Patrick Hadley

Patrick Arthur Sheldon Hadley ( born March 5, 1899 in Cambridge, † December 17, 1973 in Heacham, or King's Lynn ) was an English composer and university teacher.

Life

Hadley lost after leaving school ( at Winchester College ) as a soldier in France during the First World War, his right lower leg. Then he studied at Pembroke College ( Cambridge ) at Charles Wood and Cyril Rootham, then at the Royal College of Music in London with Ralph Vaughan Williams (composition), Adrian Boult and Malcolm Sargent (conducting). From 1925 he taught at the RCM itself, around 1938 to switch to the Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he took a teaching position at the university.

During World War II he headed instead of Boris Ord Cambridge University Musical Society. In 1946 he was appointed Chair of Music at Cambridge University in succession to Edward Dent and held this position until his retirement in 1962. Among his pupils were Raymond Leppard, David Lumsden and Peter le Huray.

Work

Hadleys relatively narrow compositional work almost exclusively comprises vocal compositions, in addition to songs about the England in the repertoire devolved Anthem My Beloved Spake (1936). However, he also left several large-scale works for soloists, chorus and orchestra, including the four -movement symphonic ballad The Trees so High ( 1931) and the cantata The Hills (1944). Among his few instrumental works include the orchestral piece created on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Ralph Vaughan Williams One Morning in Spring ( 1942). Frequently Hadleys compositions by folk music and landscapes of England inspired. Stylistically, he was particularly influenced by Delius, Debussy and Ravel.