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British Composers: Age at Death

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Dundonnell
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« on: January 23, 2017, 06:58:49 pm »

May be of little interest but I had some time on my hands ;D


ARNOLD COOKE: 98
HAVERGAL BRIAN: 96
ROBIN ORR: 96
ALAN BUSH: 94
JOHN GARDNER: 94
SIR MICHAEL TIPPETT: 93
CYRIL SCOTT: 91
HOWARD FERGUSON: 91
RICHARD ARNELL: 91
ARTHUR BUTTERWORTH: 91
HERBERT HOWELLS: 90

STEPHEN DODGSON: 89
GORDON JACOB: 88
SIR ALEXANDER MACKENZIE: 87
DAME ELIZABETH MACONCHY: 87
RONALD STEVENSON: 87
DAME ETHEL SMYTH: 86
SIR LENNOX BERKELEY: 86
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: 85
GEORGE LLOYD: 85
EDMUND RUBBRA: 84
SIR MALCOLM ARNOLD: 84
JOHN VEALE: 84
SIR FREDERIC COWEN: 83
MONTAGUE PHILLIPS: 83
SIR ARTHUR BLISS: 83
JOHN IRELAND: 82
RUTLAND BOUGHTON: 81
SIR GEORGE DYSON: 81
SIR PETER MAXWELL DAVIES: 81
WILLIAM WALLACE: 80
SIR JOHN B. McEWEN: 80
JOSEPH HOLBROOKE: 80
SIR WILLIAM WALTON: 80
DANIEL JONES: 80

WILLIAM ALWYN: 79
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH: 79
GRAHAM WHETTAM: 79
SIR GRANVILLE BANTOCK: 78
RUTH GIPPS: 78
IAIN HAMILTON: 78
ALUN HODDINOTT: 78
YORK BOWEN: 77
GEOFFREY BUSH: 77
ANTHONY MILNER: 77
SIR EDWARD ELGAR: 76
EDGAR BAINTON: 76
HAYDN WOOD: 76
ELISABETH LUTYENS: 76
ROBERT SIMPSON: 76
SIR RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT: 76
PATRIC STANDFORD: 75
JOHN MCCABE: 75
FREDERIC CLIFFE: 74
SIR EDWARD GERMAN: 74
PATRICK HADLEY: 74
SIR ARTHUR SOMERVELL: 73
THOMAS WILSON: 73
NICHOLAS MAW: 73
FREDERICK DELIUS: 72
SIR CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD: 71
SIR HENRY WALFORD DAVIES: 71
SIR HUBERT PARRY: 70
CECIL ARMSTRONG GIBBS: 70
GRACE WILLIAMS: 70
WILFRED JOSEPHS: 70

THOMAS DUNHILL: 69
SIR ARNOLD BAX: 69
SIR EUGENE GOOSSENS: 69
PETER RACINE FRICKER: 69
BENJAMIN FRANKEL: 67
ALAN RAWSTHORNE: 66
FRANCIS CHAGRIN: 66
HUMPHREY SEARLE: 66
BERNARD STEVENS: 66
SIR DONALD TOVEY: 64
BENJAMIN BRITTEN: 63
STEWART HYLTON EDWARDS: 63
CYRIL ROOTHAM: 62
FRANK BRIDGE: 61
SIR HAMILTON HARTY: 61
ERIK CHISHOLM: 61
ROBERT STILL: 60

GUSTAV HOLST: 59
SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN: 58
JOHN FOULDS: 58
KENNETH LEIGHTON: 58
WILLIAM MATHIAS: 57
ROBIN MILFORD: 56
ERNEST J. MOERAN: 55
GERALD FINZI: 55
CHRISTOPHER STEEL: 53

HAMISH MacCUNN: 48
BERNARD VAN DIEREN: 48
STANLEY BATE: 47
CONSTANT LAMBERT: 45

SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: 37
GEORGE BUTTERWORTH: 31
WILLIAM HURLSTONE: 30

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ahinton
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« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2017, 08:30:42 pm »

May be of little interest but I had some time on my hands ;D

(NB: I am aware that by taking the year of a composer's death without checking the actual month I may, in some cases, be "crediting" him or her with the age the composer would have reached later in the year he or she died. I did say I had "some" time on my hands ;D ;D)

