John Twiname Gardner

John Twiname Gardner (2 August 1854, in South Molton – 15 February 1914, in Kensington) was a general practitioner and composer of much published parlour and light music. From 1888 to 1903 he worked as a family doctor in Ilfracombe, North Devon, where he conducted the local choral society and was generally a mainstay of musical life in the town. He was the grandfather of the well-known composer John Gardner.

J.T. Gardner's White Star Polka March was held in the music libraries of the ships of the White Star Line, including Titanic. The printed sheet music in the possession of the Composer's Great Grandson bears no resemblance to the piece with this title and credited to "J T Gardner" which has been recorded by a number of artists. This results from the inclusion of the title on Ian Whitcomb's album (Titanic: The Music Heard on the Fateful Voyage). As explained on the website http://blurt-online.com/features/view/1113/:-

"In the course of his research, Whitcomb had found music for a number called "The White Star Polka-March," "But it wasn't any good!" he says. "So I wrote a different bit of music" - which he called "The White Star March" in the liner notes and credited to "J.T. Gardner."

This explains why the music recorded is neither a march nor a polka and why it bears no resemblance to the printed sheet music.

List of published compositions

Instrumental Works

Bella Vista (Valse)
Britannia - a Patriotic Selection - Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd. (1901)
Carissima (Waltz) - Francis Day and Hunter (1897)
Celestine (Valse) - Francis Brothers and Day
Cherie (Valse) - Francis Brothers and Day
Clair de Lune (Valse) -Francis Brothers and Day
Danse des Lutins - Francis Brothers and Day
Ma Vie (Valse) -Frances Day and Hunter
Marjorie (Gavotte) - Francis Brothers and Day
Mavourneen (Waltz)- Francis Day and Hunter (1899)
Minuet in A -Willcocks and Co
The Pullman Express (Descriptive galop) - Francis Day and Hunter (1904)
Querida (Valse) - Francis Day and Hunter (1892)
Le Reve d'Amour - Francis Brothers and Day
White Star (Polka March) - Francis Day and Hunter

Vocal Works

Against the Stream
The Better Land - Willcocks & Co. The Children's Prayer
Caught at Last - Willcocks & Co.
Come May with all thy flowers - Marriott & Williams
Come back my love to me - Marriott & Williams
Dearest to me - Willcocks & Co.
The Drummer Boy - W.W. Warne
God Bless the Royal Pair - Twiss & Sons, Ilfracombe (1893)
God Save the King - Novello & Co.
Jesu, Lover of my Soul - Willcocks & Co.
The Merry Muleteer - Marriott & Williams (1892)
Old Friends - Marriott & Williams
Peaceful be thy sleeping - Willcocks & Co.
The Roseate Hues - Willcocks & Co.
The song we ne'er may sing -B. Mocatta & Co.
We Fear no Foreign Foe - Marriott & Williams
Zingarella - J.B. Cramer & Co.

[1] [2]

  1. Copies of all the pieces listed are held by Chris Gardner, the composer's Great Grandson
  2. Biographical information is from the Gardner family archive
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.