Sculpture: Portrait of Sir Henry Wood. Bronze bust by Donald Gilbert, 1936
Object type
artefact
Acknowledgement
Presented by Lady Jessie Wood, February 1955
Collection
Sir Henry Wood Collection
Description
Sculpture: Portrait of Sir Henry Wood, head and shoulders, wearing a suit and his familiar bow tie. Bronze bust by Donald Gilbert, 1936.
Each July this bust is removed from its home at the Royal Academy of Music and placed on the platform at the Royal Albert Hall, where it is garlanded with a chaplet of laurel and remains throughout the BBC Promenade Concert series. At the end of the series, in September, the chaplet is taken to St Sepulchre's Church, the musicians' chapel, where there is a memorial stained-glass window to him, and a service is held in his memory.
Sir Henry Wood was the first conductor of the 'Mr Robert Newman Promenade Concerts,' as they were called, founded in 1895. In 1927 the BBC took over the Proms and for three years, until the founding of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1930, the concerts were given by 'Sir Henry Wood and his Symphony Orchestra'. The Queen's Hall, home of the Proms, was bombed on 10th May 1941 and the bronze bust survived, along with the large Portland stone busts of Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and (probably) Purcell, now also in the care of the Royal Academy of Music.
Each July this bust is removed from its home at the Royal Academy of Music and placed on the platform at the Royal Albert Hall, where it is garlanded with a chaplet of laurel and remains throughout the BBC Promenade Concert series. At the end of the series, in September, the chaplet is taken to St Sepulchre's Church, the musicians' chapel, where there is a memorial stained-glass window to him, and a service is held in his memory.
Sir Henry Wood was the first conductor of the 'Mr Robert Newman Promenade Concerts,' as they were called, founded in 1895. In 1927 the BBC took over the Proms and for three years, until the founding of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1930, the concerts were given by 'Sir Henry Wood and his Symphony Orchestra'. The Queen's Hall, home of the Proms, was bombed on 10th May 1941 and the bronze bust survived, along with the large Portland stone busts of Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and (probably) Purcell, now also in the care of the Royal Academy of Music.
Artist/Maker
Gilbert, Donald, artist
Date made
1936
Classification
3-dimensional (work of art), conductor, bust, sculpture, commemorative, archive
Technique
cast
Material
bronze
Object type
Type | Length | Width | Height | Diameter | Unit (length) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
height of bust | 560 | mm | |||
width of bust (shoulder to shoulder) | 480 | mm | |||
depth of bust | 370 | mm |
Object No
2002.207
People
Gallery
Museum & Library
@RoyalAcadMusic • Jun 13
#ThrowbackThursday to our #museum children's event last month, 'Sir Henry Wood and the Art of Conducting', where pa… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@RoyalAcadMusic • May 26
Looking for fun family events this half term?
Come and visit our #museum for two fantastic children's events this… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@RoyalAcadMusic • May 20
This #DementiaActionWeek our #museum will be hosting a specialist guided tour suitable for those living with dement… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…