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Eric Coates
Biography
Eric Coates (27 August 1886, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England – 21 December 1957, Chichester, Sussex West, England) was an English composer and violist.
After studying at home with a governess, Eric enrolled (1906) at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he received viola lessons from Lionel Tertis and studied composition with Frederick Corder.
From 1910 he played in the Queen's Hall Orchestra under Henry J. Wood, becoming principal violist in 1912, "... which post I held for seven years," he said, speaking in a 1948 BBC radio interview, "until, I regret to say, I was dismissed through sending deputies to take my place when I was conducting my works elsewhere. Henry Wood little knew what a great help he had been to me by dispensing with my services, for from that day I never touched my viola again and was able to devote all my time to my writing."
He had an early success with the overture The Merrymakers (1922), but more popular was the London Suite (1933). The last movement of this, Knightsbridge, was used by the BBC to introduce their radio program In Town Tonight. Amongst his early champions was Sir Edward Elgar. Coates was most identified with light concert music.
Coates's autobiography, Suite in Four Movements, was published in 1953. He was not related to Albert Coates, the contemporary conductor and composer.
Works for Winds
- Arrival of the Princess
- Calling All Workers
- By the Sleepy Lagoon (arr. Godfrey) (1930)
- The Dam Busters March (arr. Wagner) (1954/2004)
- The Dam Busters (arr. Duthoit) (1955)
- Eighth Army March
- Footlights (arr. Duthoit) (1940)
- Four Ways Suite (arr. Godfrey and Leidzen) (1928)
- High Flight (Coates)
- Holburn
- Knightsbridge March. See: London Suite
- London Bridge
- London Suite
- Knightsbridge March (arr. Cacavas) (1933/1970)
- Knightsbridge March (arr. Yoder) (1933/1940)
- London Suite (arr. Williams) (1934)
- The Merrymakers (arr Godfrey) (1923)
- Northwards
- Over to You
- Oxford Street (arr. Wagner) (1936/2009)
- Rediffusion
- Salute the Soldier
- The Seven Seas (arr. Duthoit) (1940)
- Sound and Vision
- Sweet Seventeen (arr. Duthoit) (1955)
- The Three Bears (arr. Godfrey (1928)
- The Three Elizabeths (arr. Duthoit) (1946)
- To-Day Is Ours (arr. Duthoit) (1940)
Resources
- Eric Coates, Wikipedia
- Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 130-131.