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From the end of the First World War until the late 1940s, Irving became a permanent fixture of the London theatre scene, conducting, directing and often composing the music for operettas, musical plays and serious drama at most of the London theatres. A notable early success was the
British version
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in 1895. He then spent the next two decades learning his trade by touring with productions (of variable quality) all around the UK - in his own words conducting "third rate opera and second-rate musical comedy". The tours included some organised by the theatre manager
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At the age of 20, Ernest Irving married Bertha Newall of
Blackpool at Fylde register office on 11 May 1898. There were two children, but the marriage ended in divorce. He married his second wife Muriel Heath (1898-1983), a contralto who had sung in
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In the early 1930s Basil Dean appointed Irving music director at the newly opened Ealing Film
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down to 15 players for touring purposes. German liked his work, and asked him to do the same again the following year for
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for a relatively successful run after some extensive re-writing. The production used original music by the young
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between 1928 and 1932. On 22 March 1931 he was on the train from Euston which derailed at
Linslade (near
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371:) Irving also brought in some of the best known composers of the day to provide music - including
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1426:"Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)– Paul Bunyan Overture, Piano Concerto, Johnson Over Jordan (Suite)"
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in 1938 with the
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22:(6 November 1878 – 24 October 1953) was an English music director, conductor and
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in 1920. He was a great admirer of O'Neill's work, and once compared a performance of
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was musical director for some performances). The following year he conducted
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without his music to "a dance by a fairy with a wooden leg."
510:). He died at his home (4 The Lawn, Ealing Green), aged 74.
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German
Operetta on Broadway and in the West End, 1900–1940
229:(1944), the latter with music for the dance interludes by
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46:, Surrey, and from the age of seven sang in the choir at
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on 22 December 1922 and ran for 626 performances. (
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904:(Herbert Farjeon and Eleanor Farjeon) (1936,
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914:(music by Wainwright Morgan) (1937, Adelphi)
1314:The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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287:Entertainments National Service Association
1446:Listening to Britten – Johnson Over Jordan
1435:, Naxos Records, accessed 12 January 2014
236:Irving was also the musical director of
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95:His big break came in 1917 when he met
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679:The Marvellous History of St Bernard
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351:. But like his younger counterparts
269:Irving conducted two Mozart operas (
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283:Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
16:British composer and conductor
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34:from the 1930s to the 1950s.
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1310:'Irving, (Kelville) Ernest'
313:. Irving often worked with
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1516:'Ernest Irving: 1878-1953'
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492:Royal Philharmonic Society
439:The Loves of Joanna Godden
240:'s then experimental play
