Music scores of Granville Bantock

This material is held atUniversity of Birmingham, Cadbury Research Library, Special Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 150 MS883
  • Dates of Creation
    • [1908]
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 3 items

Scope and Content

Autograph manuscripts of music by Granville Bantock (1868-1946) comprising 'Song of the Children in Palladore', text by Sir Henry Newbolt; 'A Grammarian's Funeral', text by Robert Browning; and 'Cello Sonata in B minor', first page only, [c 1908]

Administrative / Biographical History

Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (1868-1946) was Edward Elgar's immediate successor to the Chair of Music at University of Birmingham in 1908. Before coming to Birmingham he was musical director at The Tower, New Brighton where he astonished the holiday-makers of Wallasey with avant-garde music and gave Sibelius his first English performances. There was a close friendship between Bantock and Elgar and Elgar recommended him for the post of first Principal of the Birmingham and Midland Institute's School of Music (now the Birmingham Conservatoire). Bantock was particularly interested in oriental themes; his masterpiece was a complete setting of The Ruba'iyat of Omar Khayyam. He was distinguished for his instrumental mastery and he brought a community of progressive musicians to Birmingham, including Delius, Holbrooke, Ernest Newman, Sibelius, Prokofiev.

Sources: information in Granville Bantock deposit file

Access Information

Open, access to all registered researchers.

Acquisition Information

These manuscripts were presented by Professor John Morehen.

Other Finding Aids

PLease see full catalogue for more information.

Archivist's Note

Papers arranged and described by Mark Eccleston, July 2015, in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; and in-house cataloguing guidelines.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Custodial History

These manuscripts were given to Professor John Morehen as an outright gift by the poet Gavin Bantock, the composer's grandson, [c 1964]

Related Material

Archive collections relating to Granville Bantock, and held at the Cadbury Research Library, include:

Granville Bantock Collection. Finding Number: GB
Papers of Granville Bantock: MS140
Francis Brett Young Manuscript Collection. Finding Number: FBY
Letters Additional Collection: Late-19th Century - Mid-20th Century. Finding Number: Ladd
Raymond Bantock Collection. Finding Number: MS63
Josef Holbrooke Collection. Finding Number: MS79
Papers of Alphonse Mingana: Correspondence A-B. Finding Number: DA66/1/3/2/2
Papers of Sir Edward Elgar, Lady Caroline Alice Elgar and Carice Elgar Blake: Diaries of Sir Edward Elgar. Finding Number: EE
Papers of Christopher Evans: papers 1921-1975. Finding Number: CE
Papers of Herman Sutherland Bantock. Finding Number: MS33
Photographs and books of music presented by Miss Fiedler. Finding Number: MS787
Papers of Percy Young: Printed Copy of Granville Bantock's manuscript 'Pagan Symphony' orchestral score. Finding Number: MS860
Music Manuscripts Collection: Mozart's Don Giovanni notated by Granville Bantock. Finding Number: Music Ms 5040
Papers of Neville Chamberlain. Finding Number: NC
University Archives: Papers relating to war work of University of Birmingham staff, 1919-1920. Finding Number: UB/VP/2/1
Letters from Granville Bantock and Edward Elgar to Ernest Newman. Finding Number: MS182
Papers of Muriel Mann relating to Granville Bantock. Finding Number: MS1033