The Book, Cat, & Cat Book Lovers Almanac

of historical trivia regarding books, cats, and other animals. Actually this blog has evolved so that it is described better as a blog about cats in history and culture. And we take as a theme the advice of Aldous Huxley: If you want to be a writer, get some cats. Don't forget to see the archived articles linked at the bottom of the page.

October 30, 2014

October 30, 1894

Philip Heseltine (October 30, 1894 to December 17, 1930) is remembered as a British composer. Here is how the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography summarizes his artistic contributions:

Heseltine's compositions include more than 100 songs, mostly with piano accompaniment, though some have instrumental accompaniment, notably his acknowledged masterpiece The Curlew (1915–22), a song-cycle of poems by Yeats for tenor, flute, cor anglais, and string quartet. It is a work which shows the influence of Bartók, whose music he was championing at the time. Other instrumental works include An Old Song (1917–23), a serenade for string orchestra (1921–2), and the popular Capriol (1927). He also composed a number of short choral works. His scholarly output includes a large collection of Elizabethan and Jacobean vocal solo, choral, and instrumental transcriptions as well as an edition of Henry Purcell's string fantasias. He was also the author of a number of books, including Frederick Delius (1923), The English Ayre (1926), and, together with Cecil Gray, Carlo Gesualdo: Musician and Murderer (1926).

Heseltine is remembered also for a "wild, bohemian" lifestyle; both D. H. Lawrence and Aldous Huxley based characters upon Heseltine. His fondness for cats was striking enough to earn a note in the ODNB article.

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