Felix Burns (1864 - 1920)
Felix Joseph Burns was born in Perth on 5th March, 1864. He showed a remarkable musical talent from an early age, progressing from the tin whistle and mouth organ to the piano. He became a fine organist and, joining the local band, mastered a variety of brass and woodwind instruments. From an early age he showed a flair for original composition.
According to Leo Burns, Felix’s youngest son (now 97 years of age and living in Coventry), his father ran away from home at the age of 16 in 1880 and joined the ‘Moore and Burgess Travelling Minstrel Show’. As well as his instrumental skills he had a lifelong love of the theatre and showmanship as reflected in many of the titles of his tunes.
From there he moved on to be a pianist with a traveling ‘Diarama’ Show and it was during this time that he met and married Catherine Burns, his first cousin, from Motherwell (Lanarkshire). During a long and happy marriage they had thirteen children, nine of whom survived into adulthood. They were - sons Frederick, Douglas, Felix Jnr and Leo and daughters Catherine, Winifred, Susan, Leona and Doris.
In 1885 Felix, Catherine and their first two children arrived in the ‘Border City’ of Carlisle with the Diarama Show. Unfortunately the Manager of the Show absconded with the money, a not uncommon occurrence in those days, leaving the Burns family and the rest of the crew stranded.
Felix however, expressed his belief that they would be all right in Carlisle since he liked the look of the place. From his introduction to the Border City at the famous ‘Matchbox Music Hall’ he quickly established himself as a music teacher and working musician. His teaching studio above the Market Arcade in Carlisle contained two grand pianos and a concert harp.
While trying a piano in a local music shop one day he was asked by the manager about the tune he was playing. Replying that it was one of his own compositions the manager asked for a copy and sent it to a publisher in London who accepted it for publication.
This was to be the start of another very successful side of Felix’s career. He published a total of 16 ‘Popular Dance Albums’ (the last three were published after his death by Felix Jnr) which sold at 2 shilling each, in addition to a great many piano solos. Just for the record the Dance Albums were entitled Royal (1905), Imperial (1908), Great Britain (1910), Flag of Empire (1911), Vaudeville (1914), Vanity Fair (1915), London Town (1915), Merry Makers (1917), Gaiety (1918), Old Drury (1919), Black and White (1920), Tower of London (1921), Dickens (1922) and lastly Frivolity (1923). Collectively they contain no less than 120 compositions, an impressive collection in itself. His own personal favourite was a Barn Dance tune entitled ‘Woodland Flowers’.
Many of the titles therein reflect the period during which Felix lived, with the British Empire becoming the mightiest the world had ever see during his lifetime but seeing the sun set on it during the Great War of 1914-18. ‘Pageant to Empire’, ‘Queen Mary Waltz’, ‘Somewhere in France’ and ‘Over the Top’ to name but a few. His piano solos were published under several nom-de-plumes, a custom of the time – Leona Lacoste, Claud Roslind and Leon Fabrina.
Despite the fact that he was not blessed with the best of health he was able to cram an amazing amount of musical activities and achievements into his short working life. It is impossible to calculate the total number of his compositions as there were at least twenty-two known Publishing Houses turning out his music under his real name as well as his nom-de-plumes.
He had several part time activities as a musician also. He was the Bandmaster of the 4th Battalion Border Regiment (Volunteers). He was also organist and choirmaster of St Mary’s and St Joseph’s Church in Carlisle and he provided piano accompaniment at the Winter Concerts organized by the Town Council. He was engaged to organize and play at dances in fashionable houses throughout Cumbria and to accompany celebrated performers of the day when they visited Carlisle to give concerts.
Felix would take pride in giving one of his latest compositions its premier at one of the Carlisle Winter Concerts. He is remembered with much affection in his chosen ‘home town’ as a man who was proud of the Border City and contributed to its quality of life and its future. He was always eager to volunteer his services to assist any charitable cause or simply to help or give a little pleasure to those in need.
During, and following, the First World War there were many who needed all sorts of support and to have their spirits lifted. Felix knew that he was fortunate to be blessed with rare talents and that he should use them for the benefit of his fellow man and this he did on countless occasions. He was very well aware of the beneficial and therapeutic effects that music can impart.
In person Felix Burns was a pleasant, quietly spoken and earnest man. Despite his relaxed ways he was a man of great warmth and kindness and very great personality. He was a popular and good natured public figure and, in private, a loving father and dedicated family man who had attained his own success and brought up a highly talented family by his endeavours.
