Adam Carse 1878-1958

[giles.enders]

Adam Carse   (Adam Von Ahn Carse) Born Newcastle  19.5.1878   Died Great Missenden  2.11.1958

He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London under Frederick Corder  1892-3.  Between the years 1909-1922 he was assistant music master at Winchester College and from 1922 was professor of harmony and counterpoint at The RAM. a post he held until 1940.
He had an interest in the study and a collection of old wind instruments.  He bequethed his collection of over 350 instruments to the Horniman Museum in South London.

Orchestra

Symphony  No.1 in C minor   pub. By Stainer & Bell
Symphony  No.2 in G minor   pub. By Stainer & Bell
Symphony  No.3 in F major
Symphony  No.4 in C major
Symphony  No.5 in E flat
Symphonic  poem " In a Balcony"
Miniature Suite
Concert Overture  No.1 in D
Concert Overture No.2 in B flat
Holiday  overture
Happy Heart  overture   pub. by Augener
Suite from "The Death of Tintagiles"
Prelude to "Manfred"
Variations in A minor
"Merry Milk-maids"   pub. By Augener
Miniature symphony in D for string orchestra   pub. By Augener
Sinfonia in D  for strings  pub. By Augener
Two sketches for strings  pub. By Augener
Gavotte for small orchestra   pub. By Novello & Co.
"Barbara Allen"  variations for string orchestra    pub. By Novello & Co.
"Childhood's happy days"  for piano, 7 toy instruments, and strings  pub. by Augener  1922
"The Nursery"
"A Romantic Legend"
Berceuse (In Memory)  for string orchestra     pub. By Augener

Brass Band

"Puffing Billy" overture
Overture to a Nautical Comedy   pub. by Francis, Day & Hunter
Three characteristic pieces:  Prelude, Minuet, Rustic dance.  pub. by Besson & Co.

Chamber

Three dances for string quartet & piano    pub. by Augener
Fantasie for violin, viola & cello
Five pieces for piano violin & cello
All'antico  for violin & piano   pub. by Augener  1922
Air de ballet  1908   pub. by Ashdown
Berceuse for violin & piano     pub. by Augener
Cavatina for violin & piano  pub. by Schott
Concertino in D for violin & piano   pub. by Augener  1924
Caprietto   for violin & piano  pub. by Augener  1920
"Day Dreams"  for violin & piano   pub. by Augener  1924
Deaux Morceaux Faciles  for violin & piano   pub. by Schott
Trois Morceaux  for violin & piano   pub. By Schott
Fiddle Dances – 10 Old English Dances  set for violin & piano   pub. by Augener
Gavotte in G  for violin & piano   pub. by Novello
Meditation  for violin & piano  1908   pub. By Schott
Melodie in G for violin & piano pub. By Schott
Norwefian melodies for violin & piano   pub. by Novello & Co
Reverie in C  for violin & piano pub. by Weekes
Reverie in D  for violin & piano   pub. by Ashdown
Sonata in C minor   pub. by Augener
Serenata for violin & piano   pub. by Augener
Sonatinas:  1. In D, 2. In G minor, 3. In A major   for violin & piano   pub. by Augener
Three duets for 2 violins & piano:  In double harness, The Mimic, Two abreast.      pub. by Augener
String Quartet in A minor   pub. By Augener
Easy duets for two violins    pub. By Augener
Three waltzes for  two violins   pub. By Augener
Three pieces for viola & piano:  Calm reflections, Thoughtfulness, A  Breezy Storm.   pub. by Augener
'Heartache' for viola & piano
Sonata in D major for cello & piano
Serenata for cello & piano   pub. by Augener
Three pieces for wind instruments     pub. by Augener

Piano

Air de ballet   pub. By Ashdown
Album leaves for piano:  Gavotte, Lullaby, Poco agitato, Scherzino, Reverie, Valse.  pub. by Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew   1913
"Bunch of Keys, 12 easy pieces   pub. by Augener 1930
Contrasted preludes: Romantic, Scholastic, Enigmatic.   pub. by Augener
Dance Rythms: Country Dance, Viennese valse, Ballet dance.     pub. by Augener
Two Dances:  Grasshopper dance, Eccentric dance.    pub. by Augener  1919
Five pieces:  Valsette, Gavotte Mignonne, Romance, Intermezzo, March.   pub. by Augener
Three legends for piano  pub. by Augener  1930
Gavotte in G   pub. by Novello
"Fairy Glow"     pub. by Augener
Impromptu   pub. by Augener
"In Memory's Garden"   pub. by Augener
Miniature scherzo   pub. by Augener  1928
Melodie en re  for violin & piano   pub. by B.Schott's Sohn
Miniature Suite   pub. by Augener
Nocturne   pub. by Augener 1923
Three miniatures   pub. by Novello
Triumphal March   pub. by Ashdown
Two Sonatinas   pub. by Augener
Valse No.1 in D flat  pub. by Augener
Valse No.2 in B flat   pub. by Augener
Valsette     pub. by Lengnick
Three characteristic pieces: Valse melancholic, Erotic, Humouresque.   pub. by Augener
Seven miniatures  pub. by Augener
Moods & Fancies   pub. by J. Williams
Air Sentimental   pub. by J Williams

