George Herbert Fryer (1877-1957)

His last pupil, Richard Smith, remembers...

   I recall that it was a Sunday afternoon in the ballroom at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Southport, with chairs set out in rows and the piano on a small rostrum. I did not have a very good few of the pianist, but sufficient to notice that he was cool and collected; almost self-effacing. The Mozart Rondo in A minor, his first piece, was enough to establish that his technique was polished and authoritative. The pianist was Colin Horsley.

   At the end of the recital, I joined an orderly queue of people who wished to have a programme autographed. Patience rewarded, it came to be my turn to speak to Colin Horsley. "Who did you study with?", I asked. "Herbert Fryer", he replied. Nothing else was said. Nothing else needed to be said. I don't think I got an autograph, but I carried away with me the name, Herbert Fryer. Something told me it was more than passing importance.

   Time passed: I was on a scholarship to the Royal Manchester College of Music lasting four years studying with Gordon Green, and then came the day when I walked onto the platform in the main Hall to play for my performers diploma. At the other end are the hall was a small table, seated at which, were the three adjudicators, one being the usual invited external adjudicator. After playing, I walked the length of the hall to talk with my examiners, or to be more particular to the one seated in the center. A lingering handshake and a warm, welcoming smile. I was put immediately at ease. A humorous comment about one of my pieces and the interview was over. As I left the Hall, someone whispered to me, "You've just been examined by Herbert Fryer. " 

   Without hesitation, I asked Gordon Green to have words with Herbert Fryer and inquire if I could study with him. Mr. Fryer wrote to me, "I shall be very pleased to make room for you in my school". click here for full letter. Fate had been kind.

   Conduit Street in London is a rather inauspicious side street, close to Oxford Circus, off the majestic, Regent Street. At this time cars parked on both sides of Conduit Street and pedestrians were just as happy to walk on the road as on the pavement. As you turned off Regent Street, you could see the double frontage of Bluthner's piano store on the left. Adjacent to the store was an open doorway, and almost immediately, a rather steep, straight, rubber coated stairway leading up to Mr. Fryers' studio which was on the first floor.

   As I climbed the stairs, not without trepidation, I couldn't suppress the mental image of muffled drums, jeering crowds and the approaching view of  'Madame Guillotine'. A sharp turn, another flight of stairs and then straight ahead at the end of the short landing, a closed door, which opened as I approached it. There was the great man himself, hand outstretched; the upturned corner of his mouth that readily turned into a smile. "Come in, Richard", and in I went, into a spacious room with an open piano, across a frontage window, a writing bureau close to the wall on the left and one or two chairs and a small table strewn with papers. Little else. Hardly time to put aside my coat and we were ready to commence my first, two hour lesson. 

   "What have you brought for me?" he said, as I fumbled with my music case, supported by upturned knee "Beethoven, Opus 90 and Chopin's third ballade", I replied. "0h, good - you can bring be anything but Rawsthorne", he said. I didn't mention that Rawsthorne had been taught by my previous teacher, Gordon Green!

   "Come and try the piano",  said Mr. Fryer, waving his hand in the direction of the Bluthner, boudoir grand. I tried the piano. Mr. Fryer went to the chair a few paces away and assumed his usual posture, body forward, supported by one hand on each knee, his face a picture of concentration: we were both working from memory. There would be no interruption during the playing, after which followed a discussion about the general concept of the work, followed by detailed remarks about the main theme of the Ballade. This style was not dictatorial, but rather a discussion which had the result of helping to clarify my own thoughts. The dynamics of the piece would always have points, sometimes the pedaling. One felt that ones opinions were of value; you were never conscious of the fact that you were being taught by a professor of the Royal College, the Royal Academy and Julliard School in New York and that Mr. Fryer himself had been taught by the great, Ferruccio Busoni. You were conscious from the very outset of the first lesson that yourself self-confidence was paramount, and that here was a teacher who was always prepared to go that extra mile to help; one whose lifetime of music had served to make his love of piano music transparently obvious.

   My two-hour, fortnightly lesson (costing £20 - £100 in today's money) with Mr. Fryer had continued for about a year, when he asked me to give an exhibition recital for him at the Salle Erard, off Regent Street. This commitment by Mr. Fryer, extending study into performance, was invaluable. During three years of study with Herbert Fryer, several playings at the Salle Erard acclimatized me to an intimate and friendly audience, in an atmosphere, Chopin would have recognized and enjoyed.

