Ernest Farrar 1885-1918

[giles.enders]

Ernest Bristow Farrar  Born 7.7.1885 Lewisham, London -  Died 18.9 1918 Epeley Roussey, France

He was the son of Charles Farrar, a vicar. Ernest was the second of three children¹. He married, Olive Mason in 1913². He graduated at Durham University and then studied composition at The Royal College of Music under Charles Stanford and Walter Parratt.  He was Organist in Dresden, South Shields and in 1912 Harrogate.  He was killed in action during the first world war.

Orchestral

Rhapsody No.1 'The Open Road' (Whitman) Op.9  1908
Rhapsody No.2 'Lavengro'  (Borrow) Op.15  1913  (lost)
Tone poem 'The Forsaken Merman'  (M.Arnold) Op. 20  1914
Variations in G for piano and orchestra  Op.25  1915
English Pastoral Impressions: Spring Morning, Bredon Hill, Over the hills and far away.  Op.26  1915 pub. by Stainer & Bell
Prelude on the Angelus for strings Op.27  1915 pub. by Goodwin & Tabb
Three Spiritual Studies for string orchestra: Angelus, Introit and Credo  Op.33  pub. by Stainer & Bell
Heroic Elegy  Op.36  1918

Chamber

Sonata  in A for violin and piano  Op.1 (lost)
Celtic Suite: Dalva, The Laughter of Seatach, Eily.  for violin and piano  Op.11  pub. by Novello & Co.
Celtic Impressions for string quartet: 1.'The Dominion of Dreams' 2. 'In the Shadow of the Hills' Op.31

Piano

Two pieces: Valse Caprice, Shadow Dance   Op.8  1913  pub. by Stainer & Bell
Miniature Suite - Prelude, Waltz, Finale Op.16  1913  pub. by Augener
Shadow Dance  pub. by Stainer & Bell
Four pieces -  'Pierrot' Op.19/1,  'Pierrette' 19/2,  'Eastern Sketch' 19/3, 'Dance' 19/4  1915.  19/1 & 19/2 pub. by J.Williams. Op.19/3 & 19/4 pub. by Ashdown.
Three pieces -  'Minuet' Op.23/1, 'Lullaby' Op.23/2, 'Caprice' Op.23/3  1916  pub. by Chester
North Country Sketches:  'Sair tyeled hinny', 'Bonny at morn'.  'The Hexamshire Lass'.  Op.34 pub. by Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew

Organ

Fantasy-Prelude  Op.5  1908  pub. by Stainer & Bell
Three Choral preludes:  St. Bride, St. Mary, Lord, Thee I praise.  Op.7  1908  pub. by  Augener
A Wedding Piece  Op.18  pub. by OUP
Two pieces: Prelude and variations of a ground bass, Op.22/1. pub. by Augener.   Prelude on a Tallis canon (Op.22/2 is lost)  pub. by Schirmer
Two pieces:  Voluntary, Prelude on St. Flavian.  Op.24
Elegy in E flat major   pub. by OUP
Six pieces: Prelude,  Prelude on St.Flavian, Trio, Postlude,  Pastorale and Epilogue on The Old 100th.  Op.37   pub. by OUP

Anthems

'They that put their trust'  Op.17/2  1914
'Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom' 1917
'Prevent us ,O Lord'  Op.32  1917

Choral

'The Blessed Damozel' for soloist, chorus and orchestra words by Rossetti Op.6  1907  pub. by Stainer & Bell
'To Daffodils'  for mixed voices  Op.13
'Out of Doors' suite for choir and orchestra: 'Song of the open road', 'The Astronomer', 'O Glad culminating song'  Op.14

Songs

'Songs of Memory': A Dirg (Heine), Memory (C Rossetti), Sea Foam (Simpson)  Op.2
Part songs - 'Cold's the Wind' Op.3/1,'Care, thou canker of our joys' Op.3/2.  four part songs  pub. by Stainer & Bell
Part songs - 'There was a Maid' Op.4/1, 'The Winter is Past' Op.4/2, 'Jog on, Jog on'Op.4/3.  four part songs pub. by Stainer & Bell
'Vagabond Songs' The Wanderer( Arthur Symons), Silent Noon ( Rossetti) , The Roadside Fire ( R L Stevenson), for baritone and orchestra  Op.10  pub. by Stainer & Bell
'Margaritae Sorori Op12/1 two part song
'Afton Water' Op12/2  two part song  words by R Burns
Three part songs -  'The Chill' ( C.Rossetti) Op.18/1, 'A Dirge' Op.18/2 'Golden Stars' (Heine ) Op.18/3 )  Op.18/1 18/3  pub by Joseph Williams & Co. Op.18/2  pub. by Stainer & Bell
Two Pastorals - 'Brittany'  Op.21/1, 'A Song of St. Francis' Op.21/2.  Unison Song  Op.21/1 pub. by Novello. Op.21/2  pub. by Arnold.
Two Pastorals - 'Come you, Mary',  Op.21/3, 'Who would shepherd pipes forsake?' Op.21/4
North Country Folk Tunes  Op.28 'The Willow Tree', 'Bonny at Morn' 1916
Three part songs for soprano with piano:  'When I was in love with you', 'When I was one-and-twenty', 'I think no more, lad'  Op.29
'Winter is cold hearted  three part song  Op.30   lost.
'Summer' for soprano and orchestra  Op.35 (after Op.30 now lost)
Three Elizabethan Love Songs - 'Diaphenia' Op.38/1, 'The Lovers Plea' 38/2, 'O Mistress Mine' Op.38/3  1910


1.
Ethel Rose Farrar 1882 - 1.3.1955
Ernest Bristow Farrar  7.7.1885 - 18.9.1918
Cecil Francis Farrar 1888 - 24.9.1951  clergyman

2.
Olive Farrar  3.6.1887 - 1979

[flyingdutchman]

Has anyone seen the Chandos recording with his orchestral works around?  It is now out of print and only available as a download.

[Aramiarz]

Interesting composer! I haven't this cd!!!

[semloh]

flyingdutchman - What do you want to know about the CD? Are asking about its availability?

[flyingdutchman]

Yes, please.  If found online, I'd sure like to get it (of course more reasonable than the $50+ than it's going for on Amazon).  Don't like downloads much.

[Jimfin]

Can't help you directly, but I ordered and got it only last year, so I'm guessing there will be copies still floating around.

[eschiss1]

the 3 pieces Op23 published 1916 can be downloaded from IMSLP, by the way.

[Cheah SC]

some useful biography can be found at below web-site

http://www.warcomposers.co.uk/composers.html