Regarding David Morgan (1933-1988)

[BFerrell]

IN an attempt to discover all that I could about Morgan, I contacted the Canadian Music Centre. They had a small article and photo on their website. This was the response...

Thank you for your interest in the Canadian Music Centre.


Unfortunately, the CMC does not have any articles on David Morgan in our vertical files.


Our address book unfortunately doesn't have any forwarding information to David Morgan's estate.


Sorry, I can't be more helpful.


This seems very strange to me. Why has he seemingly vanished? The music is marvelous!

[BFerrell]

No responses. Strange indeed.

[eschiss1]

I think we had a thread about this a couple of weeks ago and the result was about the same - vanished without apparent trace.

[Dundonnell]

http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,1876.msg22393.html#msg22393

....and you, presumably, have seen this article:

http://www.musiccentre.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=composer.FA_dsp_biography&authpeopleid=176&by=M

[BFerrell]

That sums up all the information about the man in the entire world.

[albion]

That sums up all the information about the man in the entire world.

Not necessarily, but it would require somebody with a keen interest in Morgan to undertake the time-consuming primary research: even though the information is clearly not available on the internet, it is more than likely still available in the rather passé formats of print and holograph.

[BFerrell]

I think the key here is finding a family member. I know he re-married and had a child. I had hoped the music centre could steer me in the right direction. David Morgan is a common name and Google is worthless. I may try publishers.

[BFerrell]

I think I may have found someone. Crossed fingers and I will relay any further articles, etc. that I may find.

[BFerrell]

The response:   "I cannot really help very much.  I met David a few times while he was
here, and had dinner with him once.  I was shocked when he passed away. 
He had been very sick with pneumonia, I believe, but had been released
from the hospital.  I saw him briefly at a concert after that, and
within a few weeks he was gone.

I can tell you that he lived in Belleville Ontario, and was married to a
professional woman (I can't remember what she did for a living, but her
job was the reason they moved to Canada.)  After his death, she
completely disconnected herself from him, and did not respond to phone
calls.

His Sinfonia da Requiem (I can't be sure of the title) had a fantastic
premiere in England, with a wildly positive reception, but was promptly
ignored.  He never really made a career in Canada, probably because he
was outside the major centres, and did not connect well with other
people, and because he simply wasn't here long enough.  Most of his
music was large scale in both duration and instrumental forces, which
made it difficult to programme.

There is a superb vinyl disc of his violin concerto which I still have. 
It is really a very superior work.  I share your astonishment that this
fine music is not better known.

I suggest you contact the English composer John McCabe.  I don't believe
John knew David, but John is very well connected and can possibly point
you in a general direction.  Good luck with your research, and please keep me apprised of what you
find out."

Gary Kulesha

[Jimfin]

Well, what a thoughtful message, trying so much to be helpful, even if there's not much he can do. I also feel the same about Morgan, and I wonder if there's some treasure trove of unperformed masterpieces lying somewhere. I've loved the two pieces that I know (the concerto and Contrasts) for about 20 years, and would love to know more.

[Dundonnell]

Well there is more of Morgan's music in the British Music Broadcasts section on here, including the magnificent Sinfonia da Requiem

[vandermolen]

Very interesting posts. The two Lyrita CDs (one LP) of 'Contrasts' and the Violin Concerto mean a lot to me. At the time of their release they seemed like modern music at its best. I'd love to hear his Sinfonia da Requiem.

[Dundonnell]

Well now you can, Jeffrey

[BFerrell]

Dr. McCabe responded with a very kind email. He met Morgan once in the 70s but other than that had lost touch with him. The move to Canada seems to have been a career killer. He said he would ask some colleagues. He was even unaware that he had died. This story gets stranger and stranger. Evidently the widow is unwilling to assist in any way. The downloads on this site may be the end of the sory. Thank you all for that!  P.S. I am still trying to track down the widow. God help me.

[Dundonnell]

Slightly off topic, I admit ......

but I don't think music lovers fully appreciate the traumas that some composers go through at various stages of their lives. The dawning realisation that their music has gone out of fashion, that they have been forgotten, that no one wants to play their music any longer....quite apart from issues relating to the creative muse which may be gradually receeding can have a quite devastating impact on a composer.

What sort of impact will vary from one to another but the stories one has heard-admittedly some possibly apocryphal-are frequently terribly, terribly sad. Happy and blessed the composer who lives to a grand old age and is still admired, played, honoured. So many others however have died early, sometimes in tragic circumstances, bitter and disillusioned. Some have simply given up composing

It would be somewhat tasteless to name any relatively recent 20th century British composers to whom this applies but it is at least a belated tribute to their memory that this wonderful site is preserving, indeed reviving, some of their music.