Grimson

Grimson refers to a British musical family rather than a contemporary commercial label or operating company. The family became active in London from the early 1870s, beginning with violinist and violist Samuel Dean Grimson and extending through all seven of his surviving children, each of whom pursued professional music after receiving early instruction from their father and studying at the Royal College of Music. The family’s activity encompassed orchestral playing, chamber music, solo performance, composition, teaching, conducting, organ playing and music publishing. Samuel Dean Grimson was an orchestral and chamber musician associated with the Holmes Quartet. He also wrote A First Book for the Violin, published in 1881. His household became notable for the unusual concentration of professional musicians among his children. In January 1896, Samuel and his seven surviving children performed Mendelssohn’s Octet at Queen’s Hall in London. The event developed into a short-running annual family concert, with later programmes including Gade’s Octet in 1897 and Svendsen’s Octet in 1898. These performances helped make the family a recognizable example of the late Victorian and Edwardian tradition of hereditary or household-based musical training. The family’s members developed distinct careers. Annie Maria Grimson, later Annie Wallis, worked as a pianist, violinist and composer, producing orchestral and chamber works including a Nocturne for violin and piano and a Canzona for the same combination. Amy Jane Grimson was a cellist and pianist who performed with a ladies’ orchestra and as a soloist. Jessie Grimson, later Jessie Mason, became one of the early women violinists to play in Henry Wood’s Queen’s Hall Orchestra. She also founded and led the Grimson Quartet, whose performances included the first performance of Frank Bridge’s Three Idylls in 1907, with Bridge himself playing second violin after leaving college. Other siblings extended the family’s reach into different parts of musical life. Ellen Elizabeth Grimson, sometimes known as Nellie Grimson, was a concert pianist. Samuel Bonarius Grimson performed as an orchestral and concert violinist, including with the London Symphony Orchestra, later publishing Modern Violin Playing with Cecil Forsyth before moving to the United States and developing a second career in colour cinema and television research. Robert Alfred Grimson worked as a cellist, violist and organist and taught at the Basle Conservatory. Harold Grimson, who performed professionally as Harold Bonarius, was a violin soloist and orchestra leader before being killed during the First World War. The family’s historical importance rests less on a unified commercial identity than on the breadth of its professional activity and its illustration of changing opportunities for musicians in Britain. Women in the family performed publicly, joined major orchestras, led ensembles, composed, taught and participated in the musical culture surrounding Conway Hall and the South Place Concerts. The family’s story also intersects with major institutions of British musical education and performance, including the Royal College of Music, Queen’s Hall, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Crystal Palace Concerts. By the later 20th century the family no longer functioned as an active musical collective, so Grimson is best treated as a historical musical-family subject rather than an active brand.

