Edwin Ashdown

Typical Ashdown &Parry cover (1860s)
Typical cover (1890s)
Typical cover (1917)
Typical Rowley cover (1930s)

Contents

History

This London company is a successor to Wessel & Co., founded in 1824. In 1860 Wessel retired and transferred his business to Edwin Ashdown and Henry John Parry, who had been his managers. Thus the Ashdown & Parry imprint was used. Then from 1889 Edwin Ashdown became the imprint. The firm bought the London branch of Enoch in 1927. The imprint belonged to the Music Sales group, but in 2018 Music Sales sold its printed music division to Hal Leonard.

The catalog consisted mainly of piano music and some violin pieces, by Berthold Tours, Sydney Smith, J. Hoffmann and Fritz Kirchner. In the 20th century Alec Rowley (1892-1958) is prominent. Probably the best known composition in its catalog is the unison song 3 More Songs of The Fair by Easthope Martin (words by Helen Taylor) first published by Enoch in 1917.

Imprints, Addresses, Agencies

Imprints

  • Ashdown & Parry (1860-1882)
  • Ashdown (Edwin) & Co. (1883- )

Addresses

  • 18 Hanover Square (1860-67)
  • 19 Hanover Square (1868-82)
  • 19 Hanover Square (1883-1982)
  • 275-281 Cricklewood Broadway (1982- )

Plate Numbers

E.A. plates:

Plate Composer Work Year
33367 Parry Melody in B-flat major 1910
34578 Rawlings Valse Fantaisie 1916
37213 Geehl Lament 1958
Plate #Full PlateComposerWorkIMSLP #Full YearYear

Sources Consulted

  • Hofmeister XIX
  • Parkinson, J.A., 1990. Victorian music publishers : an annotated list, Warren, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press.

Authority control

  • VIAF (Edwin Ashdown Ltd)

Links