Biography

John Nicholson Ireland (1879-1962), composer and organist, was born on 13 August 1879 at Inglewood, St Margaret's Road, Dunham Massey, in the sub-district of Altrincham, Cheshire, the youngest of five children of Alexander Ireland (1810-1894), writer and publisher, and his second wife, Anne Elizabeth (Annie) Ireland, née Nicholson (1842-1893) [see under Ireland, Alexander], author and critic. His father was of Scottish descent, his mother from Cumberland. Within the household there was a strong emphasis on literature, and John developed a love and understanding of poetry that remained with him for the rest of his life. His patchy and rather unhappy early schooling included periods at the local dame-school in Bowdon and at Dinglewood preparatory school, Colwyn Bay, and just two terms at Leeds grammar school in the first part of 1893. In September 1893, a week before his mother died, Ireland enrolled at the Royal College of Music. The death of his father the following year left him in the charge of a guardian, and it was therefore the college that provided Ireland with an extended period of security. While there he studied the piano with Frederick Cliffe and the organ with Sir Walter Parratt. From these earliest years at the college, little survives save for a few short piano works. In 1897 Ireland produced two string quartets, and in the same year he became a pupil of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, whose demanding, disciplined teaching methods and breadth of knowledge made a considerable impression.

Found in 6 Collections and/or Records: