Arthur Fagge, founder

Arthur Fagge (1864-1943) was the founder of The London Choral Society (now The London Chorus).

Arthur Fagge, founder of the London Choral Society C.1890 (courtesy of Dorothy Fagge)

The Family of Arthur Fagge with a photograph of the founder of the London Choral Society
(courtesy of The Hull Journal)

Mr Fagge told me that the idea for the London Choral Society came to him after reading an article in the Frankfürter Zeitung. It said, “England has a composer and doesn’t know it”, a phrase suggested by the performance of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius at the Lower Rhine Festival.

Fagge was then conductor of the Dulwich Philharmonic Society, but he wanted a body more centrally situated, with the ambition at least to be among those who represent London, the capital of the Empire.

The first season opened with a performance of Sullivan's Golden Legend by a choir of less than two hundred. Then membership increased, and with further rehearsals both choir and conductor found their fame sealed when Gerontius was sung at Queen’s Hall.

Rumours of their quality had been noised abroad, and the house was sold out as soon as the concert was advertised.

This became a habit, and was most marked when an Elgar work, sacred or secular, was in the programme. Unfortunately, the music of other modern composers did not bring similar financial encouragement, and a string of novelties resulted in a train of losses. However, Nil desperandum and all that: the flag has been kept flying, and now the London Choral Society is again under weigh to repeat its first success of thirty years ago with a performance of that same work, Sullivan’s Golden Legend.

From “Arthur Fagge Remembers”,
selected and annotated by Malcolm MacDonald. http://www.havergalbrian.org/zarthurfagge.htm

Monday 21 October 1907, 8:00PM
Arthur Fagge
‘Cloud’
Frederick Kiddle piano
Thorpe Bates baritone

Proms premiere