Guide to the Papers of Frederick Septimus Kelly, 1893-1926

Summary

Collection number:

MS 3095

Creator:

Kelly, Frederick Septimus, 1881-1916

Extent:

1.40 metres and (5 folio boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Frederick Septimus Kelly, National Library of Australia, MS 3095, [item number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection comprises fourteen bound volumes of manuscript music scores and a number of unbound manuscript music scores (items 15-55) in Kelly's hand and early published works of Kelly (items 55-61).

Biographical Note:

Musician, oarsman and soldier. Frederick Septimus Kelly was born in Sydney on 29 May 1881, the seventh child of Thomas Hussey Kelly and Mary Ann née Dick. After a short time at Sydney Grammar School, Kelly went to Eton in 1893. He had an early talent for music and at Eton was taught piano by Dr Charles Harford Lloyd. Antoine Francois Marmontel, renowned professor of piano at the Paris Conservatory, offered to teach Kelly for free if he would devote himself to music, but his parents were against the idea. In 1900 Kelly came up to Balliol College, Oxford, as a Lewis Nettleship Musical Scholar, graduating in 1903 with fourth-class honours in history. While at Oxford, he studied music under (Sir) Donald Tovey.

After leaving Oxford, Kelly became more and more absorbed in music and in 1903-1908 studied piano under Ernst Engesser and composition and counterpoint with Ivan Torr at the Hoch Konservatorium, Frankfurt, Germany. He also maintained a home in England with his sister, Mary (Maisie), at Bisham Grange, Marlow.

In 1911, Kelly visited Sydney where he gave three solo recitals and two chamber concerts. On his return to London, he gave recitals, played chamber music and performed in a concert with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir George Henschel. In 1912, Kelly was appointed Chair of the Classical Concert Society, London.

During his time at Eton, Kelly proved himself to be an outstanding oarsman. He went on to achieve numerous victories in England as a sculler and was a member of the British eights crew that won the gold medal at the 1908 Olympic Games in London.

In September 1914, Kelly obtained a commission as a sub-lieutenant in the Drake Battalion of the Royal Naval Division. He later transferred to the Hood Battalion, in which he enjoyed the company of Rupert Brooke, Charles Lister, Patrick Shaw Stewart, Denis Browne and others. He saw service at Gallipoli, for which he received the Distinguished Service Cross and in France. Kelly was killed at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre on 13 November 1916, leading an attack on a German machine-gun emplacement.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

• Balliol College War Memorial book 1914-1919. Balliol College (University of Oxford), 1924.
• Australian dictionary of biography. Vol. 9

Provenance:

The papers were acquired from Kelly's niece, Beatrice McPhillamy, in 1974.

Arrangement:

The bound volumes have been listed first. The unbound manuscript scores have been listed by title, where provided, or by general description.

Conditions Governing Access:

The collection is available for reference.

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Frederick Septimus Kelly, National Library of Australia, MS 3095, [item number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

Contact us