JULIUS BENEDICT

Sir Julius (Jules) Benedict (1804-1885) was born in Stuttgart, Germany, and studied composition with Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Carl Maria von Weber. He was appointed Kapellmeister of the Kärnthnerthor theatre at Vienna, and in 1825, he became Kapellmeister of the San Carlo theatre at Naples. In 1834 he went to Paris and, a year later, to London, where he spent the remainder of his life. In London, he was conductor of the Lyceum Theatre and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. In 1848 he conducted the first appearance of Jenny Lind in an oratorio- Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Exeter Hall. In 1850 he went to America as her tour accompanist. Returning to England in 1852, he became musical conductor at Her Majesty’s Theatre and conductor of the Harmonic Union. Benedict conducted every Norwich Festival from 1845 to 1878, and the Liverpool Philharmonic Society’s concerts from late 1875 to 1880. He was the regular accompanist or conductor at the Monday Popular Concerts in London. He was knighted in 1871; and, among other distinctions, was decorated by the emperor of Austria in 1874 and made knight commander of the Order of Frederick by the king of Württemberg. His compositions include a symphony, numerous concerti, an oratorio, a number of operas and a notable number of part-songs.

All are mixed chorus; some contain divisi.

SET	TITLE	VOICING	TEXT	LISTEN
	A Night Song		Barry Cornwall	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing
	Dirge for the faithful lover		Beaumont & Fletcher	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing
	Home		Wrighton (attr.)	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing
	Invocation to sleep		Beaumont & Fletcher	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing
	Old May-day		Beaumont & Fletcher	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing
	Rise! sleep no more		Bryan Waller Proctor	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing
	Summer is nigh		Henry Farnie	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing
	Sylvan pleasures		Thomas Heywood	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing
	The wreath		Vincent Bourne	LISTEN X Stop audio before closing