THE BALLADS OF THE GREAT HENRY RUSSELL

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Henry Russell

Henry Russell (24 December 1812 or 1813 – 8 December 1900) was an English pianist, tenor singer and composer.

 

In an eventful life on both sides of the Atlantic, Russell wrote the songs "A Life on the Ocean Wave" and the tune to George Pope Morris's poem Woodman, Spare that Tree while living in United States from 1835 to 1841, before settling in London to produce musical extravaganzas until he retired in 1857.

Many of his songs championed social causes like abolition, temperance, and reform of mental asylums.

Russell was born in Sheerness, Kent, a great-nephew of the British Chief Rabbi Solomon Hirschel.

Henry Russell began his career as a child singer in Elliston’s Children’s Opera company -- he had studied singing in Italy with Vincenzo Bellini.

While playing the organ at the Presbyterian church in Rochester, New York Russell discovers that sacred music, played quickly, "makes the best kind of secular music".

Old Hundredth, played very fast, becomes the music for "Get Out of de Way, Ol' Dan Tucker".

Russell's song The Fine Old English Gentleman^[1] 1831 was made fun of ^[2] ten years later by Charles Dickens in his identically titled song.

In 1841, Russell returns to his native England and performs at the posh Hanover Square Rooms in London with instant success.

Many of his songs were written to lyrics by Charles Mackay, including "There's a Good Time Coming", "Cheer, Boys, Cheer", and "To The West".

The Hutchinson Family Singers were fans of Russell's work and performed several of his tunes, including "The Maniac" and "The Ship On Fire."

After retirement, Russell lived partly in France, partly in England.

His first wife was Christian.

His second wife was, like hisself (sic) Jewish and their family (including their sons, conductor Sir Landon Ronald and impresario Henry Russell) was raised in the Jewish religion.

Russell's portrait was painted by the British painter Walter Goodman and displayed in London at the Institute of Oil Painters in 1889 and at The Grafton Galleries in 1897.

The Jewish Chronicle of 21 May that year describes the painting as depicting Russell hale and hearty with flowing beard.

Henry Russell died in London, aged 86.

A detailed biography, A Life on the Ocean Wave: The Story of Henry Russell by Andrew Lamb, was published by Fullers Wood Press in 2007.

 

	Woodman! Spare that Tree!
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[edit] References

1. ^ [1] ingeb.org
2. ^ [2] C.Rumens, The Guardian online 2012

[edit] External links

• The Music of Henry Russell
• Derek B. Scott sings "Woodman, Spare That Tree!"
• Free scores by Henry Russell in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Free scores by Henry Russell at the International Music Score Library Project
• "Russell, Henry". Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1900.

Authority control VIAF: 19566001

Persondata
Name	Russell, Henry
Alternative names
Short description	English pianist, baritone singer and composer
Date of birth	24 December 1812/3
Place of birth	Sheerness, Kent, United Kingdom
Date of death	8 December 1900
Place of death	London

      

Categories:

• 1812 births
• 1900 deaths
• Jewish composers and songwriters
• English Jews
• English songwriters
• American songwriters

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