In later life Felix suffered from prolonged ill health (he was probably diabetic) but never complained. He died very suddenly on 19th January, 1920 at the age of 55. He had given 4 music lessons that day and still had 79 pupils on his register. Catherine, his wife, outlived him by 19 years and died in 1939.
To conclude, from impressions gained from my researches and from speaking with Leo, I should say that Felix Burns knew that it was not given to everyone to be a virtuoso but that everyone can enjoy music. He hoped that everyone who is blessed with the ability to play will try to appreciate music in all its forms and work to improve their skills for the betterment of their own enjoyment and satisfaction as well as the appreciation of those who listen to the music they pay.
As Scottish Dance Band musicians we are indeed lucky to benefit from so many fine tunes, bearing in mind that they were originally composed for a completely different musical idiom. The tunes in this book have also faced and passed the ultimate test – the test of time, which sees them in everyday usage a century after their composition. I hope that everyone, especially our younger musicians, enjoy the tunes that follow. I have no doubt that will be the case, just as I have no doubt that Felix would have been delighted with this publication.
Tom Cowing, Hexham
July 2003
LEO BURNS REMEMBERS
I am delighted that musicians from the land of his birth have honoured my father by re-issuing some of their favourites from his many compositions in ‘The Border City Collection’.
Being the youngest of the family I spent a great deal of time with my father and as a boy I used to sit with him at his piano while he composed the music for some of the later Dance Music Albums – in fact some of the very pieces which appear in this collection. On Sundays I sat beside him on the organ bench while he played and directed the choir at our church. I am afraid I sometimes used to fidget and upset the organ stops and he would have to say to me “what are you doing Leo?” As soon as he thought I was old enough he took me with him to gain experience playing in his orchestra at a wide variety of concerts and dance engagements in Carlisle and the Borders. This proved to be excellent training and set me on course for my career as a professional musician, my first job being as a violinist in the orchestra of the Palace Theatre in Carlisle.
I remember how I marveled at my father’s ability to play and note down melodies out of thin air. I am sure, of necessity, he quickly developed this skill to a fine art early in his career as a pianist with many traveling shows which toured the country in the late 1800s.
If the show was a small one then the pianist was if fact the orchestra and he had to play for the whole of the performance, not only the set numbers but he had to fill-in and improvise music instantly as the occasion or whatever theatrical emergency demanded. He had also to be able to repair and tune up the pianos and get them in working order ready for the performance.
His touring days started when he was only 14. By this time he was a very accomplished musician and he wanted to be off with the touring shows, using his skills and looking for a bit of adventure and, of course, this is exactly what he achieved and what id more important and is often forgotten today, the very important art of showmanship.
Theatrical life in those days could be very precarious and in many cases extremely dangerous. If your show hit hard times or followed too closely after a big popular show your takings, which formed your livelihood, could be very small.
There was also the ever present risk of fire which claimed many lives, many fine shows and many theatres remembering that those were the days of oil lamps, gas jets and lime spotlights (the origin of our present day saying about ‘being in the limelight’) which burned a horrifyingly dangerous and explosive mixtures of gasses.
My father’s last touring show, which was to bring him to the Border City, was a ‘Diarama’. This was in fact a progression of scenery which was painted on an enormous strip of canvas – like a roller blind standing on end. The canvas was stretched across the stage and slowly unrolled from left to right and the audience would view a moving scene, for example a boat trip through the canals of Venice or a depiction of the progress of the Great Fire of London. As one can imagine this was helped by off-stage sound effects but the entire show depended on the performance of the pianist. A very much harder job than that of a silent cinema pianist as there was no on-screen action to distract the audience. However as the Diarama was hand painted by wonderful artistes there was certainly plenty of colour.
It is a matter of record that my father had so many musical activities and duties – composing, teaching, as military bandmaster of the Volunteer’s Band, arranging concerts, church duties, musical entertainments for all Society occasions and Royal visits to the city, the list goes on – very much the all-round professional who could be relied upon to deliver the goods whatever was required of him. Sometimes a new composition in honour of the event. Music, in fact, did take up all of his time and his only pastime, or hobby as we would call it today, was a little fishing in the River Eden. We must remember that one of the reasons he worked so hard was that when he was established and successful he had to support his large family and he had to capitalise on his abilities in order to do this. These were the so-called ‘good old days’ long before Family Allowance, Social Security or even the ‘Lloyd George’ (the Old Age Pension).
