Kilburn, N. (Nicholas), 1843-1923

Nicholas Kilburn (1843-1923), a pump manufacturer in Bishop Auckland, was awarded the degree of B.Mus. from Cambridge in 1880 and received an honorary D.Mus. from Durham in 1914, in recognition of his contribution to the standard of amateur musical life in the North East of England. A keen supporter of the English composers of his day, he became a close friend of Edward Elgar, who dedicated The Music Makers to him. Kilburn was also ardently interested in the music of Wagner, frequently visiting Bayreuth and publishing Wagner, a sketch of his life and works (London, [1895]) and The story of Wagner's Ring for English readers (London, [1898]). Kilburn's regular attendance at the major music festivals at home and abroad enabled him to keep in close touch with new music, which he enthusiastically sought to introduce into the repertoire of the various amateur groups with which he was actively involved. He was conductor of the Bishop Auckland Musical Society from 1875, the Middlesbrough Musical Union from its foundation in 1882, and the Sunderland Philharmonic Society from 1886. A proficient cellist, pianist and organist, as well as conductor, he also composed a number of part-songs and works for chorus and orchestra.