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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 51-57 of 57 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 19244e 10-in. 6/29/1915 La bandiera tricolere Società Corale "La Patria" Chorus, with band conductor  
Gramophone y19321e 10-in. 8/11/1915 Stornelli patriottici Oreste Ascoli Male vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone y19323e 10-in. 8/11/1915 O gioventu d’Italia Oreste Ascoli Male vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Gramophone y19329e 10-in. 8/11/1915 La campana di San Giusto Oreste Ascoli Male vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra conductor  
Gramophone y19331e 10-in. 8/11/1915 Italia irredenta Società Corale "La Patria" Chorus, with band conductor  
Gramophone y19336e 10-in. 8/11/1915 Inno ad Oberdan Società Corale "La Patria" Chorus, with band conductor  
Gramophone y19338e 10-in. 8/11/1915 Camicia rossa Società Corale "La Patria" Chorus, with band conductor  
(Results 51-57 of 57 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Byng, George W.," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107731.

Byng, George W.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107731.

"Byng, George W.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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