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The British Musical Biography

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MAY.
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free the scale of Music and the tune of instru-
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ments from imperfection," Edinburgh, 1781 ;
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Loudon, 1794. JMaxwell died in 1782.
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May, Edward Collett 277-L-4
May, Edward Collett, organist and
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composer, was born at Greenwich, October 29,
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1806. He studied music and the organ under
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Adams, Potter, and Crivelh. Organist of
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Greenwich Hospital, 1837-69. Professor of
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Vocal Music in Queen's College, London.
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He died at London, January 2, 1887. Author
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of " Progressive Vocal Exercises for daily
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practice," London [1853], and composer of
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songs, etc. He was celebrated as an organist
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and teacher.
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May, Florence 277-L-15
May, Florence, pianist and composer,
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daughter of the foregoing, born in London.
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Her musical talent showed itself very early,
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and was fostered by her father and uncle ;
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but it was not until some years later, after
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receiving some lessons from Madame Schu-
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mann, that the young pianist devoted herself
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to music as a profession. Through IMadame
to music as a profession. Through Madame
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Schumann's influence, Johannes Brahms
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accepted Florence May as a pupil, and to that
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happy circumstance is due her great success
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as an interpreter of his music. After some
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years spent in Germany, she returned to
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London about 1873, and continuing her
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studies for a further period, she gave her
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first recital in the Beethoven Rooms, Febru-
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ary 3, 1875. At the Bennett Memorial
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Concert, March .0, at St. James's Hall, she
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played the deceased ^Master's F minor Con-
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certo. Then followed engagements in Loudon,
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Liverpool, and other places. Further study
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in harmony, etc., with her father and Sir G.
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A. Macfarren was followed by another visit
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to Germany, and she studied under Bargiel,
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in Berlin. Two compositions of hers, Bene-
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dictus and Osanna, were performed in Berlin
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at that time. In 1885 she returned to London,
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but has since made several tours in Germany,
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giving recitals in Vienna, 1890-96, etc., and
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has t xkeu her place among the leading pianists
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of the time, giving annual recitals in London.
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Her published compositions include Three
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Mazurkas, Bourree ; Waltzes, op. 4 ; and
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other pf. pieces. Three choruses for female
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voices ; Six songs with German and English
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words (her own translation). She has also
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edited a collection of pieces by Old Masters,
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from works written for harpsichord, including
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some by Henry Symonds (q-v.).
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May, John 277-L-54
May, John, musician, of early part of the
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present century, composed " A selection of
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songs, duetts, glees, waltzes, etc., arranged
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for 1, 2, or 3 German flutes or patent flageo-
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lets," Edinburgh, 1809. " The Royal Marine
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Quadrilles, for pf.," London [1825] .
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May, Oliver 277-L-60
May, Oliver, pianist, born at Greenwich,
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January 27, 1811. His first instruction in
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music was received from his brother, Edward
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■Collett, noticed above. At the R.A.SI. he
Collett, noticed above. At the R.A.SI. he

MAYBRICK.
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studied for over five years, under Cipriani
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Potter, and on leaving was appointed organist
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at a chapel on Blackheath. Later he officiated
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for some years at a church in Bermondsey, and
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was for a short time, previous to 1857, organist
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at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. He was ap-
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pointed a professor of the pf . at Queen's College,
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London, at its foundation. A member of the
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original committee of the Bach Society, Lon-
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don, he was an active worker while the society
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existed ; and was for many years a member,
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and occasionally a director of the Philhar-
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monic Society; also a Fellow, R.A.M. His
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retiring disposition militated against a public
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life, but as a teacher he was in great request
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and highly valued. He died at St. Albans,
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April 12, 1891. A fellow student at the
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R.A.M. with Sterndale Bennett, the closest
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intimacy existed between them. Many in-
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teresting mementos of Bennett and others at
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his death came into the possession of his
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niece, Florence May (q-v.). His published
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works were few ; an overture, Don Sebastian,
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op. 1, arranged for pf. duet ; I seek the haunts ;
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The Moon's pale beam, and other songs. In
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MS. remain a quartet for pf. and strings ;
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songs, madrigals, and pf. pieces.
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Maybrick, Michael 277-R-28
Maybrick, Michael, Stephen Adams,
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baritone vocalist and composer, born at Liver-
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pool, 1844. Studied under W. T. Best, and
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was organist of St. Peter's Church. Liverpool,
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1858. In 1866 he went to Leipzig, and
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studied at the Conservatorium under Mos-
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cheles, Plaidy, and Richter ; but later turned
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his attention to singing, and studied with
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Gaetano Nava. He sang at the Oratorio
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Concerts, London, February 25, 1869, and in
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the provinces that year ; at the New Phil-
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harmonic Concerts, 1870 ; at the Bristol Fes-
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tival, 1876 ; at the principal London and
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provincial concerts ; and in 1884, toured in
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the United States and Canada. As the in-
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terpreter of his own songs he has been a great
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favourite. Of these songs may be mentioned,
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A warrior bold ; Nancy Lee ; The Tar's fare-
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well ; Garonne ; Good Company ; Blue Alsa-
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tian mountains ; Star of Bethlehem ; Children
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of the City ; Valley by the Sea ; Genevieve ;
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Little Hero ; Holy City ; Sweet Kildare ;
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]Mona ; Romany Lass ; Fiona, etc. jMany of
Mona ; Romany Lass ; Fiona, etc. jMany of
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these, particularly " Nancy Lee," enjoyed
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extraordinary popularity.
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Other musicians of the name, and pre-
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sumably of the same faniily, were William
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Maybrick, born 1773 ; died, 1843, a composer
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of whom nothing appears to be known ; and
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IMicHAEL Maybrick, his son, born 1799 ;
MicHAEL Maybrick, his son, born 1799 ;
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died at Liverpool, IMay, 1846. He was a pupil
died at Liverpool, May, 1846. He was a pupil
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of Richard Waiuwright. Organist of St.
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Peter's, Liverpool, and organist and conductor
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of the Liverpool Choral Society. He pub-
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lished "Twelve Voluntaries for the Organ;
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composed in a free style, and founded on


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