William Rimmer
William Rimmer Conductor / Composer / Arranger
William Rimmer was born in Birkdale, Southport in 1862 (1861 in some listings).
His father had been a bandmaster with the 3rd Volunteer Brigade, King’s Liverpool Regiment.
At the age of 15 William started as a Side-Drummer with the Southport Rifle band where he eventually became the third Cornet player, Second Cornet, Repiano and finally Solo Cornet. From Southport he went on to play with Besses O’th barn, Kingston Mills and Heywood Rifles.
By 1890 William was starting on his conducting career, coaching Wingates and Irwell Springs.
At the start of the 1900’s William was becoming a big name in the brass band world and had become the Music editor of “Richardson’s Cornet Brass and Military Band Journal”.
His composing also brought his name to the fore with “The Cossack” (written for Fodens) and “Slaidburn” (for Wingates). However, he also wrote under a number of pseudonyms including F. Le Due, Michael Laurent, Kenneth Henschel, Carl Hessler and Heather Dene.
In 1902 William Joined Fodens in Sandbach.
In 1909 William Rimmer decided to retire from contests to concentrate on the Southport Municipal Military Band a group of musicians hired by Southport Corporation for the Summer Season to play each morning and evening between May and December.
While in Southport William also conducted the Southport Orchestral Society and ensemble along with being a member of the Southport Musical Festival executive committee.
In 1913 after dropping his Southport commitments William joined “Wright and Round” (Music Publishers) in Liverpool, where he edited their magazine.
After the first “Great War” Rimmer returned to conducting bands with the Southport Corporation Military Band for two years.
Over the years William Rimmer helped a number of bands to success in various competitions and performances. (See list below)
In February 1936 William attended the Southport Tabernacle Orchestra’s concert making his final appearance with the William Rimmer composition “The Last Goodbye”. On the 9 February 1936 William Rimmer died unexpectedly. His funeral took place on the 12 February at the Baptist Tabernacle, Southport with his internment at BirkdaleCemetery.
On the 31 March 1936 the BBC Broadcast a special tribute programme called “Homage to Rimmer” with music written or arranged by William Rimmer and the programmes was presented by John Henry Iles.
31 Mar 1936 BBC Manchester “Homage to Rimmer” (Paid £21) (see 3 Apr 1936)
Taking part were Foden’s Motor Works Band led by Fred Mortimer with
Harry Mortimer on Principal Cornet, a quartet of players –
Clifton Jones (Cornet – Irwell Springs), Owen Bottomley (Cornet Black Dyke),
Fred Fletcher (Tenor Horn Wingates), and
Fred Appleby (EuphoniumHebdenBridge)
The broadcast was presented by John Henry Iles.
1. March - Honest Toil
2. Selection - Gems of Schubert
3. Overture - Rule Britannia
4. Humouresque – The Costers Wedding
5. Quartet – Mountain Breezes
6. Selection – Erotica
7. Hymn – Memories
3 Apr 1936 BBC Manchester “Homage to Rimmer” (Paid £21) (see 31 Mar 1936)
(Two Programmes presented “Live” in tribute to William Rimmer).
(Information from Brass Bands by Arthur R. Taylor ISBN 0246 11082 1 -1979)
LIST OF COMPOSITIONS
The Australasian
Avenger
Black Knight
The Bostonian
The British Flag
The Carnival King
Chiming Bells (About 1900)
The Comet
The Cossack (Fodens Signature Tune)
Cross of Honour
Dauntless
Dawn of Freedom
Faith and Free
For Freedom and Honour
Hailstorm (Cornet Solo)
Honest Toil
Kings of the Air
Jack O’ The Lantern
Knight of the Road
Monarch
MilitaryChurch Parade
North Star
Punchinello
Ravenswood
Sergeants of the Guard
Silver Showers (Cornet Solo)
Slaidburn
Son’s of Victory
Victor’s Return
The Virtuoso
Viva Birkinshaw (Tribute to a Black Dyke Cornettist)
Weber’s Last Waltz (Solo Euphonium)
The Wizard
ARRANGEMENTS
The Bohemian Girl (Balfe)
Cleopatra (Cornet Solo) (Written by Damare)
Rule Britannia Overture (Thomas Augustine Arne .b. 1710 .D. 1778)
ORCHESTRIAL WORKS
The Bells of St Malo
The Coster’s Wooing
Southport Belles (March)
A Tarantella (For Piccolo and Orchestra)
Wedding Bells (Gavotte)
LIST OF PSEUDONYMS (Names composed under)
Sydney Dacre
E Damare
E Le Duc
F Le Duc
Heather Dene
Hiram Eden
Oliver Hertzer
Kenneth Henschall
Carl Hessler
H Holloway
Michael Laurent
E Morton (Not E Moreton which is Harry Mortimer)
W Raymond
Wilton Roche
Adrian Rolfe
W Royle
Karl Somers
Eric Walton
C Zadoc
Crafulla
Eugene Verner
LIST OF BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH WILLIAM RIMMER
Black Dyke Mills
Broxburn Public
Crooke (Wigan)
Earlstown Viaduct
Eccleston (Chorley)
Fodens Motor Works (1905-)
Freckleton Subscription
Gossage Soap works (Widnes)
HebdenBridge
Irwell Bank (Farnworth)
Irwell Springs (Bacup)
Kingston Mills (Hyde)
Kings Cross Subscription (Halifax)
Lee Mount (Halifax)
Matlock
Pemberton Old (Wigan)
Pendleton Old
Rochdale Public
Rushton Temperance
Shaw (Oldham)
Standish Subscription
Wingates Temperance (Westhughton)
Wyke Temperance
Stewart Green