Edgar Leslie Bainton

Edgar Leslie Bainton (14 February 1880 – 8 December 1956) was a British-born, latterly Australian-resident composer.

Edgar Bainton was born in Hackney, London in 1880. He won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in 1896 and he was awarded the Tagore Medal. He was appointed Professor of pianoforte and composition at the Conservatiore of Music in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1901 and became principal in 1912. It sadly closed in 1938, four years after his subsequent immigration to Australia.

He was the conductor of the Newcastle Philharmonic Orchestera between 1911 and 1934. Whilst visiting Germany in 1914 he was caught by the outbreak of war and interned in Ruheben camp with other musicians. He was invalided to The Hague in 1918 before returning to Newcastle.

In 1934 Bainton was appointed Director at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music and within a few months had conducted the first concerts of the future Syndey Synphony Orchestra.When he retired the number of students at the NSW State Conservatorium had increased from 750 in 1934 to over 2000 in 1946. He died on 8th December 1956.

Edgar Bainton was a prolific composer of choral, symphonic and chamber works. Of Edgar Bainton's church music, And I saw Heaven, which was completed in June 1928, takes pride of place in keeping his music alive today. Sanderstead Singers have sung this piece by Edgar Bainton five times altogether, the last time being in August 2012 at York Minster.