Loder, Edward James

1813-1865

Born in Bath. When thirteen years old he was sent to Frankfort to study music under Ferdinand Ries, a friend of his father's. After a visit to England in 1828 he returned to Germany, determined to study medicine. He soon gave it up, however, and again placed himself under Ries. Upon his returning again to England, he was commissioned by J. S. Arnold to write the music for his drama, Nourjahad.  In 1835 he set the music to Oxenford's Dice of Death. About this time he made a contract with Dalmaine & Co., music publishers, to furnish them with a new composition every week. Francis I., an opera, was written to incorporate these pieces, but it was not successful owing to their heterogeneous character. The Foresters, or twenty-five years since, and The Deerstalkers appeared in 1845. The next year was produced his finest work, The Night Dancers. This was followed before long by Puck, a ballad opera, additions to The Sultan, and The Young Guard. His cantata, The Isle of Calypso, was written for the National concerts at Her Majesty's Theatre, but owing to their cessation, remained unperformed until given at the new Philharmonic concerts in 1852. He was for several years conductor at the Princess' Theatre, and afterwards at Manchester, but was not entirely successful, being too musical to be business-like. He was attacked by cerebral disease in 1856 and became unfitted for his work. Besides the opera already mentioned and others, he published three sets of Songs; an Improved and Select Psalmody; Sacred Songs and Ballads, dedicated to Sterndale Bennett; many separate songs and ballads, of which The Brave Old Oak, and an Invocation to the Deep were among the most popular. He was the author of First Principles of Singing, with Directions for the Formation of the Voice, and of a Modern Piano Tutor.