Robert Norman Fulton (23 January 1909 – 5 August 1980) was an English-born composer, broadcaster and teacher of Scottish ancestry.[1]

Life and career

Fulton was born in London but educated in Scotland at Glasgow High School. From 1929 until 1933 he studied harmony and composition with Norman Demuth at the Royal Academy of Music. He worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation from 1936 until 1960, composing much incidental music for radio features between 1937 and the early 1950s, including the music for Children's Hour throughout the 1940s. In 1953 he was appointed Head of West Regional Music. From 1963 until February 1967 he was the presenter of Music to Remember on the BBC Home Service. In 1966 he returned to the Royal Academy as professor of harmony and composition.[2]

He married Olga Pett Ridge, daughter of the novelist William Pett Ridge, in 1936, and there were a son and a daughter. He lived at 55 Clarence Road, Bickley in Kent.[3] Fulton died of lung cancer at Guy's Hospital on 5 August 1980, aged 71. His daughter Jill Pett Fulton had a successful career as a ballerina and married the conductor Karl Anton Rickenbacher.[4]

Selected works

Fulton composed three symphonies. No. 1, the Sinfonia pastorale, was first heard in Bournemouth in 1951[5] and received its first London concert performance at the Proms in 1954.[6] The Musette movement proved the most striking, and has been published separately.[7] There is also a 15-minute Serenade for Strings and the Waltz Rhapsody for piano and orchestra. His chamber music includes a Piano Trio, the Introduction, Air and Reel for viola and piano (premiered by Watson Forbes in 1949),[8] and the Scottish Suite for recorder and keyboard (written for Carl Dolmetsch in 1954 and still frequently performed).[9] For solo piano Fulton wrote the Prelude, Elegy and Toccata, which was broadcast by Kendall Taylor in 1956 and remained in his repertoire.[10] There are around 50 songs and choral settings.[11]

Fulton wrote much incidental music for BBC radio, including a series of features written by D. G. Bridson, and scored several wartime and post-war British information film documentaries.

Concert music

Songs

Incidental music for radio

Film scores

References

  1. ^ Obituary, Daily Telegraph, 7 August 1980, p. 10
  2. ^ Slonimsky, Nicholas (ed.). Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 7th edition (1984), p. 779
  3. ^ Who's Who in Music and Musicians, Fifth Edition, Burke's Peerage Ltd (1969)
  4. ^ 'Fulton Data' at RootsWeb
  5. ^ The Times, 23 February 1951, p.8
  6. ^ BBC Proms performance archive, 12 August, 1954
  7. ^ 'London Music', in The Musical Times, Vol. 95, No. 1340 (October, 1954), p. 554
  8. ^ Radio Times, issue 1456, 7th October 1951, p. 33
  9. ^ Shine and Shade: English Twentieth Century Recorder Music, Red Priest RP010 (2013)
  10. ^ Radio Times, issue 1686, 4 March 1956
  11. ^ Leach, Gerald. British Composer Profiles, 3rd. edition (2012), p. 89
  12. ^ Radio Times issue 803, 19th February 1939, p. 34
  13. ^ Bradford Observer, 1 February 1941, p.3
  14. ^ English Music for Viola and Piano, Dutton Epoch CDLX7390 (2022)
  15. ^ Heartache – An Anthology of English Viola Music, Guild 7275 (2004)
  16. ^ Chester Music
  17. ^ National Library of Scotland archives
  18. ^ Schott Music
  19. ^ Music & Letters, Vol. XXXIX, issue 3, July 1958
  20. ^ Chris Sedergreen. Three Songs of Fiona McLeod
  21. ^ The Holy Boy: Christmastide in Albion, Prima Facie CD PFCD170 (2021)

External links

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