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162:) with music restored by
76:. In 1907 he worked with
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1431:23 January 2014 at the
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1120:Keep Your Seats, Please
1072:Love, Life and Laughter
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855:) (1932, Her Majesty's)
536:The Catch of the Season
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480:Illustrated London News
48:Godalming Parish Church
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657:Hamlet in Modern Dress
496:Royal Academy of Music
462:Scott of the Antarctic
460:(including music from
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401:Ralph Vaughan Williams
272:The Marriage of Figaro
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338:Turned Out Nice Again
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107:and treasurer of the
30:as music director at
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1272:The Great Mr. Handel
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1096:It Happened in Paris
968:Selected filmography
291:International Ballet
213:(1936), a comedy by
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1248:Return to Yesterday
937:Johnson Over Jordan
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843:(1932, Shaftesbury)
760:The Circle of Chalk
627:The Way of an Eagle
365:London Film Studios
243:Johnson Over Jordan
52:Charterhouse School
42:Irving was born in
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389:John Ireland
373:John Addison
346:
336:
330:
324:
309:), and 1948
276:
270:
268:
241:
235:
226:
225:(1939), and
222:
210:
196:
192:
174:
168:
157:
153:
132:
128:
118:
112:
94:
87:
81:
64:
55:
41:
19:
18:
1579:1953 deaths
1574:1878 births
1402:Radio Times
1388:Radio Times
1056:Lorna Doone
960:Westminster
948:St James's'
906:Ambassadors
853:Anny Ahlers
848:The Dubarry
793:Tilly Losch
769:New Theatre
683:Henri Ghéon
587:Ambassadors
448:(1948) and
430:(1943) and
248:New Theatre
189:Cole Porter
181:Noël Coward
156:(sequel to
140:adapted by
101:Savage Club
1568:Categories
1325:Obituary,
1289:References
1264:Saloon Bar
833:Drury Lane
809:Hippodrome
781:Piccadilly
733:Basil Dean
728:Beau Geste
721:Shaftebury
673:New Oxford
659:(director
604:Lilac Time
581:(music by
525:Haydn Wood
523:(music by
475:Lilac Time
341:(starring
329:including
252:Basil Dean
133:Lilac Time
69:Maidenhead
38:Early life
28:film music
1327:The Times
1176:I See Ice
1064:Java Head
877:Cambridge
831:) (1931,
795:) (1929,
767:) (1929,
709:Haymarket
695:) (1926,
689:Riki-Tiki
585:) (1922,
571:) (1920,
555:) (1918,
527:) (1917,
504:The 'Orse
301:), 1946 (
281:) at the
254:and with
119:Mary Rose
114:Mary Rose
83:Tom Jones
62:burlesque
57:The Stage
44:Godalming
1499:Archived
1429:Archived
1160:Keep Fit
1080:No Limit
891:Henry IV
884:Alhambra
651:Kingsway
442:(1947),
305:) 1947 (
303:Coliseum
138:Schubert
24:composer
958:(1945,
922:Herbert
875:(1933,
865:Queen's
863:(1932,
807:(1930,
779:(1929,
751:(1928,
719:(1927,
707:(1926,
671:(1925,
649:(1923,
631:Adelphi
619:(1922,
607:(1922,
597:Garrick
595:(1922,
573:Aldwych
564:Macbeth
541:Princes
539:(1917,
307:Adelphi
299:Princes
99:at the
1505:(2021)
1349:(1959)
1316:(2004)
1283:(1949)
1275:(1942)
1267:(1940)
1259:(1940)
1256:Convoy
1251:(1940)
1243:(1939)
1235:(1939)
1227:(1939)
1219:(1939)
1211:(1939)
1203:(1938)
1195:(1938)
1187:(1938)
1179:(1938)
1171:(1937)
1163:(1937)
1155:(1937)
1147:(1936)
1139:(1936)
1131:(1936)
1123:(1936)
1115:(1935)
1107:(1935)
1099:(1935)
1091:(1935)
1083:(1935)
1075:(1934)
1067:(1934)
1059:(1934)
1051:(1934)
1043:(1934)
1035:(1932)
1027:(1932)
1019:(1932)
1011:(1932)
1003:(1932)
995:(1931)
987:(1930)
979:(1930)
976:Escape
894:(with
851:(with
827:(with
791:(with
763:(with
697:Gaiety
668:Kismet
621:Lyceum
557:Empire
529:Palace
357:Denham
345:) and
930:Savoy
735:with
646:Polly
609:Lyric
154:Polly
1551:IMDb
924:and
593:Dédé
403:and
359:and
297:and
275:and
201:for
1549:at
1518:in
1312:in
363:at
355:at
191:'s
179:by
130:of
1570::
1334:^
1297:^
399:,
395:,
391:,
387:,
383:,
379:,
375:,
335:,
317:.
233:.
92:.
962:)
950:)
932:)
920:(
908:)
886:)
879:)
867:)
835:)
811:)
799:)
783:)
771:)
755:)
743:)
723:)
711:)
699:)
691:(
681:(
675:)
653:)
633:)
623:)
611:)
599:)
589:)
575:)
559:)
551:(
543:)
531:)
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