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George W. Byng

George Wilford Bulkley Byng (1861 – 29 June 1932) was an English conductor, composer, music arranger and musical director of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is known for composing music for ballet productions staged at the Alhambra Theatre in London during the Edwardian era, for his theatre compositions, and as a conductor for HMV from World War I up to about 1930. Byng was his stage name.

As a child, he received a musical education and at age 11 joined the orchestra at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, and played in orchestras throughout Britain for two decades before beginning a conducting career. By the 1890s, his compositions of incidental music for plays were used in London theatres. From 1898 to 1913, as the musical director of London's Alhambra Theatre, he composed, arranged and conducted the music for approximately 30 ballets and scenas. During this period, he continued to compose new music, including theatre scores, for other companies. For two years thereafter, he was the musical conductor at the Gaiety Theatre, London.

After conducting for Thomas Edison's British recording studio for several years, in 1915 Byng joined HMV full-time, where he conducted a great number of recordings. From 1917 to 1924, he conducted many of the early acoustic sets of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas in cooperation with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. He remained with HMV for at least 15 years.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1861, Died June 29, 1932

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1930

Roles Represented in DAHR: conductor, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 57 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone Bb98 10-in. 4/26/1921 Pourquoi, me réveiller Dmitriĭ Alekseevich Smirnov Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc551 12-in. 10/10/1921 In questa tomba oscura Artists vary Bass vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc556 12-in. 10/11/1921 Two grenadiers Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ; Percy Pitt Bass vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc557 12-in. 10/11/1921 When the king went forth to war Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc1890 12-in. 9/25/1922 Song of the viking guest George W. Byng ; Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc1891 12-in. 10/9/1922 Song of the Volga boatmen Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc2015 12-in. 10/23/1922 Pimen's monologue George W. Byng ; Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone YY2406 10-in. 1/18/1923 Hywel be ti'n geisio yma (Hywel a Blodwen) Walter Glynne ; Bessie Jones Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone YY2407 10-in. 1/18/1923 Fy blodwen, f'anwylyd, fy mhobpeth Walter Glynne Male vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc2858 12-in. 4/19/1923 Henchido de amor santo Miguel Fleta Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Bb3229 10-in. 7/7/1923 Dubinushka George W. Byng ; Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with quintet and orchestra conductor  
Gramophone H05794ae 10-in. 7/17/1920 Jert hus skal i bygge Military Band [Gramophone Co.; G. W. Byng, conductor] Military band conductor  
Gramophone H05795se 10-in. 7/17/1920 Det er så yndigt at følges ad Military Band [Gramophone Co.; G. W. Byng, conductor] Band conductor  
Gramophone Bb5854 10-in. 3/6/1925 La paloma Apollo Granforte Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Bb5855 10-in. 3/6/1925 Jorobo Apollo Granforte Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Bb7204 10-in. 11/6/1925 Shepherd's hay Mayfair Band Band conductor  
Gramophone Bb7204 10-in. 11/6/1925 Country gardens Mayfair Band Band conductor  
Gramophone Bb7205 10-in. 11/6/1925 Bobbing Joe Mayfair Band Band conductor  
Gramophone Bb7206 10-in. 11/6/1925 Glorishears Mayfair Band Band conductor  
Gramophone Bb7209 10-in. 11/6/1925 Lads a Bunchum Mayfair Band Band conductor  
Gramophone Bb7210 10-in. 11/6/1925 Bean setting Mayfair Band Band conductor  
Gramophone Cc7634 12-in. 1/6/1926 Rolling in the foaming billows George W. Byng ; Robert Radford Bass vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc7715 12-in. 1/15/1926 Why do the nations so furiously rage? George W. Byng ; Robert Radford Bass vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc7997 12-in. 3/3/1926 It's nice to get up in the mornin' (but it's nicer to lie in bed!) Harry Lauder Male vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone Cc7999 12-in. 3/3/1926 Doughie the baker Harry Lauder Male vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
(Results 1-25 of 57 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Byng, George W.," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107731.

Byng, George W.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107731.

"Byng, George W.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107731

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