ARNOLD COOKE: 99
ROBIN ORR: 97
HAVERGAL BRIAN: 96
ALAN BUSH: 95
JOHN GARDNER: 94
SIR MICHAEL TIPPETT: 93
CYRIL SCOTT: 92
RICHARD ARNELL: 92
HERBERT HOWELLS: 91
HOWARD FERGUSON: 91
ARTHUR BUTTERWORTH: 91

GORDON JACOB: 89
STEPHEN DODGSON: 89
SIR ALEXANDER MACKENZIE: 88
DAME ELIZABETH MACONCHY: 87
RONALD STEVENSON: 87
DAME ETHEL SMYTH: 86
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: 86
SIR LENNOX BERKELEY: 86
EDMUND RUBBRA: 85
GEORGE LLOYD: 85
SIR MALCOLM ARNOLD: 85
MONTAGUE PHILLIPS: 84
SIR ARTHUR BLISS: 84
JOHN VEALE: 84
SIR FREDERIC COWEN: 83
JOHN IRELAND: 83
SIR HENRY WALFORD DAVIES@ 82
RUTLAND BOUGHTON: 82
SIR PETER MAXWELL DAVIES: 82
SIR GEORGE DYSON: 81
SIR WILLIAM WALTON: 81
DANIEL JONES: 81
WILLIAM WALLACE: 80
SIR JOHN B. McEWEN: 80
JOSEPH HOLBROOKE: 80
WILLIAM ALWYN: 80
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH: 80
GRAHAM WHETTAM: 80

ALUN HODDINOTT: 79
SIR GRANVILLE BANTOCK: 78
GEOFFREY BUSH: 78
RUTH GIPPS: 78
IAIN HAMILTON: 78
SIR EDWARD ELGAR: 77
HAYDN WOOD: 77
YORK BOWEN: 77
ELISABETH LUTYENS: 77
ANTHONY MILNER: 77
EDGAR BAINTON: 76
ROBERT SIMPSON: 76
SIR RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT: 76
JOHN MCCABE: 76
PATRIC STANDFORD: 75
SIR EDWARD GERMAN: 74
SIR ARTHUR SOMERVELL: 74
PATRICK HADLEY: 74
THOMAS WILSON: 74
NICHOLAS MAW: 74
SIR CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD: 72
FREDERICK DELIUS: 72
CECIL ARMSTRONG GIBBS: 71
GRACE WILLIAMS: 71
SIR HUBERT PARRY: 70
SIR ARNOLD BAX: 70
PETER RACINE FRICKER: 70
WILFRED JOSEPHS: 70

THOMAS DUNHILL: 69
SIR EUGENE GOOSSENS: 69
FRANCIS CHAGRIN: 67
BENJAMIN FRANKEL: 67
HUMPHREY SEARLE: 67
BERNARD STEVENS: 67
ALAN RAWSTHORNE: 66
CYRIL ROOTHAM: 63
BENJAMIN BRITTEN: 63
STEWART HYLTON EDWARDS: 63
FRANK BRIDGE: 62
SIR HAMILTON HARTY: 62
ERIC CHISHOLM: 61
ROBERT STILL: 61
GUSTAV HOLST: 60

JOHN FOULDS: 59
KENNETH LEIGHTON: 59
SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN: 58
WILLIAM MATHIAS: 58
ERNEST J/ MOERAN: 56
ROBIN MILFORD: 56
GERALD FINZI: 55
CHRISTOPHER STEEL: 53

BERNARD VAN DIEREN: 49
HAMISH MacCUNN: 48
STANLEY BATE: 48
CONSTANT LAMBERT: 46

SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: 37
GEORGE BUTTERWORTH: 31
WILLIAM HURLSTONE: 30
For the record (and no criticism implied here!), at their respective deaths Bush was 94, Scott, 91, Orr 96, Cooke 98, Rubbra 84, Ireland 81, Walton 80, Searle (with whom I studied) 66, Bridge 61 and van Dieren 48 and, especially since you've included the last of these, where's Sorabji? I've not checked all the others, but thanks for doing this, though!

