Frederic Austin

Frederic Austin (30 March 1872 – 10 April 1952) was an English baritone singer, a musical teacher and composer in the period 1905–30. He is best remembered for his restoration and production of The Beggar's Opera by John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepusch, and its sequel, Polly, in 1920–23. Austin was the older brother of the composer Ernest Austin (1874–1947).

The standard melody for the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was published by Austin in 1909. His arrangement of a traditional folk melody saw him add his own two-bar motif for "Five gold rings". He also altered the lyrics, adding "on" at the beginning of each verse.

Born Frederick William Austin in Poplar, Middlesex on 30 March 1872 the son of William and Elizabeth Austin, his father was a shirt tailor. Austin was sent at the age of about 12 to live at Birkenhead, where he received organ and music lessons, and had singing training from Charles Lunn. By 1896 he had obtained a B.Mus. from Durham University and was organist in several Birkenhead churches. He became a teacher of harmony, and later of composition, at Liverpool College of Music.

At Liverpool he became close friends with the composer Cyril Scott, and through him was introduced to H. Balfour Gardiner, who became a lifelong friend. Through them he was received into the circle of young English composers known as the Frankfurt Group, and their friends. These included Scott, Gardiner, Norman O'Neill, Roger Quilter, Percy Grainger (owing to their training at the Hoch Conservatory) in Frankfurt and such friends as Benjamin Dale, Gervase Elwes, Eugène Goossens, fils and Arnold Bax.

...
Wikipedia