Bax, Sir Arnold Edward Trevor

Scope and Content

Musical scores in manuscript of two versions of A Lyke-Wake: Border Ballad 1934.

Administrative / Biographical History

Arnold Edward Trevor Bax was born in Streatham, London on 8 November 1883. He received his musical education from the Hampstead Conservatoire and the Royal Academy of Music. Whilst at the Academy he won the Battison Haynes prize for composition in 1902, and the MacFarren scholarship for composition, which he held until he left the Academy in 1905. He gave his first public appearance as a composer at St. James Hall in 1902. In 1910 Bax was elected an associate and in 1920 a fellow of the Academy.

Bax composed many works including, The Garden of Sand 1916, The Tale the Pine Trees Knew , 1931 and the Cello Concerto , 1932. Bax's reputation as a composer brought him many honours. He was knighted in 1937. He also received honorary degrees from Oxford University 1934, Durham 1935 and the National University of Ireland 1947. He died in Cork, Ireland on 3 October 1953.

Access Information

Access to the items in the collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the controlled environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Access to archive collections may be restricted under the Freedom of Information Act. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Archivist's Note

Separated Material

The British Library, London, holds musical manuscripts (Ref: Add MSS 54724-81, 57523), letters to Sir John F Stainer, 1912-1931 (Add MSS 62121), correspondence with the Society of Authors, 1944-1945 (Add MSS 63211), and letters to Sir Henry Joseph Wood (Add MSS 56419); the Royal Academy of Music Library contains manuscripts, as does the Strathclyde University Library.

Conditions Governing Use

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.