Frank Haworth

Haworth, Frank
Haworth, Frank (Francis). Composer, educator, writer, b Liverpool 13 Jan 1905; LTCL 1927. A self-educated musician, Haworth taught music in Lancashire schools 1925-40 and was appointed by the British Council in 1943 the first music officer to the West Indies. In Bermuda 1946-56 he was a radio programming director, journalist, and music critic. In 1956 he moved to Toronto, where he contributed to the Globe and Mail, Saturday Night and the CBC Times. He composed music for the CBC TV children's series 'Mr. O' (1956) and 'Old Testament Tales' (1957) and contributed scripts and commentary to various CBC music and public affairs programs. For the Ontario Dept of Education he was a travelling organizer and instructor 1963-7, offering music courses, seminars, and workshops. A traditionalist composer who adopts new elements when they seem appropriate, Haworth sums up his music as 'community music,' meant for the amateur rather than the virtuoso. His works have been played in Australia, Czechoslovakia, England, Holland, Italy, Portugal, and the USA. He is an associate of the Canadian Music Centre. In 1985 he moved to Cobourg, Ontario.

Selected Compositions
Stage, Radio, TV

The Hopeless Dawn 'A Fairly Grand Opera' (Haworth). 1943. Soli, chorus, piano

The Seven Ages of Man, mixed media. 1968. Vn, fl, horn, trumpet, wordless chorus, actors, dancers. Ms

Many other works, including incidental and ballet music

Orchestra
Avalon Concert Overture. 1937. Ms

2 suites for string: Dalegarth (1958), Calday Grange Suite (1958). Both manuscript

2 suites for horn and string: Pastoral Suite (1956), Cornucopia (1972). Both manuscript

Several other works for orch, including Edenvale Suite (1969) and Lomyra (1975), and many works for band

Chamber
Glenrose Suite. 1960. Wind quintet. FH 1972

Kernwood Suite. 1972. Saxophone quartet. Ms

Others, including a piano quartet (early 1930s), 23 string quartet (1930, 1932, 1940s-1958), a string trio (1964); many short pieces for various combinations

Numerous works for recorder and recorder ensemble, including Serenade (1947) and Songs of Canada (1964) published by WR, 1958 and 1964 respectively

Choir and Voice
'Dream Pedlary' and 'Reeds of Innocence'. (1956). V, piano. Ms

Canada Onward, a miniature cantata (Haworth). 1967. solo, SAT/B, fl, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano. Ms

Pastorale. 1944 (rev 1971). SATB. Ms

Song of Life (Haworth). 1980. SATB. Ms

Several other works for choir and voice, including many early settings of the Latin Mass and other sacred texts, arr of folk songs, Christmas carols, etc

Some other works in miscellaneous categories.

Writings
The Choir Master, Ont Dept of Education pamphlet (Toronto ca 1963-7)

'Music in the parish church,' Brief to the Bishops (Toronto 1965)

' Colas et Colinette: a character larger than life,' CanComp, 31, Jul-Aug 1968

'Music - mirror of the mind,' CanComp, 32, Sep 1968

'The composer's voice,' CanComp, 33, Oct 1968

'Recordings are essential to the composer,' Mcan, 47, Dec 1981

Author Maud McLean

Bibliography

'Frank Haworth: a traditionalist without being old-fashioned,' CanComp, 31, Aug 1968

'Teaching composing in a Lakehead classroom,' CanComp, 53, Oct 1970

Links to Other Sites
Canadian Music Centre
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