John Blackwood McEwen

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Sir John Blackwood McEwen (1868–1948) was a Scottish composer and teacher who helped shape music education in Britain. He was professor of harmony and composition at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London from 1898 to 1924 and then its principal from 1924 to 1936. He wrote a lot of music, but he did not often push it to the public.

McEwen was born in Hawick, Scotland. His father, James McEwen, was a Presbyterian minister, and John grew up mainly in Glasgow. He earned a Master of Arts at Glasgow University in 1888 and studied music while working as a choirmaster in Glasgow and Lanark.

In 1891 he moved to London to broaden his musical experiences. By 1893 he had composed two string quartets, three symphonies, a Mass and other works. He entered the RAM, where he studied with teachers including Ebenezer Prout, Frederick Corder and Tobias Matthay. He won the Charles Lucas medal, and his First String Quartet was performed at RAM concerts.

After a few years back in Scotland teaching piano and composition at the Athenaeum School of Music (later the Royal Scottish Academy of Music) and serving as choirmaster of South Parish Church in Greenock, he returned to RAM in 1898 as professor of harmony and composition. He stayed there for 26 years. His students included William Alwyn, Dorothy Howell and Priaulx Rainier. McEwen was known as a strict but fair teacher who encouraged a liberal musical outlook.

In 1902 he married Hedwig Ethel Cole; they had no children. In 1905 he helped found the Society of British Composers and he also served as president of the Incorporated Society of Musicians. Politically he held egalitarian views and wrote some left-wing pamphlets, such as Abolish Money and Total Democracy.

When Mackenzie retired in 1924, McEwen became principal of the RAM. The Manchester Guardian noted that although he did not seek popularity, his loyalty and integrity earned him respect. He received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Oxford in 1926, was knighted in 1931, and retired in 1936.

McEwen died in London in 1948 at the age of 80; his wife died the following year. He left much of his estate to the University of Glasgow to support performances of chamber music by Scottish-born or descended composers.

Critics describe McEwen’s music as showing late-Romantic influences from composers like Strauss, Skryabin, Chausson, Dukas and Charpentier, and as often blending Scottish folk elements with romantic traditions. He was especially praised for his chamber music. His best-known orchestral work is the Solway Symphony (1922), which was the first British symphony recorded on gramophone. He also wrote a Viola Concerto for Lionel Tertis. However, he did not seek fame, and his music did not become widely popular.

In recent years his work has been revived by labels such as Chandos, with recordings of his major pieces and string quartets. He also wrote textbooks on phrasing and rhythm, and his literary work The Thought in Music is noted for exploring musical rhythm, phrasing and expression.