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Louis Honig

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Louis Honig (26 March 1849 – 17 March 1906) was a composer, pianist, and Professor of Music at his Academy of Music in the East End of London.

He was born on 26 March 1849 in de:Nieder-Ohmen, Alsfeld, Hessen, Germany. His father was Johannes Honig (1811–1878).[1]

Life

By the 1860s the family were living at White Hart Court, Greenfield Street, Commercial Road.[2] Louis was already performing on the piano.[3] By the 1870s he was advertising as a music teacher and held annual concerts at the Bow and Bromley Institute from about 1865. In 1869 he was recorded giving music lessons at 183, Cannon Street-road; in 1870 he was organist of St. Matthew's Church, Princes Square,[4] and organist and choirmaster of St Benet's, Mile End Road.[5] He adapted music for the London Gaelic Choir,[6][7][8] and in 1880 he was musical director of the Eastern District Post Office Brass Band of Bow.[9]

Louis and Hannah Honig, 1889

He described himself as a 'Professor of Music' with his Musical Academy established 1865 at 7 Bromley Street, Stepney.[10] By the 1881 Census the family were living at 725, Commercial Road, Limehouse, Stepney. A report on one of his Bow and Bromley concerts in 1882 noted how as "a youth of about 16 years of age, began to be talked of as a dashing pianist and a good singer" and "how rapidly he became teacher, organist, choirmaster, composer, musical director and master of all sorts of musical classes and societies", from "the local Town Hall to the Great St. James's Hall".[11] In 1893 he reported that he had "instructed 1,750 pupils and brought forward 500 of them at his concerts."[12]

He was a member of the Freemasons, composing and performing music for them.[13] He was installed as the Worshipful Master of the Lodge of Asaph (for members of the musical and theatrical professions) in 1902 at Freemasons’ Hall.[14][15][16]

He published about ninety musical publications. In 1882 he composed the music for the comic opera 'The Postillion of Bath'.[17] In 1887 he adapted a German comedy play by Von Moser called 'The Quack' for the Royalty Theatre.[18] In 1893 he composed the music for the operetta 'The King's Command' which toured the country as well as London,[19] and another of his comic operettas, 'Katawompos', toured the provinces in 1896.[20] According to the Thames Valley Times "His ballad, 'Loved Richmond' was much appreciated by the Princess of Wales".[21]

He was musical director to the Theatre Royal, Richmond, which had opened in 1890.[22][23][24][25]

From about 1883 the family lived at Waterford Lodge, 40 Queens Road, Richmond.[26] On the 1891 Census they were living 70 Church Road, Richmond.[27]

His children were also musicians: Lily and Marguerite toured with Madame Levante's Orchestra of Ladies,[28] Carl (Charles), performed with his parents at the Royal Aquarium in 1892.[29] Lily, Maggie and Louis Jr were reported returning from eight months' tour of Sweden and Norway in 1899.[30] Louisa and Adelaide also performed.[31] His nephew was the musician Victor Opfermann.[32]

Selected works

Title Publisher Date Note[33]
The Postillion of Bath. An original ... Comic Opera. In Two Acts. London : J. Williams 1870? [34]
Loved Richmond. : Ballad London : Honig Munovelad Co. 1914 [35]
Many joyous returns of the day: ... Song London, Honig Munovelad 1914
The Kings's command: an original operetta London, Keith, Prowse 1900 [36]
Kiddies and flow'rs London, British Munovelad Co 1914
Grand fantasia on a German theme, Take me across: barcarolle London, Rudall Carte & Co. 1890
A Tribute to the Coronation. [Songs and P.F. pieces.] Richmond Hill, Surrey : Louis Honig 1902
Echoes of Caledonia for piano (sheet music) 1910

Personal life

Memorial in Richmond Old Cemetery

On 8 May 1870 he married Charlotte Cutler (b 1853) in Emmanuel Church, Forest Gate, Essex. She died in 1874. Their children were Louise (b 1871), and Adelaide Henrietta (b 1872) both born in Ratcliff.[1]

On 14 February 1875 he married Louisa Margaretta Schmidt (b 13 April 1853, Offenbach am Main, Hessen, Germany) in St George's German Lutheran Church Whitechapel, London.[37] She died on 31 March 1885 of consumption.[38] They had 8 children: Pauline (1875–1876), Louis John (1876–1926), Charles (b 1878), Caroline/Lilly (b 1880), Katherine (1882–1883), Margaretta (b 1882), Elizabeth (b & d 1884) and Philip (1884–1885).

On 5 December 1885 he married Annie Grace Fladgate at St. Mary's Church, Walthamstow.[39] She died following childbirth on 2 November 1887 at Waterford Lodge, Richmond Hill.[40][41] They had two children: Max Lynton (1886–1974) and Grace Lucy (b 1887).

His fourth marriage on 14 January 1889 was to Hannah Rosetta Dinah Parks (b 1860, Clerkenwell, London), held at St John the Divine, Richmond. She was a virtuoso flautist known as the 'Queen of Flute Players' who worked mainly in theatres using the name 'Cora Cardigan'.[42] She performed throughout Europe and the United States, and was known for her skill playing the flute, piccolo and violin.[43] Their daughters were Pauline (1889-1982) and Lucy (1891-1892).

