15 Facts About Cedric Sharpe

Cedric Sharpe, ARCM, Hon RAM was a British cellist, composer and music professor of the early to mid-20th century.

Cedric Sharpe recorded for His Master's Voice and was broadcast by the BBC.

Cedric Sharpe composed a number of original pieces mostly for solo cello with piano accompaniment.

Cedric Sharpe was born in Maida Vale, London, England, in 1891, the son of Herbert Sharpe a professor of piano and composer at the Royal College of Music in London.

Cedric Sharpe continued his studies with the cellist W H Squire at the Royal College of Music gaining a scholarship there in 1907 at the age of 16.

In 1924 Cedric Sharpe founded the Virtuoso Quartet with Marjorie Hayward, Edwin Virgo and Raymond Jeremy.

Cedric Sharpe held the following positions as an orchestral player : principal cello for the New Symphony Orchestra, director and principal cello for the London Symphony Orchestra, principal cello with the Royal Albert Hall orchestra and principal cello with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden orchestra.

Cedric Sharpe played cellos by David Tecchler and Charles Buthod.

In 1928 Cedric Sharpe became professor of cello at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Cedric Sharpe's teaching career was to span nearly 40 years before his retirement in 1966 at the age of 75.

Cedric Sharpe contributed to books about cello technique, for example editing and revising "The Violoncello" a primer originally written by Jules de Swert in 1920.

Cedric Sharpe wrote a number of original pieces for cello and piano, a number of arrangements for cello and piano, some original and arranged songs in ballad style and two pieces for light orchestra.

Cedric Sharpe arranged the following traditional folk tunes: Six Old English Airs, Six Old Irish Airs, Eight Welsh Melodies and a set of Scottish folk tunes originally arranged for solo piano by his father Herbert Sharpe.

Cedric Sharpe recorded for His Master's Voice starting in 1915 with a number of short pieces for solo cello, for example The Broken Melody by Van Biene, Le Cygne by Camille Saint-Saens, Roses of Picardy by Haydn Wood and Salut d'Amour by Edward Elgar.

Cedric Sharpe died in Steyning, Sussex, England, UK on July 1,1978 at age 87.