The music of Eric Ball (1903-1989) a complete catalogue, with a commentary on his life and work

Abstract

The main part of the thesis is a complete catalogue of the music of Eric Ball, published and unpublished. The catalogue is in four sections, as follows: A. Brass band (Sacred and secular)B. Vocal (Choral and solo)C Ensemble and solo instrumental D. Unpublished works Following the catalogue there are two indexes, one an alphabetical index of first lines and titles, the other an index of works according to type. There is a biography of Ball which endeavours to present the man behind the music, and to give an understanding of the output he gave to the music field in which he worked. The greatest influence upon his life was the Salvation Army, which gave him his roots in Christian living, also it was his training ground musically. The biography shows his contribution to the secular brass band movement, as a band-trainer, conductor, editor, adjudicator as well as his composition skills. The catalogue is preceded by Chapter 1 and gives an account of Ball's life which incorporates much newly- discovered information. Chapter 2 provides a survey of his music.