The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-19
PROF. CROUCH DEAD
Author of the Famous Bal
lad Kathleen MaVour-
neen" Dies Suddenly
Last Night.
SKETCH OF THE COMPOSERS LIFE
Poverty fastened the End-Wrote
About Two Thousand
Songs.
SKETCH OF TIE COMPOSERS LIFE

Many Jersey City people will remember
that IN one of the theatres here a le"
years ago Professor Frederick William
Nicholas Crouch conducted the orchestra
when it played the famous Irish melooy
kathleen M~avourneen.'' Crouch was the
author of that lovely melody and It was
q picturesque sight to see the tail, nm
white haired musician wave his baton
and hear him from time to time sing the
melody himself.
Word has just been received that last
night he died suddenly in Portland, Me.
He celebrated his eighty-eighth birthday
a few days ago by a igrand musicale, at
which he sang the song which made him
famous.
about two thousand songs, he lacked the
business ability to make them pay, and
his death was doubtless FASTENED by
poverty and want.
He. was born July 81, 1908, and until the
last year enjoyed robust health. Up to
about a month ago the old composer took
his daily turn at the piano and re-
hearsed the melodious numbers which
the genius of his youth and prime created.
Nor was his talent for composition i'm
pared Dy age. Tie ecSutly pTOQuCSd 1T
most flashing, martial air he ever wrote.
This last production was arranged for
the words of Mrs. Una Ford's ballad,
THE Green ana Goid.p It was sung on
March 4, at the Grand Central Palace in
New York on the anniversary of Robert
EmInet's birth
Prof. Crouch descended from a family
of musicians, his father and grandfather
having become noted in England, where
the author of Kathleen Mavourneen''
was born: Before he was ten years old
he played bass at the Royal Coburg
Theatre. When twelve he got a place
in His MajeSty's Theatre, and created a
sensation as a ~violincello soloist, winning
a high tribute from the immortal Ros-
SIM. He subsequently Joined Down and
Faulkner's circuit travelling troupe and
afterward the Caledonia Theatre in Scot
n On the failure of the Caledonia
young CroucE shipped as a sailor and
worked on coasting vessels two years.
Then, returning to London he Joined
Evans Cider Cellar Covent Garden Thea
ire troupe.
The young musician entered the Drury
Lane Orchestra and was soon the lead
ing violinist. 1t was then he composed
his first ballad, 'Zephyrs of Love- for
a little while when he entered the Lon
don Royal Academy of Music. With
other students of the academy young
Crouch was in frequent attendance at
Buckingham Palace, Brighton n Wind
sor Castle.
The youthful composer received the
nOQOrS OF ancient ana PnlinafInOHlc
Concerts, Kings Band and Italian Opera.
He played at the Coronation of William
". and Adelaide in 1927, ana was %appoint-
ed a member of their Majesties' private
orchestra. He was also present at he
coronation of Queen Victoria.
His third composition, Kathleen Ma
vourneen," was produced when Mr..
Crouch was but 10 years of age. The song
was successful from the start and the au-
thor also became a great fayorite. his
music being sung in many parts of the
English-speaking world. Among the most
FAMILIAR OF his songs were "O'DonnefS
Farewell" s"The Em6grant's Lament"
Sing to ME, Nora" and "Dermot As
thore." In 1919 Professor Crouch left Eng
lang for America. He went first to New
land, Me-, where he produced Rossinis
'tStabat Mater He also visited other
cities, teaching and l~ecturing. When the
war broke out he was in the height of
mis- prosperity in America. Giving up all
this he shouldered a musket and marched
TO the front in the service of the Confed-
eracy with the Richmond Howitzers. He
could hight as well as sing and play and
was one of the men who caused the de-
struction of the Portsmouth Navy Yard
and the naval vessels there. He was in
almost every struggle of the army of
Northern Virginia until the surrender of
Appomattox.
Returning to Richmond after the war,
manuscripts and almost everything else
he possessed destroyed. He taught music
there for a few years and fifteen years
ago took up his residence here. He was
married four times and was the father of
tWenty-seven children.