Oh and, by the way, just for the record and in what I imagine to be the unlikely event that anyone here's interested, I ain't dead yet (at least as far as I am aware)!...
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Dundonnell
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« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2017, 09:07:56 pm »

No, absolutely, and thanks for taking the interest, Alistair :)

I did think to myself- "should I not check each composer individually to get the age spot on, rather than just subtracting year of birth from that of death?"

.......and I was too lazy ::) I shall go back and do the job properly but it was essentially weekend "relaxation" whilst preparing to leave shortly for two months abroad.

.......I amended half of the entries then did not "save" the changes ::) ::) Serves me right!!!!

......NOW revised!!
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Amphissa
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« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2017, 12:55:07 am »

So, I'm curious as to the selection of British composers.

Not being British myself, I know I tread on dangerous ground, but weren't there some pretty talented British composers that do not appear on this list? Like, um, John Field, Thomas Tallis, William Sterndale Bennett, Donald Tovey, Frederick Cliffe, etc.

This is not a criticism. I mean, an exhaustive list of all British composers throughout history would be absurd to undertake. And I'm thinking that your "time on my hands" was a major factor. But I'm just curious as to whether there were any selection criteria other than these are just names you happened to think of.

What I find interesting about this list is that so many composers live well beyond the average lifespan. The average lifespan for a male in Britain at present is mid- to late-70s, yet a lot of these composers live well into their 90s. And I don't think British composers are unique in that regard. It seems that many composers from other countries also had long lives. I wonder what their secret is/was.

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Dundonnell
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« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2017, 01:37:13 am »

So, I'm curious as to the selection of British composers.

Not being British myself, I know I tread on dangerous ground, but weren't there some pretty talented British composers that do not appear on this list? Like, um, John Field, Thomas Tallis, William Sterndale Bennett, Donald Tovey, Frederick Cliffe, etc.

This is not a criticism. I mean, an exhaustive list of all British composers throughout history would be absurd to undertake. And I'm thinking that your "time on my hands" was a major factor. But I'm just curious as to whether there were any selection criteria other than these are just names you happened to think of.

What I find interesting about this list is that so many composers live well beyond the average lifespan. The average lifespan for a male in Britain at present is mid- to late-70s, yet a lot of these composers live well into their 90s. And I don't think British composers are unique in that regard. It seems that many composers from other countries also had long lives. I wonder what their secret is/was.



My principal criterion was to include composers born from around 1850 (Parry was born in 1848). I have added Frederic Cliffe and, although he was probably a musicologist and teacher before composer, Sir Donald Tovey.

I note what you say about average life-expectancy but I was intrigued (indeed it was the motivation for beginning this list!) by the number of well-known composers who died in their sixties. In the mid to late 20th century these include Bax, Fricker, Rawsthorne, Searle, Stevens, Britten, Chisholm and Still-fine composers all.

....to be honest I suspect my subconscious is at work since I am on the cusp between my sixties and the age of 70 ::) ;D ;D
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ahinton
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« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2017, 11:19:27 am »

No, absolutely, and thanks for taking the interest, Alistair :)

I did think to myself- "should I not check each composer individually to get the age spot on, rather than just subtracting year of birth from that of death?"

.......and I was too lazy ::) I shall go back and do the job properly but it was essentially weekend "relaxation" whilst preparing to leave shortly for two months abroad.

.......I amended half of the entries then did not "save" the changes ::) ::) Serves me right!!!!

......NOW revised!!
Chisholm also needs to be Erik, not Eric, by the way.
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Dundonnell
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« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2017, 01:53:10 pm »

No, absolutely, and thanks for taking the interest, Alistair :)

I did think to myself- "should I not check each composer individually to get the age spot on, rather than just subtracting year of birth from that of death?"

.......and I was too lazy ::) I shall go back and do the job properly but it was essentially weekend "relaxation" whilst preparing to leave shortly for two months abroad.

.......I amended half of the entries then did not "save" the changes ::) ::) Serves me right!!!!

......NOW revised!!
Chisholm also needs to be Erik, not Eric, by the way.

Duly amended :-[
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