Born on St Cecilia’s Day, 22 November 1859, into a middle-class family in South London, Cecil Sharp’s musical predilections were encouraged by his family and his schooling, and although he read mathematics at Clare College, Cambridge, he was preoccupied there with musical activities. On leaving university, he spent ten years in Australia, working as a lawyer’s clerk, teaching music, and as joint director of the Adelaide College of Music. He returned to England in 1892, where he taught, composed, and lectured on music, becoming Principal of Hampstead Conservatoire (1896–1905), and music teacher at Ludgrove School (1893–1910).
Sharp’s introduction to English folk music and dance came on Boxing Day 1899, at Headington, Oxfordshire, when he saw the Headington Quarry morris
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Citation: Atkinson, David. "Cecil Sharp". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 August 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5512, accessed 04 December 2024.]
