William Henry Bell, connu surtout par ses initiales, W H Bell (né le 20 Août 1873 à St Albans, mort le 13 Avril 1946 à Gordon's Bay, Afrique du Sud), était un compositeur, chef d'orchestre et professeur anglais.
Bell est né à St Albans et a étudié à Londres à la Royal Academy of Music avec Frederick Corder, et avec Charles Villiers Stanford au Royal College of Music. Il a passé principalement sa vie comme organiste et maître de conférences, il était professeur d'harmonie au Conservatoire royal de musique, où il a enseigné de 1903 à 1912.
En 1912, Bell est allé à l'Afrique du Sud pour diriger le South African College of Music à Cape Town. Il a été directeur jusqu'en 1935 et est crédité d'un agrandissement significatif de l'école. En 1920, Bell est devenu professeur de musique à l' Université du Cap, où il s'est occupé des classes pour les formations diplômantes. La South African College of Music a été incorporée dans l'Université en 1923 et le professeur Bell est devenu doyen de la Faculté de musique. Bell a fondé le Little Theater, un centre de formation pour l'opéra, et parfois dirigé la Capetown Music Society. Il est mort à Gordon's Bay près de Somerset West, Afrique du Sud.
Le WH Bell Music Library de l'Université de Cape Town est nommé en l'honneur de William Henry Bell.
Oeuvres
Operas
Hippolytus (c.1914); music drama in 3 acts; libretto after Euripides
Isabeau (1922–1924); fantasia in 1 act
The Mouse Trap (1928); opera in 1 act; libretto after The Sire de Maletroit's Door by Robert Louis Stevenson
Doctor Love (1930); opera in 1 act; libretto after Le Docteur amoureux by Molière
The Wandering Scholar (1935); musical comedy in 1 act; libretto by C. Bax
The Duenna (1939); musical comedy in 3 acts; libretto by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Romeo and Juliet (1939); unfinished opera
Music for Japanese Noh plays
Komachi (1925)
Tsuneyo of the Three Trees (1926)
Hatsuyuki (1934)
The Pillow of Kantan (1935)
Kageyiko (1936)
Musiques de scène
Life's Measure (?1905–1908)
A Vision of Delight (1906); music to the play by Ben Jonson
Orchestre
The Canterbury Pilgrims, Symphonic Prelude (1896)
The Pardoner's Tale, Symphonic Poem (1898)
Symphony No.1 "Walt Whitman" in C minor (1899)
A Song of the Morning, Symphonic Prelude (1901)
Mother Carey, Symphonic Poem (1902)
Epithalamium, Serenade for orchestra (1904)
The Shepherd, Symphonic Poem (1907)
Agamemnon, Symphonic Prelude (1908)
Love among the Ruins, Symphonic Poem (1908)
Arcadian Suite (c.1908)
Danse du tambour (1909)
Le fée des sources, Symphonic Poem (1912)
Prelude (1912)
Staines Morrice Dance (1912)
Symphonic Variations (1915)
Rosa Mystica, Concerto for viola and orchestra (1916)
Symphony No.2 in A minor (1918)
Symphony No.3 in F major (1918–1919)
The Portal, Symphonic Poem (1921)
A Song of Greeting, Symphonic Poem (1921)
Veldt Loneliness (1921)
In modo academico, Suite in C minor (1924)
Symphony No.4 "A South African Symphony" (1927)
An English Suite (1929)
Symphony No.5 in F minor (1932)
Aeterna munera, Symphonic Fantasy (1941)
Hamlet, 5 Preludes (1942)
Musique de chambre
Piano Quintet (1894)
Sonata in E minor for violin and piano (1897)
Cradle Song for violin and piano (1901)
Arab Love Song for viola and piano
Cantilena for viola and piano
Arabesque for violin or viola and piano (1904)
Sonata in D major for violin and piano (1918)
Sonata in F minor for violin and piano (c.1925)
Sonata in D minor for clarinet or viola and piano (1926)
String Quartet in G minor (1926)
Sonata for viola or cello and piano (1927)
String Quartet in F major (1927)
Piano
The Witch's Daughter (1904)
Chorale Variations (1940)
4 Elegiac Pieces (1940)
Orgue
Chants sans paroles (1901)
Minuet and Trio in C major (1901)
Postlude (Romance, Spring Song) (1902)
Musique Chorale
Hawke for chorus and orchestra (c.1895)
Mag and Nunc (1895)
Miserere Maidens for soloist, chorus, orchestra and organ (1895)
The Call of the Sea, Ode for soprano, choruses and orchestra (1902–1904)
Hearken unto Me, Ye Holy Children, Anthem for baritone solo and chorus (published 1903)
I Will Magnify Thee, O Lord, Anthem for Easter for mixed voices and organ (published 1903); words from Psalm XXX
St. Albans Pageant Music, July 1907 for chorus and orchestra (1907); words by Charles Henry Ashdown
The Baron of Brackley, Scotch Border Ballad for chorus and orchestra (1911)
Maria assumpta for soprano, choruses and orchestra (1922)
Prometheus Unbound for chorus and orchestra (1923–1924); words by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Medieval Songs for chorus and piano (1927–1928)
Medieval Songs for female chorus, string orchestra and piano :
- The Maiden That Is Makeless
- Mater ora filium
- The Flower of Jesse
- At Domys Day
- May in the Greenwood
- Twelve Oxen
Dicitus philosophi for chorus and orchestra (1932?); words by Benjamin Farrington
The Tumbler of Our Lady for soloists, choruses and orchestra (1936)
The Song of the Sinless Soul for mezzo-soprano, female chorus and orchestra (1944)
Adonis for soprano, mezzo-soprano, female chorus and orchestra (1945)
Musique Vocale
The Rose and the Lily for voice and piano (1892)
Songs of Youth and Springtide for voice and piano, Op.9 (1892–1896); words by Robert Browning
- Summum Bonum
- Nay, but You, Who Do Not Love Her
Serenade for voice and piano (1896)
Three Songs for voice and piano (1896); words from Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- Say Over Again
- If Thou Must Love Me
- I Lift My Heavy Heart
Crabbed Age and Youth for voice and piano (1898)
Five Settings of E. Nesbit for voice and piano (1898); words by E. Nesbit
Three Old English Songs for voice and orchestra
Love's Farewell for voice and piano (1902)
The Four Winds for baritone and orchestra (1903); words by C.H. Luderz
Six Love Lyrics for baritone or alto and piano (1903); words by William Ernest Henley
Sing Heigh Ho! for voice and piano (1903)
Bhanavar the Beautiful, Song Cycle for voice and chamber ensemble (1908)
The Ballad of the Bird Bride for baritone and orchestra (1909); words by Rosamund Marriott Watson
The Little Corporal for voice and piano (1912)
Sappho, Song Cycle for soprano and orchestra (1920, revised 1942)
Claire de lune for voice and piano (1925); words by Paul Verlaine
D'une prison for voice and piano (1925?); words by Paul Verlaine
Que faudre-t'il a ce cœur for voice and piano (1925); words by Jean Moréas
Four Medieval Songs for voice and piano (1927)
Four Medieval Songs for voice and piano (1930)
Twelve Blake Songs; words by William Blake :
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- To the Evening
- To Morning
- My Pretty Rose Tree
- The Fairy
- In a Myrtle Shade
- The Birds
- My Spectre around Me
- I Heard an Angel Singing
Accueil 
