Clarence Lucas

Clarence Lucas (October 19, 1866 – July 2, 1947), was a Canadian composer, lyricist, conductor, and music professor.

Lucas was born at Six Nations Reserve, Ontario and was a student of Romain-Octave Pelletier I. He taught at the Toronto College of Music, taught in Utica, New York, and was the musical director at Wesleyan Ladies College in Hamilton, Ontario. In London, he tutored pupils in composition, proofread music for Chappel publishing, and was a correspondent and then editor for the magazine Musical Courier which he later held in New York and Paris. In Sèvres, just outside Paris, Lucas freelanced as a music transcriber, arranger, lyricist, and translator. He also contributed to Etude, a musical periodical.

Lucas conducted works by George Frideric Handel, Michael Costa, Edvard Grieg, George M. Cohan, and others. He toured the British Isles as a conductor for the Irish musical Peggy Machree, and the United States for Grieg's Peer Gynt.

Lucas' first wife was the English pianist Clara Asher (who had studied with Clara Schumann) and their son was the British composer and conductor Leighton Lucas (1903 - 1982). She died in 1942. His second wife was Gertrude Pidd, a musician.

In the early 1900s, Lucas composed Overture Macbeth, a piece inspired by the Shakespeare play. The work had not been performed for nearly 100 years, until July 2018, where the music was orchestrated and recorded by the Symphonova Orchestra, to mark the Canadian sesquicentennial. Overture Macbeth can be found on the collection La Patrie - Our Canada, distributed by the Canadian Music Centre.

He authored The Story of Musical Form (1908, London).

Lucas composed music for voice, choir, organ, piano and orchestra. He wrote overtures, cantatas, symphonies, operas, chamber music, songs for musicals, lyrics for popular songs and art songs.

He died July 2, 1947, in Paris and is buried in Sèvres.

His notable works include:

  • The Money Spider (opera, c. 1897)
  • Overture for Shakespeare's As You Like It, (1899)
  • Overture for Shakespeare's Macbeth, (1900)
  • Overture for Shakespeare's Othello
  • Prelude and Fugue, Opus 38
  • The Birth of Christ (cantata, 1901)
  • Peggy Machree (musical, 1904)
  • Dithyramb, for organ, dedicated to Clarence Dickinson
  • The Song of Songs (lyrics, 1914)
  • The Perfect Song (lyrics)

Birth and Death Data: Born October 19, 1866 (Ontario), Died July 1, 1947 (Sèvres)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1906 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, arranger, translator, composer

= 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
Victor C-16136 12-in. 6/23/1915 The song of songs Evan Williams Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-18705 10-in. 11/13/1916 My soldier lad Alan Turner Male vocal solo, with orchestra translator  
Victor B-25394 10-in. 7/13/1921 Song of songs John Steel Male vocal solo, with violin, harp, and orchestra translator  
Victor B-32462 10-in. 4/22/1925 The song of songs Hope Hampton Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor BVE-34542 10-in. 2/6/1926 The bells of St. Mary's Associated Glee Clubs of America Male vocal chorus arranger  
Victor BVE-34547 10-in. 2/6/1926 The bells of St. Mary's, part 1 Associated Glee Clubs of America Male vocal chorus arranger  
Victor BVE-39223 10-in. 6/6/1927 Song of songs Maurice J. Gunsky Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor BVE-43735 10-in. 4/23/1928 The song of songs Richard Crooks Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra translator  
Victor BVE-57154 10-in. 11/18/1929 The perfect song Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Salon Orchestra Orchestra lyricist  
Victor D7VB-0090 10-in. 1/23/1947 Song of songs Perry Como ; Lloyd Shaffer Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 3312 10-in. ca. 1905-Jan. 1906 When stars are in the quiet skies George Alexander Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 79282 10-in. 6/16/1920 The song of songs Charles Hackett Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 37080 12-in. 11/25/1914 The song of songs Grace Kerns Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia [W]149761 10-in. 1/15/1930 The perfect song The Danford Sisters ; Hotel Pennsylvania Music [Phil Spitalny Orchestra] ; Jack Miller Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and female vocal duet lyricist  
OKeh S-72430 10-in. Apr. 1924 The song of songs Bernard Ferguson ; Justin Ring Trio Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio lyricist  
OKeh W403727 10-in. 2/4/1930 The perfect song Tommy Bohn Penn-Sirens Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W403757 10-in. 2/14/1930 The perfect song Seger Ellis Male vocal solo, with violin, cello, and piano lyricist  
Brunswick 13022-13023 10-in. 4/29/1924 Song of songs Theo Karle Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick 13140-13141 10-in. 5/19/1924 Song of songs Theo Karle Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick 15188-15190 10-in. 3/16/1925 The song of songs Frank Munn Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick E30398 10-in. July 1929 The perfect song Brunswick Concert Orchestra Orchestra, with vocal lyricist  
Edison 3411 10-in. Nov. 1914 The song of songs Redferne Hollinshead Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Edison 6471 10-in. between 11/12/1918 and 11/27/1918 The song of songs Leola Lucey Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Edison 11519 10-in. 2/14/1927 The song of songs Frederick Kinsley ; Walter Scanlan Male vocal solo, with organ lyricist  
Decca 69170 10-in. 5/9/1941 The perfect song Jesse Crawford lyricist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lucas, Clarence," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104046.

Lucas, Clarence. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104046.

"Lucas, Clarence." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104046

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