young, he was adopted by a gentleman who gave him a good musical and general education. He was for some time a pupil of Sir George Smart, and eventually became a teacher in London. He was in partnership with Charles Jefferys as a music-seller until 1843, when he was elected an associate of the Philharmonic Society. Subsequently he became a music publisher, but, being unsuccessful, he arranged a musical and dramatic entertainment with members of his family, and went on tour in North America, Canada, and Australia.[5]
He died in Russell Square, London on 7 April 1862, and was buried at West Ham; he left a widow, Sarah, and son Alfred Nelson.[6]
Compositions
[edit]Nelson was a prolific composer, and claimed to have written about eight hundred pieces, some of which were published under an assumed name. He composed a burletta, The Grenadier, produced by Madame Vestris at the Olympic Theatre; The Cadi's Daughter, performed after Macbeth for William Macready's farewell benefit; and The Village Nightingale, words by Henry Thornton Craven, his son-in-law. He had a grand opera, Ulrica, in rehearsal at the Princess's Theatre, London under John Medex Maddox's management, but, owing to some dispute, it was not produced.[5]
He was the author of Instructions in the Art of Singing and composed many duets, trios, piano pieces, and songs; some of the latter, such as "The Pilot" and "Rose of Allendale", attained considerable popularity.[5] "Mary of Argyle" also became popular.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Sidney Nelson (1800–1862)" Naxos. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "Sidney Nelson" Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "Sidney Nelson" Discogs. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "Sidney Nelson and family" Australharmony. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b c Hadden, James Cuthbert (1894). . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 40. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 212–213.
- ^ "Nelson, Sydney". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19884. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Mary of Argyle" National Jukebox at Library of Congress. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Hadden, James Cuthbert (1894). "Nelson, Sydney". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 40. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 212–213.
External links
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