Benjamin Burrows

Burrows was born in Leicester, England. He was the son of Benjamin Harper Burrows (1864-1915), a scholar and teacher of some repute, who played violin, viola and later cello, and was closely involved with the Leicester Orchestral Union from 1884 until his death. His mother was Mary Elizabeth (born Gray 1867) who was an excellent pianist. His sister was violinist, teacher and orchestra conductor Grace Burrows.[3] He was born at 12 College Street, Leicester and attended Alderman Newton's Boys School.[2] He showed such a marked aptitude for science that he moved to a school specialising in this. Later he was tutored privately which was felt necessary due to a serious problem with his left eye.[3] Music played a huge part in his upbringing and having chosen music as a career, Burrows studied organ with H. P. Ellis and music theory with Charles Kitson. In 1912 he graduated ARCO at the Royal College of Organists and soon afterwards becoming a fellow (FRCO). In both exams he won recognition for achieving top marks.[2] By 1914 he had set up as a music teacher[2] and was giving organ recitals in De Montfort Hall, Leicester.[3] During WW1 he served as a Kite Balloonist at Orford Ness, Suffolk. He also met Doris Katharine Hayes who he married in 1921, the same year in which he was awarded his doctorate. Their only child, Benjamin Hayes Burrows was born in 1925.[2] He served briefly as organist at Leicester Cathedral but in 1929 he was appointed organist at Victoria (now University) Road Church then a Baptist church, in line with his non-conformist principles. He remained there for 27 years.[2]

He worked as music tutor at Leicester University from 1924. His sister Grace was appointed to the same department at the same time.[4] He tutored students in organ and composition up to PhD level for 27 years. He was known to be generous, sympathetic and encouraging.[2] He had many students from all parts of the world as shown by a crop of flags pinned to a map on his studio wall.[2] They were prepared by correspondence which was unusual if not unique at the time. In teaching composition it seems Burrows had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject and had developed an almost computer like system for keeping all aspects of his craft at his fingertips.[2] One student described Ben as, 'without peer in the teaching of musical theory throughout the country'.[2] Another declared he, 'was a marvellous teacher, as his successes show. A few words from him verbally or scrawled on an exercise, were worth books of others!'[2] The successes referred to are the qualifications earned by his pupils; 24 D Mus, 56 B Mus and 104 FRCO.[2] Burrows is noted for his development of a system for music typography and founded his own publishing house, Bodnant Press, to publish his music and teaching monographs.[1] He also had skills as a precision engineer and horologist. Among his prominent music students is the composer Joyce Howard Barrell. Ben's reputation as a major figure on the British music scene was recognised by Leicester City Council who honoured his life and work with a Blue Plaque outside his old studio at 2 University Road. It reads, 'Benjamin Burrows 1891-1966 Composer and Inventor taught in this building.'[5]

Burrows is best known for his art songs. Under the influence and friendship of Jane Vowles, a soprano to whom he taught theory, he composed 93 songs in 21 months. After her parents insisted on her abandoning studies with him, Burrows wrote only one more song (in 1953). His songs have been compared with those by Ivor Gurney and Peter Warlock. They include settings of poetry by A. E. Housman, Rossetti, Herrick, de la Mare, Robert Frost, and Emily Dickinson, several of which have been recorded.[1]

He also composed several instrumental works. Between 1929 and 1935 composed a string quartet and sonatas for violin, viola, violoncello, and piano.,[1] In later years he concentrated on church music, for his own use at Leicester church where he was organist from 1929 to 1955.[1]

• English Art Song
• Music engraving

• Unknown author. "Burrows, Benjamin". Oxford Dictionary of Music. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)

• The "official" web page for Burrows

• Leicester City Council commemorative plaque honouring Burrows

• The Burrows Collection, a collection of manuscript and printed music composed by Benjamin Burrows

• Leicester Symphony Orchestra, Historic Profile - Benjamin Burrows

• Page about Benjamin Burrows written by Burrows enthusiast Nigel Deacon -