Henry Russell (musician)

Henry Russell (24 December 1812 or 1813, Sheerness, Kent, UK – 8 December 1900, London) was an English pianist, baritone singer and composer, born into a distinguished Jewish family.

Biography

In an eventful life on both sides of the Atlantic, Russell wrote the songs "A Life on the Ocean Wave" and the tune to George Pope Morris's poem Woodman, Spare that Tree while living in United States from 1835 to 1841, before settling in London to produce musical extravaganzas until he retired in 1857. Many of his songs championed social causes like abolition, temperance, and reform of mental asylums.

Russell was a great-nephew of the British Chief Rabbi Solomon Hirschel. He began his career as a child singer in Elliston’s Children’s Opera company. While playing the organ at the Presbyterian church in Rochester, New York he discovered that sacred music, played quickly, "makes the best kind of secular music". Old Hundredth, played very fast, became the music for "Get Out of de Way, Ol' Dan Tucker".

In 1841, he returned to England and performed at the Hanover Square Rooms in London with instant success. Many of his songs were written to lyrics by Charles Mackay, including "There's a Good Time Coming", "Cheer, Boys, Cheer", and "To The West".

After retirement he lived partly in France, partly in England. His first wife was Christian; his second wife was Jewish and their family (including their sons, conductor Sir Landon......
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