The Music of Henry Russell

(1812-1900)

Henry Russell was a popular baritone singer, composer, and pianist, born in in Sheernes, England on 24 December 1812 and died in London, England on 8 December 1900. His mother's name was Sarah Levin born in Konigsberg, Russia. He studied composition with Gioachino Antonio Rossini (1792-1868), Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (1801-1835) and Dominico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (1797-1848), and singing with Michael William Balfe (1808-1870). During 1833-1841 he was an organist at the 1st Presbyterian Church of Rochester, NY. During 1837-1841, he toured, as a piano accompanist, for the singer William Vincent Wallace (1812-1860). He returned to England circa 1845. Rusell was married twice: first to Isabella Russell (born 1835 in the USA), and second to Hannah de Lara also known as Emma Landon Ronald, born in 1844 in Stepney, London, married in 1889. He had two brothers named J. Russell and George Henry Russell. From his first marriage, his children were Henry Loyd Russell (1837, in Albany, New York; to ???, who became a Vicar in the Anglican Church); Charles Kirkman Russell, born in 1842, died at age 3; William Clark Russell, born in 1844 in Carlton Hotel, New York, became a novelist who wrote 57 novels (his son Herber Russell, was Knighted in 1921, also a novelist and journalist reported from Gallipoli, and travelled with the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII); Frances Macella Russell, born in 1845 in Paddington, London; John Henry Russell, born in 1849 in Boulogne, France, became a diamong prospector in South Africa; and Emma Russell, born in 1854 in Boulogne, France. From his second wife, his children were Henry Ronald Russell, born in 1871-1837, becaume a opera impresario (he had two sons: Henry Tosti Russell and Sheridan Russell); Sir Landon Ronald Russell (1873-1938), composed some 200 songs. A George Alexander Russell (1880-1953) may also be related to him.

His most popular songs were Woodman! Spare That Tree! (1837), The Ivy Green (1838), The Old Arm Chair (1840), Our Native Song (1841), A Life by de Galley Fire (1848) and Cheer, Boys, Cheer! (1850).

Read contemporary comments about Russell. An excellent dissertation about him is Henry Russell in America: Chutzpah and Huzzah (1975) by John Anthony Stephens. Russell is also described on pages 60-67 of Russell Sanjek's book American Popular Music and Its Business: Vol. II (1988).

Special thanks to John Anthony Stephens (the author of the Russell dissertaion mentioned above) for sending photocopies of 37 of Russell's scores. Indeed, any such help from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

Special thanks to Patricia Oliver for her extensive research (as of 8 Feb 2008) , as a distant relative to the Russell family, for providing invaluable Russell family info above.

Special thanks to Andrew Lamb for sending my a copy of his book Life on the Ocean Wave, a biography of Henry Russell which Patricia Oliver's info above, is partly derived from. His extensive chronological lists of Russell's works has greatly helping to authoritatively list Russell's complete works on this webpage.

NOTE: the Source* columns below refer either to: (1) The Lester S. Levy Collection by Box/Item number; (2) the Library of Congress' LCCN or CALL numbers in brackets (which can be used to request copies from the Photoduplication Services Division there); (3) if just labeled "LoC" then it is available at the American Memories webpages at the Library of Congress; (4) Duke University; (5) UNC-CH refers to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Music Library; (6) BML refers to the British Museum Music Library; Howard refers to John Tasker Howard and his book Our American Music (1929), particularly pp. 170-174.