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Quiz about Ten Yorkshire Composers
Quiz about Ten Yorkshire Composers

Ten Yorkshire Composers Trivia Quiz


The English county of Yorkshire has nurtured many distinguished people, including a number of musical composers in the classical tradition. How many of them can you identify?

A multiple-choice quiz by stedman. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
stedman
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
307,164
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
751
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 82 (4/10), Guest 86 (3/10), Guest 124 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Born in 1712 just outside Harrogate, in the village of Spofforth, this Yorkshire composer's six Concertos for Strings were admired by his contemporaries Arne and Boyce. Sadly, besides these, very few works of his survive. What is his name? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Probably the most famous Yorkshire-born composer, Frederick Delius was born in Bradford in 1862. Which of the following was NOT one of his compositions? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The composer Arthur Wood was born in the very-Yorkshire sounding town of Heckmondwike in 1875. His best-known piece of music is the dance "Barwick Green", which is used as the theme for which long-running BBC radio show? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Born in Slaithwaite in 1882, this composer is best known today for his 1916 song "Roses of Picardy", which he wrote for his wife, the soprano Dorothy Court. Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Born in Halifax in 1883, this composer's best-known work is his large-scale cantata "The Canterbury Pilgrims" (1930), for soloists, chorus and orchestra. Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Born in the seaside resort of Scarborough in 1906, this composer is best known today not for his own compositions, but for his work as the amanuensis (musical scribe) of the ailing composer Frederick Delius. Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Wally Stott, who was born in Leeds in 1924, composed the music for such legendary BBC radio shows as "The Goon Show" and "Hancock's Half Hour". What was his relationship with Angela Morley, who worked with John Williams as an orchestrator on his scores for the films "Star Wars", "Superman" and "The Empire Strikes Back", among others? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The composer Kenneth Leighton was born in 1929 in which Yorkshire city, starting his musical life as a chorister in its cathedral choir? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The next composer was born in Goole in 1943. He came to notice with works such as "The Sinking of the Titanic" (1969) and "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" (1971), and became notorious in the 1970s as a founding member of the Portsmouth Sinfonia, an orchestra none of whose members could play their instruments very well. Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Perhaps stretching the classical definition a little, the composer John Barry, born in York in 1933, was responsible for the scores for several films in which long-running series? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Born in 1712 just outside Harrogate, in the village of Spofforth, this Yorkshire composer's six Concertos for Strings were admired by his contemporaries Arne and Boyce. Sadly, besides these, very few works of his survive. What is his name?

Answer: John Hebden

After the death of both parents when he was still a child, Hebden grew up in York where he composed music for a local professional orchestra. He later moved to London, where he played both the cello and bassoon in the orchestra at Vauxhall Gardens. He died in 1765.
2. Probably the most famous Yorkshire-born composer, Frederick Delius was born in Bradford in 1862. Which of the following was NOT one of his compositions?

Answer: Belshazzars Feast

"Belshazzar's Feast" is by William Walton, although it does have a Yorkshire connection in that it was first performed at the Leeds Festival in 1931.

Of the Delius works, "Walk to the Paradise Garden" is an orchestral interlude from his opera "A Village Romeo and Juliet" (the Paradise Garden being the name of a pub where the title characters go to dance). "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring", although sounding to native ears quintessentially English, was first performed in Leipzig and quotes from a Norwegian folk song. "A Song of Summer" was also the title of Ken Russell's famous 1968 BBC film about the composer.
3. The composer Arthur Wood was born in the very-Yorkshire sounding town of Heckmondwike in 1875. His best-known piece of music is the dance "Barwick Green", which is used as the theme for which long-running BBC radio show?

Answer: The Archers

"Barwick Green" is a movement from the suite "My Native Heath", which Wood composed in 1924, and is named after the Yorkshire village of Barwick-in-Elmet. Ambridge, the fictional village in which "The Archers" is located in the equally fictional county of Borsetshire, which is stated by the BBC to be situated somewhere in the Midlands.
4. Born in Slaithwaite in 1882, this composer is best known today for his 1916 song "Roses of Picardy", which he wrote for his wife, the soprano Dorothy Court.

Answer: Haydn Wood

Haydn Wood was born into a musical family, which may explain why he was given the forename of Haydn. He began his career as a violinist, and also wrote reams of what is now termed (somewhat disparagingly) "light music", including a number of descriptive orchestral suites of the kind that were very popular in the 1920s and 30s. Examples of his work in this genre include "London Landmarks", "Royal Castles", "Harvest Time" and "East of Suez".