He was always eager to volunteer his services in support of any charitable cause. He knew only too well what it was to be short of money when it was up to him to provide for his family and from his traveling days how easily your good fortune can seem to desert you.
He trusted and relied upon the integrity of his pupils and the bodies which engaged his professional services to actually pay him for his work and I am sorry to say that sometimes he was disappointed and would quietly tell us “it’s Wakefield”. I don’t know where the expression came from, perhaps it is like ‘treasury’ which is an expression we used in the theatre for when we received our pay. However we all understood that ‘Wakefield’ meant no money today. I think most musicians have suffered a ‘Wakefield’ experience.
Ours was a big and happy family and our home above the Market Arcade in Scotch Street was always very busy, not only with the daily life of the family, but as my father had his teaching studio there, his pupils were coming and going all the time.
His studio contained two full size grand pianos and a concert harp and I can remember many occasions when notable opera singers of the day came to rehearse their solos. Sometimes these were for presentation at the Carlisle Winter Concerts where my father was resident accompanist and musical director. I remember that he would often give his latest piano solo pieces their premier at these concerts.
Speaking of singers who rehearsed with my father, some of these were coloratura sopranos, usually pretty big ladies and naturally as a boy I enjoyed great amusement watching them in full sail striving to reach their top notes.
The only thing I can remember which caused my father irritation was when the Italian Café across the street acquired a mechanical piano. When customers placed a penny in the slot it would let rip with the popular tunes of the day played very fast at double forte and very often out of tune. As my father’s studio overlooked the café he was in direct line of fire and used to say “just listen to that awful thing”.
When he used to take me out into the town with him it was always slow progress as so many people came up to greet him, and everybody seemed to smile when they met Mr Burns and in turn he always had time for everyone from Dr Wadely, the distinguished cathedral organist, to his beloved ordinary working people.
Music is the only truly universal language and is the surest way to touch the heart. As his son I speak for him and every musician when I say thank you for your appreciation of our music, we strive to give you enjoyment of one of the greatest gifts given to man, and to the student study with a good master and do your very best and God will smile on you.
I was born in 1906 and I was an orchestra leader for most of my working life. I was a member of a wonderful family, I had a very happy childhood with many happy memories of my time in Carlisle but for this tribute I treasure memories of my father, Felix Burns, a man of great personality, good nature and humour and above all a kind and loving father.
Leo Burns
Coventry
November 2003
P.S. Leo burns died on Monday, 3rd October 2005 aged 99 years.
According to Leo Burns, Felix’s youngest son (now 97 years of age and living in Coventry), his father ran away from home at the age of 16 in 1880 and joined the ‘Moore and Burgess Travelling Minstrel Show’. As well as his instrumental skills he had a lifelong love of the theatre and showmanship as reflected in many of the titles of his tunes.
From there he moved on to be a pianist with a traveling ‘Diarama’ Show and it was during this time that he met and married Catherine Burns, his first cousin, from Motherwell (Lanarkshire). During a long and happy marriage they had thirteen children, nine of whom survived into adulthood. They were - sons Frederick, Douglas, Felix Jnr and Leo and daughters Catherine, Winifred, Susan, Leona and Doris.
In 1885 Felix, Catherine and their first two children arrived in the ‘Border City’ of Carlisle with the Diarama Show. Unfortunately the Manager of the Show absconded with the money, a not uncommon occurrence in those days, leaving the Burns family and the rest of the crew stranded.
Felix however, expressed his belief that they would be all right in Carlisle since he liked the look of the place. From his introduction to the Border City at the famous ‘Matchbox Music Hall’ he quickly established himself as a music teacher and working musician. His teaching studio above the Market Arcade in Carlisle contained two grand pianos and a concert harp.
While trying a piano in a local music shop one day he was asked by the manager about the tune he was playing. Replying that it was one of his own compositions the manager asked for a copy and sent it to a publisher in London who accepted it for publication.
This was to be the start of another very successful side of Felix’s career. He published a total of 16 ‘Popular Dance Albums’ (the last three were published after his death by Felix Jnr) which sold at 2 shilling each, in addition to a great many piano solos. Just for the record the Dance Albums were entitled Royal (1905), Imperial (1908), Great Britain (1910), Flag of Empire (1911), Vaudeville (1914), Vanity Fair (1915), London Town (1915), Merry Makers (1917), Gaiety (1918), Old Drury (1919), Black and White (1920), Tower of London (1921), Dickens (1922) and lastly Frivolity (1923). Collectively they contain no less than 120 compositions, an impressive collection in itself. His own personal favourite was a Barn Dance tune entitled ‘Woodland Flowers’.
