FRITZ BENNICKE HART

Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874-1949) was born at Greenwich, England, son of an amateur musician who directed the parish choir. He sang in the choir from age six and took piano lessons from his mother. He was chorister at Westminster Abbey and trained at the Royal College of Music, becoming friends with Gustav Holst, Coleridge Taylor, Ralph Vaughan Williams and John Ireland. He became an established composer, conductor, and teacher. He was active as musical director with various touring companies and conductor of his own works. After visits to Australia, he relocated there, was lecturer at the Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne, and conductor for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He later moved to Hawaii and became conductor of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and professor of music at the University of Hawaii. He died in Honolulu. His compositions include twenty-two operas, fifteen orchestral works, including one symphony, numerous chamber and solo instrumental works, songs, unaccompanied choruses, part-songs, transcriptions and arrangements.

All are mixed chorus; some contain divisi.