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British Columbia Ezra Read |
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Born in Willenhall, Staffordshire, of James Read, a master lockmaker, and Mary Read (formerly Mary Brevitt), Ezra had three older brothers, James, John Colley and Eber. James followed his father's trade, but John Colley, Eber and Ezra were apprenticed to a blacksmith at an early age. They were, however, also expected to help out in their father's workshop. Of Eber there is no trace after the 1871 census, when he was 11 years old. Lockmakers worked long hours bending over the vice using the file and hammer. Their cramped and crowded working conditions were Dickensian in their squalor. It was fortunate, then, that James, the boys' father, was forward looking enough, not only to have his three younger sons trained into a new trade, but also to arrange piano lessons for John Colley, who, in turn, taught his brother Ezra to play. Most surprisingly, considering their background, both John Colley and Ezra became accomplished performers on the piano, John Colley actually becoming the organist at the catholic cathedral in Birmingham. They both had the ability to play strings of popular melodies by ear, to the delight of their friends and the patrons of the local taverns. Ezra left his trade soon after finishing his apprenticeship, intending to make a living as a pianist. He travelled with small popular orchestras and in Bristol met Miss Beatrice Ida Hampden, a talented pianist and violinist. She was the daughter of Mr Renn Hampden of Bath, and the granddaughter of Rear-Admiral Cumberland. Soon after they were married, in 1886, they both took a course in harmony and composition and both began composing. Ezra's first piece was published in 1887. His wife, who wrote under her maiden name of Ida Hampden, had her first piece, a barn dance called 'Stolen Moments', published the following year. Over the next 25 years their numerous works were published by many leading firms in London and America and by over a hundred provincial newspapers and journals at home and overseas. They are said to have written over 4000 pieces under some 120 pen names and sales of their works broke world records. Perhaps the best known of Ezra's works was his 'Easy Pianoforte Tutor' which sold many thousands of copies throughout the world. Other successes were his 'Cinderella Waltz' of which over a million copies were sold, his 'Mafeking', 'Kimberley' and 'Ladysmith' Marches which were very popular during the Boer War, and his many 'descriptive fantasias' with titles such as 'The Christmas Ball', 'Fire! Fire!', 'The Victoria Cross', and 'War of the Nations'. The couple had the honour of performing at the Royal Military Ball given in honour of King Edward VII, who was Prince of Wales at the time, Ezra playing the organ and Ida the piano - a musical combination which they often used when playing together. They travelled widely throughout the British Isles and seemed to have no permanent home. While they were staying in Derby, Ida contracted an illness which led to general paralysis. She died in 1912, aged 45 years. She is buried in Nottingham Road Cemetery, Derby. Ezra finally settled in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, where he probably felt at home with the mining community. He continued to write for publication, but spent much of his time as musical director of the local theatre, playing in the music hall orchestra and using his gift of playing by ear to accompany the silent films of the era. He died on October 13th, 1922, of cancer, having been bed ridden for just over a year. Surprisingly, he was not a rich man, but he left all his possessions to the lady who had nursed him during his final illness. It is reported that his sheet music was taken from his house by the barrow load after his death. His grave is in Shirebrook Cemetery. Ezra Read's compositions were intended to be played by the amateur pianist entertaining family and friends round the parlour piano. Piano teachers soon found that the melodic tunes and straightforward harmonies made useful and entertaining exercises for their students and used them widely. Current events were major sources of inspiration for him. Already mentioned were his popular pieces based on the Boer War, but he also wrote, 'Australia - a Grand March in Commemoration of the Federation', 'The Coronation of King Edward VII Grand March', 'President Cleveland's Grand March', 'The Call to Arms', 'The Royal Military Tournament', and many other items based on the news of the times. During his lifetime he composed hundreds of marches and waltzes, and dozens of 'descriptive fantasias', such as , 'A Charabanc Ride', 'The Christmas party', 'Fireworks!', 'The Miner', 'Christmas Bells', 'The Football Match', 'The Midnight Express' and 'The Wedding Day'. Gallops, polkas, schottisches, mazurkas, barn dances, gavottes, reels, hornpipes, quadrilles and even some sand dances and a few ragtime pieces flowed from his pen. Some of these were later reissued as piano duets or piano accompanied pieces for violin, mandolin and other instruments. As his works became more popular they were issued as albums, some specially composed, others collected together by his publishers. They included: 'The Royal Albums', 'Premier Selection Albums', 'Rosie's Musical Albums', 'Merry Moments volumes 10 and 22', 'Favourite Waltzes Volume12' and 'Daisy Albums', to which he was a major contributor and which reached at least volume 58. With success, Ezra began to see instrumental teaching as part of his role and he produced tutors for various instruments - his 'Easy Pianoforte Tutor' was still in print in the 1970s. Always an early riser, Ezra found time to write, 'A Catechism of Music' for students, an examination book used in Australian music colleges and several other works on the rudiments of music, harmony and composition. He was also the music editor for several journals. At some time, possibly during the Boer War, he was a band master, but little information has come to light on this aspect of his life. Biographical information used by permission from Joseph Read, the composer's great-nephew, from his web site on Ezra Read.
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