A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Thomas, Harold

by William Barclay Squire

THOMAS, Harold, born at Cheltenham, July 8, 1834, a favourite pupil of Sterndale Bennett, under whom he was placed at the Royal Academy of Music at a very early age. His other masters were Cipriani Potter (theory), and Henry Blagrove (violin). He made his first appearance as a pianist at a Royal Academy Concert, May 25, 1850, and after this appeared frequently at the same concerts, both as pianist and composer. In 1858, Mr. Thomas played before the Queen and Prince Consort at Windsor, and in 1864 played Bennett's First Concerto at the Philharmonic. A few years later, he retired from public life and devoted himself to teaching. Mr. Thomas is now Professor of the piano at the Royal Academy of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music. His compositions include many original piano pieces, some songs, many arrangements, etc., and three overtures for orchestra:—

'Overture for a Comedy'; 'As you like it,' produced by the Musical Society of London in 1864; and 'Mountain, Lake, and Moorland,' produced at the Philharmonic in 1880. The last two works have been frequently played with great success. [App. p.799 "Add date of death, July 29, 1885."]

[ W. B. S. ]