Ring out, wild bells

Edgar Leslie Bainton (14 February 1880 – 8 December 1956) was a British-born, latterly Australian-resident composer. He was born in Hackney, London, and was awarded a music scholarship to King Henry VIII Grammar School in Coventry in 1891, and in 1896 he won an open scholarship to the Royal College of Music to study theory with Walford Davies. In 1899 he received a scholarship to study composition with Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. At college he became friends with George Dyson, William Harris and especially Rutland Boughton, whose friendship and support continued throughout Bainton's career.

In 1901 he became piano professor at the Newcastle upon Tyne Conservatory of Music and was involved in the local musical scene, composing, playing and conducting. In 1912 he became the Principal of the Conservatory in 1912.

The New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music offered him the directorship in the summer of 1933. He conducted the choral and orchestral classes at the Conservatorium, and founded the Opera School. He is most remembered today for his church music, but there is more than just the one famous anthem ("And I saw a new heaven") that deserves to be revived. As an organist Bainton had played before Queen Victoria while a student at the Royal College of Music, and upon retirement from the New South Wales Conservatorium, Sydney, took over temporarily as Organist/Director of Music at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, after the unexpected death of T.W. Beckett.

I wanted to do 2 pieces for the New Year - one to see the year out, and one to see the year in. THIS one, sees it out!

It's a fine song for voice and piano, using Tennyson's splendid text. In order to make this work as a solo upload, I had to rearrange things a bit, keeping the melody on top, but trying not to change the "harmony." I think I got it right... ;-)

The score is attached below, as well as two photos of Bainton and one of Tennyson.

Full text in FIRST COMMENT.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL!!!