Walter Swanson - Revision history

Darryl: /* Biography */

2025-06-18T16:33:00Z

Biography

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As composer

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Sources

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As composer

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Career

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As composer

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As conductor

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Career

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As conductor

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As conductor

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 ==Biography==
-Born on 19 June 1903 in Willesden Green, London. From the age of ten he received his music education at All Saints’ Margaret Street, London. In 1919 he won the Ada Lewis Scholarship which enabled him to continue his violin studies under Spencer Dyke at the Royal Academy of Music.
+Born Walter Donald Swanson on 19 June 1903 in Willesden Green, London. From the age of ten he received his music education at All Saints’ Margaret Street, London. In 1919 he won the Ada Lewis Scholarship which enabled him to continue his violin studies under Spencer Dyke at the Royal Academy of Music.
 He married [[Marjorie Hill]] in 1963.

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 In 1971, Swanson entered his musical comedy, ''[[The Princess Who Wouldn’t]]'' for the Otto Bach competition and shared the first prize with [[Archie Wilson]].
-He wrote the music for a number of children's operettas including ''[[Die Beertjie met die Gelapte Broekie]]'', ''[[The Little Stock Exchange]]'', ''[[Once upon a Leap Year]]'', ''[[Rough Diamond]]'', ''[[Zoe's Dream]]'', ''[[The Mill of Youth]]'' (with librettist [[Archibald J.A. Wilson‎‎]]) and ''[[Rip van Winkle]]'' (with librettist [[Jac J. Brits]]) in 1984.
+He wrote the music for a number of children's operettas including ''[[Die Beertjie met die Gelapte Broekie]]'', ''[[The Little Stock Exchange]]'', ''[[Once Upon a Leap Year]]'', ''[[Rough Diamond]]'', ''[[Zoe's Dream]]'', ''[[The Mill of Youth]]'' (with librettist [[Archibald J.A. Wilson‎‎]]) and ''[[Rip van Winkle]]'' (with librettist [[Jac J. Brits]]) in 1984.
 He also wrote the music for ''[[Ali Baba]]'' and a Christmas cantata, ''[[Die Wyse van die Ooste]]''.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:30, 18 June 2025
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	[[Sjoerd Alkema]]. 2012. "Conductors of the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra, 1914-1965: a historical perspective". [[University of Cape Town]]. Unpublished PhD thesis.		[[Sjoerd Alkema]]. 2012. "Conductors of the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra, 1914-1965: a historical perspective". [[University of Cape Town]]. Unpublished PhD thesis.
		+
		+	[[Hilde Roos]]. 2010. 'Opera Production in the Western Cape: Strategies in Search of Indigenisation'. Unpublished PhD thesis. [[Stellenbosch University]].

	Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]		Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

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 ===As composer===
 In March 1929 Swanson conducted his musical comedy, ''[[Cheat the Calendar]]'', which he had completed in collaboration with [[Max Miller]], at the [[Opera House]].
 In 1971, Swanson entered his musical comedy, ''[[The Princess Who Wouldn’t]]'' for the Otto Bach competition and shared the first prize with [[Archie Wilson]].
-He wrote the music for a number of children's operettas including ''[[The Mill of Youth]]'' (with librettist [[Archibald J.A. Wilson‎‎]]) and ''[[Rip van Winkle]]'' (with librettist [[Jac J. Brits]]) in 1984.
+He wrote the music for a number of children's operettas including ''[[Die Beertjie met die Gelapte Broekie]]'', ''[[The Little Stock Exchange]]'', ''[[Once upon a Leap Year]]'', ''[[Rough Diamond]]'', ''[[Zoe's Dream]]'', ''[[The Mill of Youth]]'' (with librettist [[Archibald J.A. Wilson‎‎]]) and ''[[Rip van Winkle]]'' (with librettist [[Jac J. Brits]]) in 1984.
 He also wrote the music for ''[[Ali Baba]]'' and a Christmas cantata, ''[[Die Wyse van die Ooste]]''.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:22, 4 March 2024
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	In the 1960s he was involved as musical director and repetiteur in a number of [[UCT]] and [[CAPAB]] productions.		In the 1960s he was involved as musical director and repetiteur in a number of [[UCT]] and [[CAPAB]] productions.
		+
		+	Swanson died on 27 February 1985.

	==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==		==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:16, 4 March 2024
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	Swanson conducted about 200 performances for the [[Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society]], among them ''[[Trial by Jury]]'', ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore]]'' and ''[[The Mikado]]''.		Swanson conducted about 200 performances for the [[Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society]], among them ''[[Trial by Jury]]'', ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore]]'' and ''[[The Mikado]]''.
		+
		+	In 1964, Swanson toured the Cape Province with three one-act operas: Telemann’s ''[[Pimpinone]]'', Menotti’s ''[[The Telephone]]'', and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s ''[[Suzanna’s Secret]]''. In 1965, he did a tour of the Western Cape with Mozart’s ''[[Così fan tutte]]'' from 16 August to 24 September.

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:11, 4 March 2024
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	He was later Staff Conductor for the [[SABC]] for over ten years and his work as Musical Director includes variety shows, Opera and Symphony Concerts.		He was later Staff Conductor for the [[SABC]] for over ten years and his work as Musical Director includes variety shows, Opera and Symphony Concerts.
		+
		+	In the 1960s he was involved as musical director and repetiteur in a number of [[UCT]] and [[CAPAB]] productions.

	==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==		==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:04, 4 March 2024
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	Swanson was a versatile conductor, evident from the number of musicals, operas and ballets he conducted. Among the musicals were ''[[Gipsy Love]]'', ''[[Goodnight Vienna]]'', ''[[Bandroom no. 5]]'', ''[[Alan the Bold]]'', and ''[[The Willow Pattern Plate]]''; among the operas were ''[[La bohème]]'', ''[[Il trovatore]]'', ''[[Lucia di Lammermoor]]'' and ''[[Carmen]]''; and among the ballets were ''[[The Haunted Ballroom]]'', ''[[Giselle]]'', ''[[Swan Lake]]'', ''[[Les Sylphides]]'', and ''[[Bolero]]''.		Swanson was a versatile conductor, evident from the number of musicals, operas and ballets he conducted. Among the musicals were ''[[Gipsy Love]]'', ''[[Goodnight Vienna]]'', ''[[Bandroom no. 5]]'', ''[[Alan the Bold]]'', and ''[[The Willow Pattern Plate]]''; among the operas were ''[[La bohème]]'', ''[[Il trovatore]]'', ''[[Lucia di Lammermoor]]'' and ''[[Carmen]]''; and among the ballets were ''[[The Haunted Ballroom]]'', ''[[Giselle]]'', ''[[Swan Lake]]'', ''[[Les Sylphides]]'', and ''[[Bolero]]''.
−

	Swanson conducted about 200 performances for the [[Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society]], among them ''[[Trial by Jury]]'', ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore]]'' and ''[[The Mikado]]''.		Swanson conducted about 200 performances for the [[Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society]], among them ''[[Trial by Jury]]'', ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore]]'' and ''[[The Mikado]]''.