Herbert Sullivan

Herbert (‘Bertie’) Thomas Sullivan (13 May 1868 – 26 November 1928) was the nephew, heir and biographer of the British composer Arthur Sullivan.

Biography

Herbert Sullivan was the third child and eldest son of Frederic and Charlotte Sullivan. When Frederic died aged 39 in 1877, his younger brother Arthur Sullivan made himself responsible for the support of Frederic’s widow and eight children. Charlotte emigrated to the USA in 1883 with all her children except Herbert, who remained in England under the care of his uncle. At the age of nine, Sullivan began boarding school in Brighton, England. [Ainger, p. 135]

Arthur Sullivan’s health was precarious, and when necessary Herbert accompanied his uncle to the South of France and other resorts. ["The Times", 8 April 1892, p. 9 ] Though never formally adopted, Herbert was in many respects Arthur Sullivan’s adopted son Richard Sherr: Journal of the American Musicological Society, Vol. 38, No. 3 (Autumn, 1985), pp. 637-43] and when Sir Arthur died in 1900, the German Emperor Wilhelm, an admirer of Sullivan’s works, sent Herbert a personal message of condolence. ["The Times", 27 November 1900, p. 11]

After Sir Arthur’s death, Herbert Sullivan inherited the bulk of his estate, including the composer’s diaries and many of his important musical manuscripts. Herbert Sullivan was prominent in "pro bono publico" activities, and in April 1915 he contributed the manuscript of "Utopia Limited" to a charity auction in aid of the Red Cross. ["The Times" 27 April 1915, p. 11] Herbert served as Warden of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1925 and as Master of the Company in 1926.

In 1927 Herbert Sullivan collaborated with Newman Flower on a biography of Arthur Sullivan, which, having exclusive access to the composer’s diaries, was regarded at the time as uniquely authoritative. Subsequently, when wider access to the diaries became possible, it was seen that Herbert had suppressed mention of his uncle’s gambling and womanising, and this evasion, combined with the lack of musical analysis in the biography, led to a lowering of its status in critical eyes.

Herbert Sullivan died suddenly in London in 1928, aged 60. His estate included many Sullivan manuscripts. His widow remarried, becoming Mrs Elena M. Bashford. She died in 1957, [Allen, p. xvii] and the manuscripts were sold at auction in 1966, some going to America and others remaining in England. ["The Times" 14 June 1966, p. 12] Several of the autograph scores were bought by the Gilbert and Sullivan scholar and collector Dr Terence Rees and others by dealers. [A list of the sales is found in the Gilbert and Sullivan Journal, v.9, no. 3, September 1966, p. 44]

Notes

References

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*cite book|last=Jacobs|first=Arthur|year=1992|title=Arthur Sullivan: A Victorian Musician|location=Portland, Oregon|publisher=Amadeus Press|edition=Second edition|isbn=0-931340-51-9
*cite book|last=Lawrence|first=Arthur|year=1899|title=Sir Arthur Sullivan: Life-Story, Letters, and Reminiscences|location=London|publisher=James Bowden
*cite book|last=Sullivan|first=Herbert|coauthors=Newman Flower|year=1927|title=Sir Arthur Sullivan: His Life, Letters & Diaries|publisher=Cassell & Company, Ltd|location=London