Albert Mallinson was a British organist and composer who wrote 400 songs, a cantata, some chamber and orchestral pieces and church music but whose work is largely forgotten today.
Early life
James Albert Mallinson was born in Leeds in Yorkshire in 1870 to Harriet Ann née Thompson and James Mallinson, a cloth dresser and milliner. He commenced his musical career as an organist, being at the age of 17 simultaneously organist to the late Hon. Mrs. Emily Meynell-Ingram at Temple Newsam, organist and choirmaster at St. Chad's Church in Leeds, and deputy organist at Leeds Parish Church. Prior to this he had studied under Dr. Creser, late organist of the Chapel Royal, St. James's. At the age of 18 he had produced at concerts given by himself at Leeds, a quartet for piano and strings, and a trio for piano and strings. In consequence of ill-health he was compelled to seek a warmer climate, and for some years from 1891 resided in Australia, where he devoted himself to composition, with occasional concerts and teaching.
Musical career
He held various appointments as organist in Melbourne and while in Australia his dramatic workTegner's Drapa based on the work by Longfellow, for solo-voice, chorus and orchestra, was performed by the Melbourne Liedertafel and the Sydney Philharmonic, and his ballad for male chorus, 'The Battle of the Baltic' by the Royal Metropolitan Liedertafel. While touring in New Zealand he met the sopranoAnna Sophie Balmson Steinhauer, a widow and celebrated Danish lieder singer whom he married in 1894 and returning to Europe toured Denmark and Germany with her, giving song-recitals. The couple also later made several tours in Australia, South Africa and Scandinavia. The two regularly appeared on the concert platform together when he would accompany his wife in concerts dedicated in part or entirely to his compositions. In February 1900 the sopranoOlive Rae gave a recital at the Steinway Hall in which she sang three songs by Mallinson. On 22 November 1901 Steinhauer and Mallinson gave the first of several concerts at the Bechstein Hall to feature a selection of Mallinson's works in addition to little heard works from the Scandinavian composers Peter Heise and Fritz Arlberg. He composed over 400 songs. A Freemason, in 1904 he was initiated into the Lodge of Honour and Friendship No. 1266 in Blandford in Dorset, where he was then living. In 1904 he and his wife performed some of his songs before Queen Alexandra at Buckingham Palace, and in 1905 he gave recitals of his own compositions at Dresden. In 1906 he gave a series of seven recitals at the Bechstein Hall in London, the programmes of which were exclusively devoted to songs of his own composition, sung by his wife and Ada Crossley. From 1898 to 1903 Mallinson held the post of private organist to Viscount Portman. A series of organ recitals given by him, on the beautiful Cavaille-Col organ in Jesus Church, Copenhagen, aroused exceptional interest among musicians in that city. From 1904 he resided at Dresden, where he acted as organist at the English Church. He was an admirable accompanist, and visited London every year to give a series of song-recitals together with his wife, which were among the principal events of the musical season. His pieces 'Four by the Clock' and 'We Sway Along the Ridges' were played at the Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in 1910. In his latter years James Albert Mallinson lived at Elsinore in Denmark and here he died in 1946. In his will he left £10,658 9s 4d to his widow. A recording of his 'New Year Song' sung by the contralto Ada Crossley accompanied by Christopher H. H. Booth on the piano was released on the albumFrom Melba to Sutherland: Australian Singers on Record released by Decca in 2016.
