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Alfred Hobday

Alfred Charles Hobday (19 April 1870 in Faversham – 23 February 1942 in Tankerton) was an English viola player who made his career in England. He was the elder brother of the double-bass player Claude Hobday.

Hobday studied violin and viola at the Royal College of Music in London with Henry Holmes, and he was one of the college's earliest graduates on viola. He played in several leading string quartet musical ensembles, notably at St James's Hall, with Joseph Joachim, Lady Hallé, Ries and the cellist Alfredo Piatti. He also gave many viola recitals with his wife, the pianist Ethel Sharpe, later known as Ethel Hobday.

Much of Hobday's career was spent as an orchestral musician. In 1895 he became principal viola in Queen Victoria's private band and was awarded the Diamond Jubilee medal and Coronation medal for services as part of that group. Hobday was solo viola at the Royal Covent Garden Opera from 1900 to 1914. He was also the leading viola of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, of the Goossens Orchestra, of the London Symphony Orchestra from its inception in 1904 until 1930, and of the orchestras of the chief festivals. He soloed with orchestras on a few occasions, most notably in several performances of Hector Berlioz's Harold in Italy.

Hobday premiered several works including Frank Bridge's Phantasy for Piano Quartet, Vaughan Williams' Four Hymns for Tenor, and String Orchestra and Vaughan Williams's Quintet in C Minor for Pianoforte, Violin, Viola, Violoncello, and Double Bass. The English composer Ernest Walker also composed works specifically for Hobday.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 19, 1870, Died February 23, 1942

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1917

Roles Represented in DAHR: viola

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 75933 12-in. approximately 1917 Quintet in G minor, K. 516 : Allegro, part 1 Alfred Hobday ; London String Quartet String quintet instrumentalist, viola  
Columbia 75934 12-in. approximately 1917 Quintet in G minor, K. 516 : Allegro, part 2 Alfred Hobday ; London String Quartet String quintet instrumentalist, viola  
Columbia 75935 12-in. approximately 1917 Quintet in G minor, K. 516 : Menuetto Alfred Hobday ; London String Quartet String quintet instrumentalist, viola  
Columbia 75936 12-in. approximately 1917 Quintet in G minor, K. 516 : Adagio Alfred Hobday ; London String Quartet String quintet instrumentalist, viola  
Columbia 75937 12-in. approximately 1917 Quintet in G minor, K. 516 : Adagio Alfred Hobday ; London String Quartet String quintet instrumentalist, viola  
Columbia 75938 12-in. approximately 1917 Quintet in G minor, K. 516 : Finale Alfred Hobday ; London String Quartet String quintet instrumentalist, viola  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hobday, Alfred," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110111.

Hobday, Alfred. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110111.

"Hobday, Alfred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110111

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