He died in 1959.
5. Born in Halifax in 1883, this composer's best-known work is his large-scale cantata "The Canterbury Pilgrims" (1930), for soloists, chorus and orchestra.

Answer: George Dyson

George Dyson taught for many years at various English private schools, before becoming Director of the Royal College of Music in London, where he had himself studied. His liturgical works for the Church of England remain a popular part of the church music repertoire. "The Canterbury Pilgrims" is still occasionally performed, and has been recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Hickox.

He was knighted in 1941 and died in 1964.
6. Born in the seaside resort of Scarborough in 1906, this composer is best known today not for his own compositions, but for his work as the amanuensis (musical scribe) of the ailing composer Frederick Delius.

Answer: Eric Fenby

In his later years, Delius, living in France, became almost incapacitated with blindness and paralysis, and was unable to write. Eric Fenby went to live and work with him from 1928 until Delius's death in 1934. Works such as "A Song of Summer", "Songs of Farewell" and the third Violin Sonata, were all committed to paper with Fenby's assistance.

After Delius' death, Fenby continued to work in music and was Professor of Harmony at London's Royal Academy of Music from 1964-1977. He destroyed several early works, including a symphony and cello concerto, but those that survive include the overture "Rossini on Ilkla Moor" (1938) and a "Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis" (1932).
7. Wally Stott, who was born in Leeds in 1924, composed the music for such legendary BBC radio shows as "The Goon Show" and "Hancock's Half Hour". What was his relationship with Angela Morley, who worked with John Williams as an orchestrator on his scores for the films "Star Wars", "Superman" and "The Empire Strikes Back", among others?

Answer: They were the same person

Wally Stott underwent a sex change operation in 1972, becoming Angela Morley. During her later years she lived and worked in the USA, composing for both film and television, including working on such long-running series as "Dynasty" and "Dallas". She died in 2009.
8. The composer Kenneth Leighton was born in 1929 in which Yorkshire city, starting his musical life as a chorister in its cathedral choir?

Answer: Wakefield

Kenneth Leighton claimed that his time in the choir at Wakefield gave him a life-long love of English choral music, and he wrote a considerable amount of liturgical music which is still regularly performed today. He also wrote a number of large-scale works, including three symphonies and the same number of piano concertos.
9. The next composer was born in Goole in 1943. He came to notice with works such as "The Sinking of the Titanic" (1969) and "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" (1971), and became notorious in the 1970s as a founding member of the Portsmouth Sinfonia, an orchestra none of whose members could play their instruments very well.

Answer: Gavin Bryars

The Portsmouth Sinfonia was primarily a "performance art" ensemble, formed with the intention of experimenting with the nature of music. Anyone was encouraged to join, whether or not they could play their particular instrument. Players were expected to try their best to play the right notes in whatever piece they were performing, so the results were usually recognisable - but only just. The fact that the results were usually very funny was a bonus, and meant that they became popular with the general public (who needless to say often failed to appreciate details of the group's artistic credo).

Other, more recent, important works by Bryars include his 1995 cello concerto "Farewell to Philosophy" and the operas "Medea" (1982) and "Dr Ox's Experiment" (1999).

The composers Hoyland, Rands and Standford were also born in Yorkshire in the 1930s and 1940s.
10. Perhaps stretching the classical definition a little, the composer John Barry, born in York in 1933, was responsible for the scores for several films in which long-running series?

Answer: James Bond

John Barry wrote the score for 11 out of the first 14 James Bond films (excluding "Dr No", on which he worked but was not credited), his last being "The Living Daylights" in 1987. He has won five Oscars, for his music for the films "Born Free" (1966 - two awards, for best music and best original song); "The Lion in Winter" (1968); "Out of Africa" (1985); and "Dances with Wolves" (1990).

He died in January 2011.
Source: Author stedman

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
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Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Stedman's Classical Music Quizzes (3):

A third selection from my classical music quizzes for you to enjoy

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  2. The Curse of the Ninth Symphony Average
  3. Welcome to The Proms Average
  4. Symphonies and their Nicknames Average
  5. Ten Yorkshire Composers Average
  6. Have a very Classical Christmas! Average

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