Henry Charles Banister Born 13 June 1831 London - Died 20 November 1897 Streatham, Greater London
His initial musical training was with his father, the celebrated cellist Henry Joshua Banister*. In 1846 he won a scholarship to The Royal Academy of Music, where he studied under Potter. He subsequently became a professor there and from 1880 was a professor at The Guildhall School of Music. He also taught at The Royal Normal College for the Blind.
He gave private lessons without payment to some former pupils from the Royal Normal College. He went to meet one former pupil at his local station to escort her to his house for further tuition and fell dead at her feet. Being blind it took her some while to realise what had happened.
He died while residing at 9 Sternhold Avenue, Streatham. He is buried in Crystal Palace cemetery
Orchestral
Symphony No.1 in D 1847
Symphony No.2 in E flat 1848
Symphony No.3 in A minor 1850
Symphony No.4 in A 1858
Overture in E flat minor 1849
Overture in E major 1852
Overture 'Cymbaline' 1852
Overture in E 'The Serenade'
Overture in B flat 'From Sorrow to Joy'
Intermezzo in E 1875
Capriccio in A minor for piano and orchestra
Fantasy for piano and orchestra in D 1863
Andante and Rondo in E flat for piano and orchestra
Chamber
'The Cuckoo's minuet' for piano, two violins, cello and toys. 1886 pub. by Stanley Lucas & Weber
String Quartet in F sharp minor 1848
String Quartet in D minor 1850
String Quartet in E minor 1861
Piano
Three bagatelles Op.2
Three bagatelles Op.5
Seven variations on an original air Op.6
Sonata for piano, four hands in F sharp minor Op.7 pub. by Leader & Cock
Second air and variations Op.9 1854
Trifles Op.10 1854
Tarentella in B flat Op.11
'Coralie' mazurka Op.13
'La Gondoletta' barcarolle Op.14 1861
Capricietto Op.18
'Felice, ma non gajo' Op.19
'Good Wishes' Op.22 pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber 1869
Souvenirs - two pieces Op.26 pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber 1869
Ricordanza Op.27
Fairwell Op.29
Andante with variations in F major - piano four hands Op.31
Romance Op.36 pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber
Fantasia in F minor Op.35 pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber 1874
Allegretto alla marcia 1879
Sonata in E
Sonata in B flat
Sonata in F sharp minor
Sonata in F minor
Second sonata for piano duet in G minor
Third sonata for piano duet in A flat
Fourth sonata for piano duet in A minor
Song
'Lay a garland on my hearse' canzonet Op.1 1846
'Go, you may call it madness folly' canzonet words by S Rogers Op.4
'Gather ye rose-buds' part song words by Herrick Op.8
'The Hemlock Tree' translated from the German by Longfellow Op.12 1858
'Rose, Violet' words by H Coleridge Op.16/1 'Maiden, wrap thy mantle round thee' words by H K White Op.16/2 'O heart, my heart' words by D M Muloch Op.16/3
'Morning in May' for three sopranos words by H Coleridge Op.15
'The wind goes by' - sacred song Op.17
Two Winter songs - 'Winter and Waste' words by E Stock , 'A Widow Bird' words by P B Shelley Op.20
'Summer Days' trio for female voices words by E Stock Op.21
'Bonnie wee thing' words by R Burns Op.23
'The Lark and the Nightingale' words by H Coleridge Op.24
'Satisfy us with thy mercy' - sacred song/anthem Op.25
'How dies the Day - part song words by E Stock Op.28
'Hail, bright Spring time' five part song wards by E Stock Op.30 1878
'My voice shalt though hear in morning' Op.32
'I will lay me down in peace' sacred song Op.33
Choral
Sacred cantata for solo voices, chorus and orchestra 1851
'The Maiden's Holiday' cantata
'The Sea Fairies' cantata words by Tennyson
* Father; Henry Joshua Banister 1803-1847 Cellist
Grand-father; Charles William Banister 1768-1831 Composer.
Henry's sister was Sarah Banys Banister 4.8.1829-6.4.1902
Do you know whether any of his music has survived - other than the small number of published songs and pianoforte pieces listed on COPAC? I suppose the RAM might have some of his MSS.
One thing that has survived of his is a biography of G.A. Macfarren... (I knew that name looked familiar; I've used his biography for some information.) (Among the small number of piano pieces -is- a piano sonata op.7, though, so not everything listed in Worldcat is a miniature.)
Never heard of this particular composer ... Sounds like the love child of Henry Crun and Minnie Bannister!
Just came across this while searching for more info on this elusive composer.
"Manuscript score of Henry Charles Banister's Symphony no. 3 in A minor "
https://archives.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repositories/2/resources/3657
How fascinating. A very recent acquisition. The MS record says "May 2019", acquired from Blackwells (the bookshop). I wonder how they got it.
QuoteJust came across this while searching for more info on this elusive composer.
"Manuscript score of Henry Charles Banister's Symphony no. 3 in A minor "
https://archives.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repositories/2/resources/3657
Wouldn't it be great to a a have a squint at the score. Even just a page or two?
Absolutely.
Neat, only acquired in 2019!
I forget, has the British Library begun doing any on-site score scanning-and-hosting (that is, maintaining scans of items/downloadable pdfs/etc. on their website) (beyond the occasional special project like Mozart's notebook, etc.) the way certain other libraries have (BNF, Sibley, SBB, etc.?)
Not as far as I am aware, Eric. The BL doesn't seem to do much of that, alas.