The Grimson family emerged as a significant musical household in London during the later 19th century. Its central figure was Samuel Dean Grimson, born in 1841, who worked as a violinist and violist in orchestral and chamber settings. He was associated with the Holmes Quartet and wrote A First Book for the Violin, issued in 1881. Samuel married Maria Mary Anne Bonarius, and from around 1890 the couple lived at Mount Park Road in Ealing. A portrait of Samuel with his violin, painted by Frank Brooks in 1914, is held by the Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain. Samuel and Maria had eight children, although one son, Dean, died in infancy. The seven surviving children were all trained initially by their father and subsequently studied at the Royal College of Music. Their shared professional identity became particularly visible on 21 January 1896, when Samuel and the seven children performed Mendelssohn’s Octet at Queen’s Hall. The concert was repeated in subsequent years, with Gade’s Octet presented in 1897 and Svendsen’s Octet in 1898. These programmes demonstrated both the family’s technical training and the public fascination with large musical households. Annie Maria Grimson, later Annie Wallis, studied piano and violin and received further instruction from Tobias Matthay. She composed orchestral and chamber works, including a symphony written during her youth, a Fidelité Waltz, a Nocturne for violin and piano and a Canzona for violin and piano. Her music was heard at the South Place Concerts at Conway Hall, and some of her chamber works were published. Amy Jane Grimson pursued a career as a cellist and pianist. She trained at the Royal College of Music from the age of fourteen, also studied with Matthay, performed with the Rev. E. H. Moberley’s Ladies’ Orchestra and appeared as a soloist. Jessie Grimson, later Jessie Mason, became one of the family’s most prominent performers. She won a Royal College of Music scholarship in 1889 and studied violin with August Wilhelmj, Henry Holmes and Richard Gompertz. Her solo debut took place at the Crystal Palace Concerts in 1896, where she played Spohr’s Violin Concerto in A minor. She was among the early women admitted to Henry Wood’s Queen’s Hall Orchestra. Jessie established and led the Grimson Quartet, an ensemble in which the other instrumentalists were men. Frank Bridge played second violin after leaving college, and the quartet gave the first performance of his Three Idylls in 1907. Jessie’s husband, cellist Edward Mason, also played with the quartet and was killed during the First World War. She retired from regular performance in 1927 but continued occasional appearances into the 1930s. She was also connected with Conway Hall and taught violinist Nona Liddell. Ellen Elizabeth Grimson, sometimes called Nellie Grimson, worked as a concert pianist and later married the orientalist John Woodroffe. Samuel Bonarius Grimson became an orchestral and concert violinist, performing with the London Symphony Orchestra and composing songs. His performing career ended after wartime injuries sustained in Italy. In 1920 he published Modern Violin Playing with Cecil Forsyth. He later moved to the United States, married the sculptor and author Malvina Hoffman and subsequently Bettina Warburg, and developed a research career in colour cinema and television. Robert Alfred Grimson trained at the Royal College of Music and later studied in Berlin. He worked as a cellist, violist and organist and taught at the Basle Conservatory before returning to Britain. Harold Grimson studied with Émile Sauret, Wilhelmj and Joseph Joachim. Using the professional name Harold Bonarius, he performed as a soloist and led the Torquay Orchestra. He enlisted during the First World War and was killed at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. The Grimson family belongs to a broader Victorian and Edwardian pattern of British and European musical dynasties. Its significance lies in the interaction of family teaching, conservatoire education, professional orchestral employment, chamber performance and public concert culture. The family’s collective activity diminished after the deaths, retirements and career changes of its members, and no current commercial organization appears to operate under the Grimson name.

• 1927

  Jessie Grimson retires from regular performance

  [1]Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org

  Jessie Grimson ended her regular performing career, although she continued to appear occasionally into the 1930s.

• 1920

  Modern Violin Playing is published

  [1]Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org

  Samuel Bonarius Grimson and Cecil Forsyth published Modern Violin Playing.

• 1907

  The Grimson Quartet premieres Frank Bridge’s Three Idylls

  [1]Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org

  The quartet led by Jessie Grimson presented the first performance of Bridge’s Three Idylls, with Bridge playing second violin.

• 1896

  Family performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet

  [1]Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org

  Samuel and his seven surviving children performed Mendelssohn’s Octet at Queen’s Hall, inaugurating a series of family concerts.

• 1896

  Jessie Grimson makes her solo debut

  [1]Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org

  Jessie performed Spohr’s Violin Concerto in A minor at the Crystal Palace Concerts.

• 1889

  Jessie Grimson wins a Royal College of Music scholarship

  [1]Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org

  Jessie Grimson began her advanced institutional training after winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music.

• 1881

  A First Book for the Violin is published

  [1]Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org

  Samuel Dean Grimson published an instructional violin book, documenting his role as both professional performer and teacher.

• 1870

  The next generation of Grimson musicians begins

  [1]Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org

  Annie Maria Grimson, the eldest surviving musical child of Samuel Dean Grimson, was born, marking the beginning of the generation that would make the family publicly prominent.

A historically notable British classical-music family associated with professional performance, musical education, chamber ensembles and composition in London and related international music circles.

• Instructional music publication · 1881

  A First Book for the Violin

  An instructional violin book written by Samuel Dean Grimson and published in 1881. It reflects the family’s emphasis on practical instrumental training and Samuel’s work as a teacher as well as a performer.

• Instructional music publication · 1920

  Modern Violin Playing

  A violin-playing manual published in 1920 by Samuel Bonarius Grimson in collaboration with Cecil Forsyth. The book represents the later generation’s contribution to written instrumental pedagogy.

• Chamber ensemble

  Grimson Quartet

  A string quartet formed and led by Jessie Grimson. The ensemble was notable for Jessie’s leadership as a woman violinist and for presenting the first performance of Frank Bridge’s Three Idylls in 1907.

• Classical concert series · 1896

  Grimson family octet concerts

  Public family performances featuring Samuel Dean Grimson and his seven surviving musical children. The documented repertoire included Mendelssohn’s Octet, Gade’s Octet and Svendsen’s Octet.

1. 1Grimson (musical family)en.wikipedia.org