A Little Concert  piano duet   pub. by Augener
Progressive Duets   pub. by Augener
Three Waltzes for piano four hands   pub. by Augener
Triumphal March  for piano four hands   pub. by Ashdown
Variations in A minor  for piano four hands  pub. by J Williams

Song with Orchestra

Country Dance and song for full orchestra   pub. by Augener
Judas Iscariot's Paradise  Ballad for baritone, chorus and orchestra   words by S Evans   pub. by Augener

Song

A little Green lane   words by F G Attenborough   pub. by Leonard
Blossoms  words by F Tindall  1914   pub. by Boosey & Co
Bridal  words by F G Attenborough  1907   pub. by Leonard & Co
The Broomsquire's son  unison song   pub. by J Williams  1924
But once  words by F G Attenborough  1907  pub. by Chappell
Call of my heart   pub. by Reid Bros.
Come, Summer, come   words by E Oxenford      pub. by Moutrie
Did I dare  words by G Hubi-Newcombe     pub. by Ashdown
Day and Night  words by A P Herbert   pub. by Weeks & Co.
Dream on, poor heart  words by E Oxenford   pub. by Ashdown
From the heart  words by P J O'Reilly   pub. by Ashdown
Garden love songs   pub. by Moutrie
Golden rod   pub. by Breitkopf & Hartel
Hunting the Wren   pub. by J Williams
I bring my roses  pub. by Ricordi
I love sixpence   pub. by J Williams
In a child's heart  words by E Teschemacher   pub. by Boosey & Co.  1911
John Cook's mare   pub. by J Williams
Light of Life  words by M P Walker   pub. by Schott & Co  1916
Little bird of love  words by F G Bowles   pub. by Ashdown
My wedding morn   pub. by Leonard
Night wind  words by F G Attenborough  1907  pub. by Boosey
A Northern Song
O happy childhood  words by F G Bowles  pub. by Boosey
O Tender sleep  words by F G Bowles   pub. by A P Schmitt
Ring-a-roses  words by E Teschemacher  1905   pub. by Boosey
Sandalled Feet  words by F G Bowles   pub. by Ashdown
Stay, stay at home  pub. by. Breitkopf & Hartel
The Blackbird's roundelay   pub. by Boosey
The Clasp of a Hand  words by E Teschemacher   pub. by A P Schmidt  1912
The Fox and the Farmer
The kid that my father bought
The key of the kingdom 
The Quest    pub. by Ricordi
The Rose's birthday  words by E Teschemacher   pub. by Chappell
The Rode garden words by F Attenborough  pub. by Ashdown
The Shadow man  words by H Simpson  pub. by Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew  1914
Under the roses   pub. by Moutrie
What should a body do?   pub. by Chappell
When I am gone   pub. by Ashdown
A lass and sailors three   pub. by Ashdown
The dearest, sweetest story  words by M H Williams  pub. by Ashdown

Jewel Cycle: The Pearl, The Saphire, The Opel, Amber & Amethyst   words by J Edwards   pub. by Collard, Moutrie
Songs from Cairo - song cycle    pub. by Ashdown
The Voyage of love  - song cycle   pub. by Novello
Four songs   pub. by Schott

Part Songs

Love & Glory   pub. by Novello
To daffodils  pub. by Schmidt
The Beacon  pub. by Novello
John Bull shot them all   pub. by Novello
The tide rises   pub. by Novello
To a butterfly - for female voices   pub. by Augener
Thistledown - for female voices   pub. by Schmidt

Incidental music & Cantatas

"The Lay of the Brown Rosary"  cantata for soloists, recitation, chorus & orchestra   pub. by J Williams
"The Death of Tintagiles"  complete music accompaniment to Maeterlinck's drama for orchestra
"Marguerite og France"  scena for recitation and orchestra
"In a Balcony"  incidental music to Browning's drama

Anthem

Come unto me

[Alan Howe]

Here's Carse's A Northern Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br-t3Fux3_Y

Very VW, but very lovely.

[Alan Howe]

More info:

The English composer and writer on music, Adam Von Ahn Carse (the Von Ahn was little used latterly especially after the outbreak of the Great War), was educated for a short time (in 1892) in Hannover, Germany and then as a Macfarren Scholar at the Royal Academy of Music in London between 1893 and 1902, where his teachers were Frederick Corder (composition) and Burnett.

From 1909 to 1922 Adam Carse was Assistant Music Master at Winchester College. In 1923 he returned to the Royal Academy of Music in London as Professor of Harmony and Counterpoint a post he held until 1940. His collection of 350 old wind instruments was presented in 1947 to the Horniman Museum. A catalog of this collection was published in 1951.

