The words of the American devotional song Sweet Hour of Prayer were written by Rev. William Walford in 1845. The tune, published in 1869, is the work of William B. Bradbury, a celebrated New England hymn tune writer, Heaton’s evocative arrangement has been recorded or performed by Brett Baker, Ian Bousfield and Christopher Thomas. Duration 3 mins
THE WILFRED HEATON EDITION
John Wilfred Heaton (1918 — 2000) was a composer of refined sensibility and technical skill, the true extent of whose creative gifts has only emerged since his death in May 2000. As his many admirers suspected, the music currently in print represents just a small part of what he actually composed. The Wilfred Heaton Edition, a joint project between Kirklees Music and the Wilfred Heaton Trust, will make available the remainder of his rich legacy of finished pieces, as well as performing editions of those works lost and/or complete in sketch form. Wilfred’s life in music was underpinned by wide-ranging interests in the arts, in philosophy, and by his strong religious background and faith. Yet at times during his long life, his creative impulse was often tested and questioned .
Born in Sheffield to Salvationist parents, his musical talents were nurtured through the Salvation Army. He began piano lessons at the age of eight. Soon after that he was learning the cornet and writing music of his own. His piano teacher, Salvationist songster Mrs. Bennett, guided him to his first musical milestone, an LRAM in piano, awarded when he was eighteen. He left school to become an apprentice in a small brass instrument manufacture and repair business in Sheffield, Cooking and Pace. Apart from war service in the RAF, he remained there for over twenty years, composing whenever he could. Heaton noted on a page of his last work, the autobiographical Variations, "I got help initially from a crippled SA musician [George Marshall], who had a very sound harmonic instinct, but who stressed contrapunial studies above all; then from a local music master who initiated me into the wider world of chamber and orchestral music; and finally, a lot later [the 1950’s] Matyas Seiber, whose instruction on Bach studies was invaluable. These are three with whom I had personal contact, but along with other inspiring composers — the scores of the 18th century German giants and the 20th century masters. It was expected that Wilfred would dedicate his musical talents to the Salvation Army, and in his own words, he continued to “do a good job” for the Army throughout his life. However, what he offered for publication was not always accepted. The technical and musical complexities of his best work, while placing him firmly in the European classical mainstream, were often thought to be too radical for Salvation Army performance. Those pieces that were published, like the March Praise and the Meditation Just as I am have become Salvation Army favourites, but several more were rejected. Others, like the Toccata, eventually found their way into print many years later. In his 20's and 30's, Wilfred’s musical ambitions extended beyond the brass band. There was a Suite for orchestra, which later became a Piano Sonata and eventually the Partita for band. His Op.1 was a Rhapsody for oboe and strings. Op.2 was a suite of Three Pieces for piano. Both works received performances in London under the auspices of the Society for the Promotion of New Music. There was also a Little Suite for recorder and piano, composed in 1955 for the Sheffield-based recorder virtuoso, Philip Rogers. He also composed for chamber ensembles and voices.
In the late-1950’s, Wilfred’s life began to take a different course. He had taken up the french horn and was working as a peripatetic brass teacher, a move which in 1962 took the Heaton family to Harrogate. Much of the day-to-day work of instrument repair was left in the hands of Herbert Cooking, son of the former owner, who had worked under Wilfred’s enlightened guidance for thirteen years. When Herbert Cooking moved to the United States in 1964, the Sheffield business was closed. Wilfred played in a number of teachers’ orchestras and ensembles. He was a founding conductor of the Dales Sinfonia. He formed and conducted the local schools youth orchestra. Between 1962 and 1969 he was Musical Director of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra. In 1970 he spent some months as resident Musical Director of the Black Dyke Mills Band. However, as his professional activities increased, Heaton’s own creativity went into decline. He continued to arrange music for all the performing groups with which he was involved, but he composed very little. Another note on the score of Variations offers the explanation: ". . .all compositional ambitions were brought to a halt through my contact with Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposphical Movement. Involvement in this seemed to dry me up at a tempo. I lost the impulse to compose. Such an activity seemed unimportant compared with the spiritual impulses provided by Steiner." Most of his spare time was now dedicated to a systematic exploration of the worlds of philosophy, of letters and of spirituality. From time to time, though, he was persuaded out of this creative semi-retirement, most notably in 1973, when he completed Contest Music - the only wholly original work to be published in his life-time. In his later years Wilfred was pleased, but always appeared surprised, at the appreciative reception his music was by then receiving. He never re-gained his old fluency but he was encouraged by family and friends - notably the conductor Howard Snell - to take up his composing pen once again. After the death of his wife and his own retirement from teaching, there was a welcome "Indian summer" - two substantial concertos, two marches and his final Variations. A few weeks before he died, Heaton remarked that as a young man all he wanted to be was a composer. "And I suppose that urge never really leaves you" he added. Wilfred Heaton once said to a colleague there would be some surprise at what would emerge from his "unregarded corner". He was quite right.
Click on MORE DETAILS to listen to an audio extract of this work. The featured trombone soloist is Rob Marsh.
If you enjoyed listening to this excerpt and want to listen to a full performance, you can purchase the CD recording on this site. The CD is "OVATION !" with The Flowers Band conducted by Philip Harper. QPRL 229CD
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