He died on 17 March 1906 at his home Waterford Lodge, Queens Road, Richmond, of influenza and meningitis.[44][45] He is buried in Richmond Old Cemetery along with his wife Louisa and his mother Elizabeth. Three Masonic Lodges were represented at his funeral as well as three bandsmen of the 1st Life Guards, where his son Carl was a trumpeter.[46]

References

  1. ^ a b "Louis George Hönig". Family Search.
  2. ^ "CHARGE OF FORGERY". London Evening Standard. 17 September 1864. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "ST.PHILIP'S LITERARY INSTITUTE". East London Observer. 13 March 1869. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Advertisement". East London Observer. 29 January 1870. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "HERR LOUIS HONIG'S 28th Annual Concert, Bow and Bromley Institute". East London Observer. 15 February 1896. p. 4.
  6. ^ Castle, C P. "Coisir Lunnainn – A brief history". The London Gaelic Choir.
  7. ^ Honig, Louis (1876). A Selection of Highland melodies : arranged for the Gaelic Society of London ; with original symphonies and pianoforet accompaniments. London : J.A. Mills.
  8. ^ "HERR LOUIS HONIG AND GAELIC MUSIC". East London Observer. 16 June 1877. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ Holman, Gavin (23 October 2020). "Bath Post Office Band – forty years of support by the Postmasters of Bath – an example of some 50 similar postal bands in the British Isles" (PDF). The Internet Bandsman's Everything Within. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  10. ^ "LOUIS HONIG, PROFESSOR OF MUSIC". East London Observer. 17 March 1877. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Louis Honig's Entertainment". East London Observer. 6 May 1882. p. 2.
  12. ^ "Facts, Rumours, and Remarks". The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular. Vol. 34. 1 August 1893. p. 467. JSTOR 3364198 – via JSTOR.
  13. ^ "Masonic March and Song". The Freemason's Chronicle: 5. 25 March 1882 – via Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry.
  14. ^ "MASONRY AND THE THEATRICAL PROFESSION". Era. 11 November 1882. Retrieved 16 October 2020 – via British Library Newspapers.
  15. ^ "ASAPH LODGE". Era. 10 November 1883. Retrieved 24 September 2020 – via British Library Newspapers.
  16. ^ "THE ERA". 11 October 1902. p. 14,15 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ "Limehouse Glee Society". East London Observer. 4 February 1882. p. 7.
  18. ^ "ROYALTY THEATRE". Standard. 12 August 1887 – via British Library Newspapers.
  19. ^ "THE MUSIC HALL". Music Hall and Theatre Review. 8 December 1893.
  20. ^ "KATAWOMPOS". ERA. 28 November 1896 – via British Library Newspapers.
  21. ^ "Death of Herr Louis Honig". Thames Valley Times. Richmond Local Studies. 21 March 1906. 'His ballad, "Loved Richmond" was much appreciated by the Princess of Wales, and he had published about ninety musical compositions including comic operas, entitled "King's Command," "The Quack," "Charley's Uncle," etc.'
  22. ^ "Musical Mems". Pall Mall Gazette. 2 April 1890 – via British Library Newspapers.
  23. ^ "THEATRICAL GOSSIP". Era. 5 February 1890. Retrieved 27 September 2020 – via British Library Newspapers.
  24. ^ "THE MUSIC HALL". Music Hall and Theatre Review. 30 August 1895. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "Opening of the New Theatre at Richmond". Daily News. 8 April 1890. Retrieved 27 September 2020 – via British Library Newspapers.
  26. ^ "DEATHS". East London Observer. 25 August 1883. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ^ McGee, Terry (March 2006). "A Snapshot of Late Nineteenth Century Opinion on the Flute, and a Reality Check on its Development". McGee-Flutes. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  28. ^ "Madame Levante's Orchestra of Ladies". Aberdeen Journal. 13 October 1908 – via British Library Newspapers.
  29. ^ "Multiple Classified ads". Standard. 12 September 1892. p. 1. Retrieved 2 October 2020 – via British Library Newspapers.
  30. ^ "Advertisements & Notices". The Era. 8 July 1899. p. 26 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  31. ^ "News". Surrey Comet. 8 November 1890. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  32. ^ "Musical Notes". East London Observer. 11 December 1886.
  33. ^ Source https://www.worldcat.org/
  34. ^ Honig, Louis (1870). "The Postillion of Bath. An original ... Comic Opera. In Two Acts. Written by J. A. Wade, etc. [Vocal score.]". Google Books.
  35. ^ "Earl Spencer Lodge" (PDF). The Freemason. XXXIV (1369): 309. 1 June 1895 – via Museum of Freemasonry.
  36. ^ "A NEW OPERETTA". Era. 21 May 1898. Retrieved 27 September 2020 – via British Library Newspapers.
  37. ^ "Louisa Margaretta Schmidt". Ancestry.
  38. ^ "MANY East End friends of Herr Louis Honig". East London Observer. 4 April 1885.
  39. ^ "Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries". Ipswich Journal. 10 December 1885 – via British Library Newspapers.
  40. ^ "Annie Grace Fladgate". Ancestry.
  41. ^ "Deaths". The Times. 2 November 1888. p. 1. Retrieved 22 September 2020 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  42. ^ Curwen, John (July 1889). "The Queen of Flute Players". The Musical Herald and Tonic Sol Fa Reporter: 149–150 – via Google Books.
  43. ^ Black, Kaleena (5 September 2017). "Fascinating Flute-Related Finds in the Library of Congress Dayton C. Miller Collection". Music Educators Journal. doi:10.1177/0027432117721905. S2CID 149186659.
  44. ^ "Death of Herr Louis Honig". Richmond Herald. 24 March 1906. p. 3.
  45. ^ "Louis Honig deceased". The London Gazette (28043): 5070–5071. 23 July 1907.
  46. ^ "Funeral of Herr Louis Honig". Richmond & Twickenham Times. 24 March 1906. p. 7.
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