Many of the titles therein reflect the period during which Felix lived, with the British Empire becoming the mightiest the world had ever see during his lifetime but seeing the sun set on it during the Great War of 1914-18. ‘Pageant to Empire’, ‘Queen Mary Waltz’, ‘Somewhere in France’ and ‘Over the Top’ to name but a few. His piano solos were published under several nom-de-plumes, a custom of the time – Leona Lacoste, Claud Roslind and Leon Fabrina.
Despite the fact that he was not blessed with the best of health he was able to cram an amazing amount of musical activities and achievements into his short working life. It is impossible to calculate the total number of his compositions as there were at least twenty-two known Publishing Houses turning out his music under his real name as well as his nom-de-plumes.
He had several part time activities as a musician also. He was the Bandmaster of the 4th Battalion Border Regiment (Volunteers). He was also organist and choirmaster of St Mary’s and St Joseph’s Church in Carlisle and he provided piano accompaniment at the Winter Concerts organized by the Town Council. He was engaged to organize and play at dances in fashionable houses throughout Cumbria and to accompany celebrated performers of the day when they visited Carlisle to give concerts.
Felix would take pride in giving one of his latest compositions its premier at one of the Carlisle Winter Concerts. He is remembered with much affection in his chosen ‘home town’ as a man who was proud of the Border City and contributed to its quality of life and its future. He was always eager to volunteer his services to assist any charitable cause or simply to help or give a little pleasure to those in need.
During, and following, the First World War there were many who needed all sorts of support and to have their spirits lifted. Felix knew that he was fortunate to be blessed with rare talents and that he should use them for the benefit of his fellow man and this he did on countless occasions. He was very well aware of the beneficial and therapeutic effects that music can impart.
In person Felix Burns was a pleasant, quietly spoken and earnest man. Despite his relaxed ways he was a man of great warmth and kindness and very great personality. He was a popular and good natured public figure and, in private, a loving father and dedicated family man who had attained his own success and brought up a highly talented family by his endeavours.
In later life Felix suffered from prolonged ill health (he was probably diabetic) but never complained. He died very suddenly on 19th January, 1920 at the age of 55. He had given 4 music lessons that day and still had 79 pupils on his register. Catherine, his wife, outlived him by 19 years and died in 1939.
To conclude, from impressions gained from my researches and from speaking with Leo, I should say that Felix Burns knew that it was not given to everyone to be a virtuoso but that everyone can enjoy music. He hoped that everyone who is blessed with the ability to play will try to appreciate music in all its forms and work to improve their skills for the betterment of their own enjoyment and satisfaction as well as the appreciation of those who listen to the music they pay.
As Scottish Dance Band musicians we are indeed lucky to benefit from so many fine tunes, bearing in mind that they were originally composed for a completely different musical idiom. The tunes in this book have also faced and passed the ultimate test – the test of time, which sees them in everyday usage a century after their composition. I hope that everyone, especially our younger musicians, enjoy the tunes that follow. I have no doubt that will be the case, just as I have no doubt that Felix would have been delighted with this publication.
Tom Cowing, Hexham
July 2003
LEO BURNS REMEMBERS
I am delighted that musicians from the land of his birth have honoured my father by re-issuing some of their favourites from his many compositions in ‘The Border City Collection’.
Being the youngest of the family I spent a great deal of time with my father and as a boy I used to sit with him at his piano while he composed the music for some of the later Dance Music Albums – in fact some of the very pieces which appear in this collection. On Sundays I sat beside him on the organ bench while he played and directed the choir at our church. I am afraid I sometimes used to fidget and upset the organ stops and he would have to say to me “what are you doing Leo?” As soon as he thought I was old enough he took me with him to gain experience playing in his orchestra at a wide variety of concerts and dance engagements in Carlisle and the Borders. This proved to be excellent training and set me on course for my career as a professional musician, my first job being as a violinist in the orchestra of the Palace Theatre in Carlisle.
I remember how I marveled at my father’s ability to play and note down melodies out of thin air. I am sure, of necessity, he quickly developed this skill to a fine art early in his career as a pianist with many traveling shows which toured the country in the late 1800s.
If the show was a small one then the pianist was if fact the orchestra and he had to play for the whole of the performance, not only the set numbers but he had to fill-in and improvise music instantly as the occasion or whatever theatrical emergency demanded. He had also to be able to repair and tune up the pianos and get them in working order ready for the performance.
