The British Musical Biography

[E] Bennett, Joseph, musical critic, librettist,
and journalist, born at Berkeley, Gloucester-
shire, November 29, 1831. In his youth he
studied the organ, violin, viola, and violon-
cello ; went through a course of training for
scholastic profession at the Borough Road
College, London ; acted as precentor at the
historical Weigh House Chapel, and was some-
time organist of Westminster Chapel. Finally,
adopting musical criticism, he was connected
successively with the Sunday Times, Daily
Telegraph, Pall Mall Gazette, and Graphic.
For maiiy years he contributed to the Musical
World, also to the Musical Standard, and
Musical Times, devoting himself now to the
last-named and the Daily Telegraph. He was
editor of Concordia, 1875-6 ; and of the Lute,
1883-6. In 1885, he was engaged as annotator
of the Philharmonic Society's programmes,
and succeeded the late J. W. Davison as writer
of the analytical programmes for the Saturday
and Monday Popular Concerts. He has also
done similar work for the Leeds, Birmingham,
and other Festivals. He has acted as adjudi-
cator at Eisteddfodan ; is a member of the
Committee of the Mendelssohn Scholarship
Fund ; and President of the Gloucester Choral
Society. Of his innumerable contributions to
the press, the most important are a series of
papers on the Great Composers ( Musical Times,
1877-91); "Elijah," a comparison of the origi-
nal and revised scores (commenced in the short-
lived Concordia, and reprinted and completed
in the Musical Times, October, 1882, to April,
1883); and "From my study," Musical
Times, (1892 to present time). As a libret-
tist, Joseph Bennett has done much. His
chief works, adapted or original are. The
Golden Legend (Sullivan) ; The Rose of Sharon,
The Dream of Jubal, the Story of Sayid, and
Bethlehem (Meckenzie); Ruth, Thorgrim, The
Transfiguration (Cowen), Jeanie Deans (Mac-
Cunn), and books for Dr. J. F. Bridge, C. Lee
Williams, Barnett, Mancinelli, and others.
His chief publications are : Letters from Bay-
reuth (Novello, 1877) ; The Musical Year
[1883] (Novello, 1884) ; Primers of Musical
Biography, five books, enlargements of some
of the papers above-named ; and History of
the Leeds Musical Festivals, 1858-1889 (in
conjunction with F. R. Spark,) Novello, 1892.
He is also the author of a number of poetical
pieces.

entry id: 41-L-47