William Henry Bell, known largely by his initials, W H Bell (20 August 1873 – 13 April 1946), was an English composer, conductor and lecturer.
Bell was born in St Albans and studied in London at the Royal Academy of Music with Frederick Corder, and with Charles Villiers Stanford at the Royal College of Music. He mainly made his living as an organist and lecturer; he was Professor of Harmony at the Royal Academy of Music, where he taught from 1903 to 1912.
In 1912, Bell went to South Africa to direct the South African College of Music in Cape Town. He was Principal until 1935 and is credited with a significant expansion of the school. In 1920, Bell became Professor of Music at the University of Cape Town, where he held classes for degree courses. The South African College of Music was incorporated into the University in 1923 and Professor Bell became Dean of the Faculty of Music. Bell founded the Little Theater, a training center for opera, and occasionally directed the Cape Town Music Society. He died in Gordon's Bay near Somerset West, South Africa.
The W H Bell Music Library at the University of Cape Town is named in honour of William Henry Bell.
Opera
Hippolytus (c.1914); music drama in 3 acts; libretto after Euripides
Isabeau (1922–1924); fantasia in 1 act
The Mouse Trap (1928); opera in 1 act; libretto after The Sire de Maletroit's Door by Robert Louis Stevenson
Doctor Love (1930); opera in 1 act; libretto after Le Docteur amoureux by Molière
The Wandering Scholar (1935); musical comedy in 1 act; libretto by C. Bax
The Duenna (1939); musical comedy in 3 acts; libretto by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Romeo and Juliet (1939); unfinished opera
Music for Japanese Noh plays
Komachi (1925)
Tsuneyo of the Three Trees (1926)
Hatsuyuki (1934)
The Pillow of Kantan (1935)
Kageyiko (1936)
Incidental music
Life's Measure (?1905–1908)
A Vision of Delight (1906); music to the play by Ben Jonson
Orchestral
The Canterbury Pilgrims, Symphonic Prelude (1896)
The Pardoner's Tale, Symphonic Poem (1898)
Symphony No.1 "Walt Whitman" in C minor (1899)
A Song of the Morning, Symphonic Prelude (1901)
Mother Carey, Symphonic Poem (1902)
Epithalamium, Serenade for orchestra (1904)
The Shepherd, Symphonic Poem (1907)
Agamemnon, Symphonic Prelude (1908)
Love among the Ruins, Symphonic Poem (1908)
Arcadian Suite (c.1908)
Danse du tambour (1909)
Le fée des sources, Symphonic Poem (1912)
Prelude (1912)
Staines Morrice Dance (1912)
Symphonic Variations (1915)
Symphony No.2 in A minor (1918)
Symphony No.3 in F major (1918–1919)
The Portal, Symphonic Poem (1921)
A Song of Greeting, Symphonic Poem (1921)
Veldt Loneliness (1921)
In modo academico, Suite in C minor (1924)
Symphony No.4 "A South African Symphony" (1927)
An English Suite (1929)
Symphony No.5 in F minor (1932)
Aeterna munera, Symphonic Fantasy (1941)
Hamlet, 5 Preludes (1942)
Concertante
Rosa Mystica, Concerto for viola and orchestra (1916)
Chamber music
Piano Quintet (1894)
Sonata in E minor for violin and piano (1897)
Cradle Song for violin and piano (1901)
Arab Love Song for viola and piano
Cantilena for viola and piano
Arabesque for violin or viola and piano (1904)
Sonata in D major for violin and piano (1918)
Sonata in F minor for violin and piano (c.1925)
Sonata in D minor for clarinet or viola and piano (1926)
String Quartet in G minor (1926)
Sonata for cello and piano (1927)
String Quartet in F major
Piano
The Witch's Daughter (1904)
Chorale Variations (1940)
4 Elegiac Pieces (1940)
Organ
Chants sans paroles (1901)
Minuet and Trio in C major (1901)
Postlude (Romance, Spring Song) (1902)
Choral
Hawke for chorus and orchestra (c.1895)
Mag and Nunc (1895)
Miserere Maidens for soloist, chorus, orchestra and organ (1895)
The Call of the Sea, Ode for soprano, choruses and orchestra (1902–1904)
Hearken unto Me, Ye Holy Children, Anthem for baritone solo and chorus (published 1903)
I Will Magnify Thee, O Lord, Anthem for Easter for mixed voices and organ (published 1903); words from Psalm XXX
St. Albans Pageant Music, July 1907 for chorus and orchestra (1907); words by Charles Henry Ashdown
The Baron of Brackley, Scotch Border Ballad for chorus and orchestra (1911)
Maria assumpta for soprano, choruses and orchestra (1922)
Prometheus Unbound for chorus and orchestra (1923–1924); words by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Medieval Songs for chorus and piano (1927–1928)
Medieval Songs for female chorus, string orchestra and piano
- The Maiden That Is Makeless (to "I syng of a mayden")
- Mater ora filium
- The Flower of Jesse
- At Domys Day
- May in the Greenwood
- Twelve Oxen
Dicitus philosophi for chorus and orchestra (1932?); words by Benjamin Farrington
The Tumbler of Our Lady for soloists, choruses and orchestra (1936)
The Song of the Sinless Soul for mezzo-soprano, female chorus and orchestra (1944)
Adonis for soprano, mezzo-soprano, female chorus and orchestra (1945)
Vocal
The Rose and the Lily for voice and piano (1892)
Songs of Youth and Springtide for voice and piano, Op.9 (1892–1896); words by Robert Browning
- Summum Bonum
- Nay, but You, Who Do Not Love Her
Serenade for voice and piano (1896)
Three Songs for voice and piano (1896); words from Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- Say Over Again
- If Thou Must Love Me
- I Lift My Heavy Heart
Crabbed Age and Youth for voice and piano (1898)
Five Settings of E. Nesbit for voice and piano (1898); words by E. Nesbit
Three Old English Songs for voice and orchestra
Love's Farewell for voice and piano (1902)
The Four Winds for baritone and orchestra (1903); words by C.H. Luderz
Six Love Lyrics for baritone or alto and piano (1903); words by William Ernest Henley
Sing Heigh Ho! for voice and piano (1903)
Bhanavar the Beautiful, Song Cycle for voice and chamber ensemble (1908)
The Ballad of the Bird Bride for baritone and orchestra (1909); words by Rosamund Marriott Watson
The Little Corporal for voice and piano (1912)
Sappho, Song Cycle for soprano and orchestra (1920, revised 1942)
Claire de lune for voice and piano (1925); words by Paul Verlaine
D'une prison for voice and piano (1925?); words by Paul Verlaine
Que faudre-t'il a ce cœur for voice and piano (1925); words by Jean Moréas
Four Medieval Songs for voice and piano (1927)
Four Medieval Songs for voice and piano (1930)
Twelve Blake Songs; words by William Blake
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- To the Evening
- To Morning
- My Pretty Rose Tree
- The Fairy
- In a Myrtle Shade
- The Birds
- My Spectre around Me
- I Heard an Angel Singing
Hubert du Plessis (1922–2011)
Stefans Grové
John Joubert