His touring days started when he was only 14. By this time he was a very accomplished musician and he wanted to be off with the touring shows, using his skills and looking for a bit of adventure and, of course, this is exactly what he achieved and what id more important and is often forgotten today, the very important art of showmanship.
Theatrical life in those days could be very precarious and in many cases extremely dangerous. If your show hit hard times or followed too closely after a big popular show your takings, which formed your livelihood, could be very small.
There was also the ever present risk of fire which claimed many lives, many fine shows and many theatres remembering that those were the days of oil lamps, gas jets and lime spotlights (the origin of our present day saying about ‘being in the limelight’) which burned a horrifyingly dangerous and explosive mixtures of gasses.
My father’s last touring show, which was to bring him to the Border City, was a ‘Diarama’. This was in fact a progression of scenery which was painted on an enormous strip of canvas – like a roller blind standing on end. The canvas was stretched across the stage and slowly unrolled from left to right and the audience would view a moving scene, for example a boat trip through the canals of Venice or a depiction of the progress of the Great Fire of London. As one can imagine this was helped by off-stage sound effects but the entire show depended on the performance of the pianist. A very much harder job than that of a silent cinema pianist as there was no on-screen action to distract the audience. However as the Diarama was hand painted by wonderful artistes there was certainly plenty of colour.
It is a matter of record that my father had so many musical activities and duties – composing, teaching, as military bandmaster of the Volunteer’s Band, arranging concerts, church duties, musical entertainments for all Society occasions and Royal visits to the city, the list goes on – very much the all-round professional who could be relied upon to deliver the goods whatever was required of him. Sometimes a new composition in honour of the event. Music, in fact, did take up all of his time and his only pastime, or hobby as we would call it today, was a little fishing in the River Eden. We must remember that one of the reasons he worked so hard was that when he was established and successful he had to support his large family and he had to capitalise on his abilities in order to do this. These were the so-called ‘good old days’ long before Family Allowance, Social Security or even the ‘Lloyd George’ (the Old Age Pension).
He was always eager to volunteer his services in support of any charitable cause. He knew only too well what it was to be short of money when it was up to him to provide for his family and from his traveling days how easily your good fortune can seem to desert you.
He trusted and relied upon the integrity of his pupils and the bodies which engaged his professional services to actually pay him for his work and I am sorry to say that sometimes he was disappointed and would quietly tell us “it’s Wakefield”. I don’t know where the expression came from, perhaps it is like ‘treasury’ which is an expression we used in the theatre for when we received our pay. However we all understood that ‘Wakefield’ meant no money today. I think most musicians have suffered a ‘Wakefield’ experience.
Ours was a big and happy family and our home above the Market Arcade in Scotch Street was always very busy, not only with the daily life of the family, but as my father had his teaching studio there, his pupils were coming and going all the time.
His studio contained two full size grand pianos and a concert harp and I can remember many occasions when notable opera singers of the day came to rehearse their solos. Sometimes these were for presentation at the Carlisle Winter Concerts where my father was resident accompanist and musical director. I remember that he would often give his latest piano solo pieces their premier at these concerts.
Speaking of singers who rehearsed with my father, some of these were coloratura sopranos, usually pretty big ladies and naturally as a boy I enjoyed great amusement watching them in full sail striving to reach their top notes.
The only thing I can remember which caused my father irritation was when the Italian Café across the street acquired a mechanical piano. When customers placed a penny in the slot it would let rip with the popular tunes of the day played very fast at double forte and very often out of tune. As my father’s studio overlooked the café he was in direct line of fire and used to say “just listen to that awful thing”.
When he used to take me out into the town with him it was always slow progress as so many people came up to greet him, and everybody seemed to smile when they met Mr Burns and in turn he always had time for everyone from Dr Wadely, the distinguished cathedral organist, to his beloved ordinary working people.
Music is the only truly universal language and is the surest way to touch the heart. As his son I speak for him and every musician when I say thank you for your appreciation of our music, we strive to give you enjoyment of one of the greatest gifts given to man, and to the student study with a good master and do your very best and God will smile on you.
I was born in 1906 and I was an orchestra leader for most of my working life. I was a member of a wonderful family, I had a very happy childhood with many happy memories of my time in Carlisle but for this tribute I treasure memories of my father, Felix Burns, a man of great personality, good nature and humour and above all a kind and loving father.
Leo Burns
Coventry
November 2003
P.S. Leo burns died on Monday, 3rd October 2005 aged 99 years.
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