Introduction

Biography

Henry was the son of Hen­ry and Har­ri­et Cow­ard.

He served an ap­prent­ice­ship in Shef­field as a pen blade mak­er.

Though un­edu­cat­ed, he be­came a teach­er at Grease­bo­rough school. He earned his Ba­che­lor of Mu­sic at Ox­ford in 1889, and Doc­tor of Mu­sic in 1894.

He is cred­it­ed with re­viv­ing the to­nic-sol-fa me­thod, which he used with sing­ers from the mills and fac­to­ries who could not read mu­sic.

He con­duct­ed the Hud­ders­field cho­ral so­cie­ty for 30 years, and con­duct­ed ma­ny Whit Sun­day sings in Shef­field, in­clud­ing a per­for­mance be­fore Queen Vic­tor­ia

He be­came a Free­man of the City of Shef­field in 1920, and was knight­ed by King George V in 1927 for his ser­vic­es to mu­sic.

He also tra­veled the world, and wrote.

Works

• The Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Hym­nal, with George Booth (Lon­don: Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Pub­lish­ing House, 1889) (re­vised har­mo­ni­za­tions)
• Choral Tech­nique and In­ter­pre­ta­tion (Lon­don: 1914)
• Reminiscences (Lon­don: 1919)