PIERSON

Henry Hugh (son of Hugh Nicholas Pearson, dean of Salisbury). b. Oxford 14 April 1815; educ. Harrow 1829, and Trin. coll. Camb.; studied music in Germany from 1839; Reid profe or of music in univ. of Edinb. 1 June 1844, but never officiated as profe or; resided in Germany 1844 to death; wrote music under pseudonym of Edgar Mannsfeldt-Pierson; produced an opera The elves and the earth king at Brunn, and another opera Leila at Hamburg 1848; his oratorio Jerusalem, produced at the Norwich festival 1852, was performed by the Harmonic union at Exeter hall 18 May 1853 and at Wurzburg 1862; composed incidental music to the second part of Goethe’s Faust produced at Stadt-theater, Hamburg 1854, printed at Mayence 1856, for which Leopold I of Belgium gave him the gold medal for art and science; his unfinished oratorio Hezekiah was performed at Norwich festival 1869; his opera Contarini in five acts was produced at Hamburg April 1872; three of his orchestral overtures Macbeth 1860, Romeo and Juliet 1870, and As you like it, have been given at Crystal palace concerts; wrote All my heart’s thine own, song 1844; Salve eternum, a Roman dirge 1853; The office for holy communion 1870; Thirty hymn tunes 1870, Second series 1872; Ye mariners of England, a part song 1880; Hurrah for merry England 1885. d. Leipzig 28 Jany. 1873. bur. Sonning, Berks hire 6 Feb. Robin Legge’s History of the Norwich festivals , with portrait ; H. H. Pearson’s Collected songs , Leipzig with portrait ; Graphic vii 215, 220 (1873) portrait ; Grove’s Dictionary of music ii 752 (1880).