Haydn Wood

Haydn Wood (25 March 1882 to 11 March 1959) was a 20th century English composer and a respected violinist. He was a prolific composer of orchestral music, including 15 suites, 9 rhapsodies, 8 overtures, 3 concertante pieces and nearly 50 other assorted works, including 180 individual songs.

Wood was born in the Yorkshire town of Slaithwaite on March 25, 1882. At aged two his family moved to the Isle of Man, an island which was often a source of inspiration for the composer. At the age of 15, he went to study the violin with Enrique Fernandez Arbos and composition with Charles Villiers Stanford at the Royal College of Music.

From 1913 to 1926, he toured extensively with the soprano Dorothy Court and they married in 1909. From 1939, he served as a Director of the Performing Right Society.

On the occasion of his 70th birthday he was given the honour of a concert dedicated to his music by the BBC. He died in a London nursing home in March 1959, two weeks before his 77th birthday.