   A typical postcard letter from Mr. Fryer (click here), shows that occasionally a 'party' atmosphere could prevail and the keynote was 'fun'. On one occasion, I shared a concert with international students from New Zealand and Australia. There would be other positive indications of confidence from tutor to student: Mr. Fryer took it upon himself to write to St. Martin-in-the-Fields on my behalf. This resulted in two midday recitals, and here would often be a follow-up, in the form of a chatty note and discussion. A copy of a postcard after I played at the Tchaikovsky B flat minor piano concerto in London, illustrates his bubbly enthusiasm. It was contagious. I recall that when I took the 'Tschai', as he called it for learning at short notice his comment was, "That piece begins in the wrong key!" He was, of course, correct, since those first luscious chords of the piano are in D flat major. Laughter was never far away.

   After three years of study, I was prepared by Mr. Fryer for my first, Wigmore Hall recital. Behind this was a growing apprehension about his health, I print another note, which shows him still buoyant.

   After the last lesson before the Wigmore Hall recital, we came down the stairs from his studio and out into the sunshine of Conduit Street. We stopped in the middle of the road and started to shake hands as he wished me good luck for the concert. For a moment, his eyes left mine and he seemed to be talking to himself. "I find that the things and I can help advanced pianists with most, are  the grading of long crescendos and diminuendos, and the fine setting of tempo". There was a pause - his attention came back to me, "I am going back into hospital next week. I will see you after the concert - good luck. Goodbye". I walked  up the road to Regent Street and turned around. He was still standing where I'd left him. He raised a hand, waved and smiled. I would never see him again.

  Herbert Fryer had endowed a bed for the Musicians Benevolent Fund. The proceeds of my Wigmore Hall recital were given in aid of that fund. I realized that I was the last pupil prepared by him, for a Wigmore Hall debut and the last person to be given a lesson by him; a distinction which saddens me. I prefer to carry in my memory the words he wrote to me before a concert:

  "I wish you courage and inspiration. Play to please yourself and you will please others."      

A biography

Herbert Fryer c.1896

   Herbert Fryer was the only son of three children, born to Clara and George Henry Fryer in Hampstead, London, 21 May,1877.

   Herbert was initially educated at Merchant Taylor’s School. Finding that music was his ‘calling’, he began serious musical studies at the Royal Academy of Music, then progressing to the Royal College of Music (where in later life a would become Professor of Piano, retiring from this post in 1947). He studied with the great Italian pianist and composer/conductor, Ferruccio Busoni.  Performing, composing, festival adjudicating and examining were all 

a major part of his life.

   In 1915 he visited the United States, and for a brief period held a professorship at the Institute of Musical Art in New York City .
   From the age of 21 his international performing career took him all over Europe, Canada, the United States (one performance was for the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society, Friday 6 May, 1949 ), Australia, South Africa and the Indian sub-continent. Recordings were made both

in 78rpm (Chopin’s Nouvelle Etudes & Prelude,Op.28 and The Prophet Bird by Schumann ) and numerous in piano roll format. Mr. Fryer was given an entry in the ‘Who’s Who in Music’ Book, 1949. He continued teaching pianoforte above Bluthner's piano showroom until his sudden death on 7^th February, 1957. A memorial service was held at the Church of St. Sepulchre, Holborn Viaduct, London on Tuesday, March 12^th at 12.15pm .

Piano compositions known include:

Songs:

Various arrangements of Bach and traditional Irish and English tunes.

Virgin’s Cradle Hymn setting

Virgin's Cradle Hymn setting now available on CD/Album: 

Recording Title: Noel pianissimo
Label Name: ANALEKTA
Spine: AN 2 9818
Duo-pianists Guy Campion and Mario Vachon offer a fun take on Christmas music in Noel Pianissimo, a disc containing 25 Christmas favorites lavishly arranged for two keyboards.

                                                                                                                                                                           Added 10/05/05

Piano Rolls

For a list of known Piano Rolls by Herbert Fryer discovered by myself click here

Publications

Please contact us if you have any further information which we may add to this biography and database.

Find out more about Richard Smith here

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