Eric Gilder


Eric Gilder was an English teacher, conductor, composer and pianist. He was best known as the principal of the Eric Gilder School of Music.

Education

Gilder was a pupil at Henry Thornton School in Clapham from 1926 until 1931, and composed the original school song. He initially studied mathematics and physics, but in 1936 he gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music where he studied under John Ireland, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Constant Lambert and Sir Malcolm Sargent. He continued there until interrupted by war service.

School of music

After World War II, Gilder worked variously as a pianist, conductor, broadcaster, and as principal of his own school of music. He began his career as a teacher at the Central School of Dance Music at 15 West Street in London. This was originally established in 1950 by jazz guitarist Ivor Mairants, primarily for jazz, big band and popular music players. Mairants handed the school over to Gilder in 1960 and it became the Eric Gilder School of Music. By then its address was 195 Wardour Street in Soho. Among the teaching staff at the school were Johnny Dankworth, Jack Brymer, Kenny Baker, Bert Weedon and Ike Isaacs, as well as Gilder himself.
Gilder is remembered with gratitude by the poet and musician Labi Siffre in his poem "education education education". Siffre studied at the Gilder school, as did Richard Wright of Pink Floyd, Junior Campbell, David Essex, Christine McVie, John Chilton and the 15 year-old Andrew Lloyd Webber. The school attracted notable expatriate musicians from Africa and the Caribbean including Chris Ajilo, Ebo Taylor,, Mulatu Astatke and Teddy Osei.

Conductor and composer

As a conductor, Gilder was an active choral director and arranger. In April 1951, he was appointed Musical Director of the 50-strong Ilford Girls' Choir and secured some high-profile bookings for them, including a live broadcast of Variety Bandbox on the BBC Light Programme, accompanying the young Julie Andrews. However, something went wrong and he resigned from the post in April 1952. He also arranged choral parts for Geraldo and his Orchestra and appeared at the Royal Festival Hall in London as a conductor and pianist.
As a composer, Gilder wrote orchestral, choral, theatre, and television music, pantomime music and lyrics, collaborating with the actor and writer John Crocker, as well as 200 songs and numerous solo piano pieces. Gilder also wrote plays, poetry, and fiction, and contributed to music periodicals.

Personal life

Gilder was married with two daughters, and lived in his later years at 21 Fieldend, Twickenham.

Selected works

Music

  • Seascape for piano and orchestra
  • The Tide for soprano, baritone, chorus, organ, and orchestra
  • Christmas Sounds for soli, chorus, and orchestra
  • A Busy Song: three-part song for soprano, mezzo, and alto with piano
  • Gavotte for piano
  • Hear Our Music, choir and piano
  • I Will Wait, song
  • Nursery Suite for orchestra
  • A Sea Suite for orchestra
  • La Contadina, soli and light orchestra
  • Three Gifts, soli and light orchestra
  • A Processional Overture
  • Sonata for Violin and Piano
  • Three Pastorals for orchestra
  • Danse Fantastique, piano duet
  • Many pantomime scores and lyrics in collaboration with John Crocker, still in use, including Aladdin, Puss in Boots and ''Red Riding Hood''

    Author

  • Troubled Waters
  • Mister Potter's Play
  • Dictionary of Composers and Their Music
  • The Back Stairs, short story