Allegretto con Grazia, Op. 10, No. 1

Harry Farjeon was born on 6 May 1878 in Hohokus, New Jersey. His parents returned to Britain when he was a baby, and he lived in Hampstead in London for the rest of his life. His younger sister, Eleanor, with whom he shared a rich imaginary life, wrote children's books and poetry, including the hymn, Morning Has Broken.

He studied music privately with Landon Ronald and John Storer, then in 1895 he entered the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied composition with Battison Haynes and Frederick Corder (as did Alec Rowley), and piano with Septimus Webbe. There he was a contemporary of Arnold Bax, York Bowen, Adam Carse, Eric Coates and Benjamin Dale.

He left the Royal Academy of Music in 1900, but in 1901 he returned to teach composition. Two years later, at the age of 25, he became the Academy's youngest ever professor, having become the family wage-earner after the death of his father. He also taught at the Blackheath Conservatoire.

Harry Farjeon composed music throughout most of his life. His compositions are mostly for piano, but he also wrote songs, sonatas, concertos and a mass setting. He died in Hampstead on 29 December 1948.

"Allegretto con Grazia" is the first work in Farjeon's Opus 10. Thid works was originally for the piano, but transcribes nicely for the organ.

The light-hearted sweep keeps things moving along, and there seems to be a gentle, "bell-like" theme present. Not big, loud bells, but parish church bells from a nearby village, sounding across the meadows, perhaps ringing for evensong, or vespers, or perhaps tolling the angelus.

I received this score from my good friend and our member, adrianw.

THANK YOU, Adrian!

The score is attached below, as well as two photos of Harry Farjeon.