Works

Adam Carse's early compositions included an orchestral prelude to Byron's Manfred, the symphonic poems The Death of Tintagiles (1902) and, performed at the 1905 Henry Wood Proms, In a Balcony plus two symphonies premiered in London in 1906 and 1908, the second being revised for a Newcastle Festival performance in 1909. Later orchestral compositions were mainly shorter and lighter in style and easy enough to be readily played by amateurs. He catered indeed for the very young with a Toy Suite for piano and seven toy instruments entitled Childhood's Happy Days. Many other works were for strings only: The Variations on Barbara Allen (1921), a Berceuse (1946), Festival March, Minuet in G, Miniature Symphony in D, Northern Song, Romance and Gavotte, Three Dances, a Sinfonia in D, Two Sketches (1923), a Suite in C (1925), Variations in F, the five movement Winton Suite and sundry settings of traditional and popular tunes. For larger orchestral forces he composed a Norwegian Fantasia for violin and orchestra, Lullaby and Dance, Country Song and Dance, a late work, the brief Holiday Overture, the overture Happy Heart, the miniature suite Boulogne, A Romantic Legend (first performed in September1938 on the BBC), the Waltz Variations (played at a Patrons' Fund rehearsal in 1924), the suite The Merry Milkmaids and again aimed at children, the Dance Phantasy, The Nursery, comprising an introduction, six dances and a finale. Still other orchestral works were arrangements derived from his study of 18th Century music: The Old English Military Marches (ie those for the New Coldstream, the 35th Foot and the Duke of Gloster: at least seven others appeared in piano versions), the Georgian Tunes, which included pieces by Stanley and John Humphries and Town and Country Tunes. Compositions for brass band also claimed his attention as can be seen from the Three Characteristic Pieces, Three English Pictures and the overture Puffing Billy.

Adam Carse's chamber compositions also included many which were suitable for young amateurs with such titles as Follow Your Leader, Rondino and Slow Waltz, all for piano trio; a Trio in D Minor for the unusual combination of two violins and viola; the Terzetto for violin, viola and cello; the Capricietto in A major (1920), Hours of Pleasure and Scenes Afloat, both in three movements, the very attractive Fiddle Fancies and many other instructional pieces, plus the Waltzes of 1917 and a Sonatina in D Major, all for violin and piano; and A Dance Measure for oboe and piano and Happy Tune for clarinet and piano, both published in 1931. More serious and ambitious were a Violin Sonata in C Minor, dating from 1922 and as Cobbett remarked: "touched only slightly with modern influences". A Suite in Old Style, also for violin and piano, showed, like some of the orchestral compositions noted above, his preoccupation with old music and his ability to write convincing pastiche. For piano solo he published besides the ten old military marches we have mentioned, twelve Norwegian Folk Tunes (1924), some Preludes, sixteen Scottish Tunes (1916), a Miniature Scherzo, Three Legends and much else. Again most if not all of this output was aimed at the young student.

Adam Carse did not ignore vocal music. Apart from a large number of part songs including settings of nursery rhymes (some male voice choirs surely remember his setting of The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls), and solo songs, including a Jewel Cycle (comprising four songs: The Pearl, The Sapphire, The Opal and Amber and Amethyst), there were two larger pieces, The Lay of the Brown Rosary, a dramatic cantata for soloists, chorus and orchestra, produced as early as 1902, and Judas Iscariot's Paradise, a ballad for baritone solo, chorus and orchestra (1922).

Adam Carse's writings include technical treatises like Harmony Exercises, Summary of the Elements of Music, Practical Hints on Orchestration (1919, reprinted twice), The School Orchestra (1926), Orchestral Conducting (1929) and, perhaps also in this category, The Orchestra (1949). Others, like his articles for "Music and Letters" on Brass Instruments in the Orchestra and XVIIIth Century Orchestral Instruments and the books Musical Wind Instruments (1939) and The Adam Carse Collection of Old Musical Wind Instruments (1951) reflect his activities as a collector. Best of all perhaps are his historical studies: The History of Orchestration (1925), The Orchestra in the 18th Century (1951) and his The Life of Jullien (1957, his last major piece of writing). To these we must add his editions of symphonies by Abel, Arne, J.C. Bach, Dittersdorf, Friedrich Schwindl, Filtz, Gossec and the Stamitzes, which played their part in popularising the works of the lesser known 18th Century composers, British and foreign.
https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Carse-Adam.htm

[Gareth Vaughan]

COPAC lists 5 symphonies by Carse, MS scores being held at RAM: 1 in C minor; 2 in G minor; 3 in F major; 4 in C major and 5 in E flat major.

[Sharkkb8]

There are 4 very short viola/piano pieces ("Gently Swaying", "Heartache", "Calm Reflection", & "A Breezy Story") on this album from Guild:   Heartache: Anthology of English Viola Music

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7990135--heartache-an-anthology-of-english-viola-music

[giles.enders]

Thank you both, information duly added to the long list.

[semloh]

The only two pieces I've heard by Carse - The Winton Suite and the Two Sketches are very enjoyable, rather 'light' music. The Suite is neo-classical, and reminds me of the wonderful Capriol Suite. Does anyone know if his more ambitious works - the symphonies in particular - are correspondingly more serious in nature? [apologies for the poor expression - it's late in the day!]

[eschiss1]

the published music of his I have seen mentioned (in Hofmeisters and elsewhere) has mostly been Easy Trios etc. I am intrigued to know of (and to see and hear) his more extended and "serious" music.