A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Swinnerton Heap, Charles

SWINNERTON HEAP, Charles, was born at Birmingham in 1847, and educated at the Grammar School of that town. Displaying at a very early age an aptitude for music, on leaving school he was articled to Dr. Monk at York, where he remained for two years. In 1865 he gained the Mendelssohn Scholarship, and was sent to Leipzig for two-and-a-half years, studying under Moscheles and Reinecke. On his return he became a pupil of Mr. Best at Liverpool, and since 1868 has devoted himself to professional duties in Birmingham, at the classical concerts of which town he has constantly appeared as a pianist, and in which district he is widely known as a conductor. In 1870 he wrote an exercise for the Cambridge Degree of Mus. Bac., which produced so favourable an impression upon the Professor of Music (Sir Sterndale Bennett) that he offered to accept the work (the 1st part of an oratorio 'The Captivity') as an exercise for the Mus. Doc. degree. Mr. Swinnerton Heap accordingly set the 3rd Psalm for the Mus. Bac. exercise, and in the following year proceeded to the degree of Mus. Doc. His principal works are a pianoforte trio (performed at Leipzig), a sonata for clarinet and piano, a quintet for pianoforte and wind instruments, two overtures (one produced at the Birmingham Festival of 1879 and afterwards played at the Crystal Palace Concerts), a 'Salvum fac Regem' (performed at Leipzig), a short cantata, 'The Voice of Spring,' and numerous anthems, songs, and organ pieces. [App. p.798 "Add to list of works a sonata for violin and pianoforte, and a cantata 'The Maid of Astolat.'"]

[ W. B. S. ]