Here is another sight-reading book published in the first part of the 20C. The composer, George Mervyn Bruxner (often seems to be called Mervyn) states his purpose for the book on the first page. He feels that the player should learn how to find their way about the keyboard by a sense of touch and that if the player is constantly shifting their eyes from the music to the keyboard and vice versa, they will never be a fluent sight-reader.
The first fifty pieces in the book do not move beyond a five-note compass and then later in the book extensions of the compass and other difficulties are introduced. Also, Bruxner emphasises the necessity of using the fingering that is provided. And, above all else, he feels that the continuity of the beat is very important.
The book was published by Joseph Williams Ltd, of Marylebone, London. It was established in 1808 and is now part of Stainer and Bell.
Joseph Williams Ltd, music publishers and sellers, 32 Great Portland Street, London. Date: circa 1910s, from Alamy.com
The exercises from the outset are for HT playing however the hands are playing in unison. Key signatures are introduced quite early on along with intervals of a third and the quaver pattern. From exercise 19, the hands are playing independently of each other with different material in each hand. Naturals are presented from exercise 31.
By exercise 41 the dotted crotchet/quaver rhythm is introduced and this is closely followed by the use of chords in the LH. Following this, ties are presented with tempo markings introduced soon after. By this stage, the hands are moving out of a five-finger position and the use of scale patterns and extensions are used to cover the wider range of notes.
Octaves are introduced in exercise 69 whilst compound time signatures are left to later in the book.
In the 1911 Census, George Mervyn Bruxner is living with his family at Chartley Hall, a 36 room house that his father was renting. His father is a retired solicitor, Mervyn who is aged 11, has a brother aged 6 called Alistair, and there are nine servants in the house to help with its upkeep.
Bruxner married on the 30th July 1924 to Miss Joy Mitford Robertson Rodger at St Mary’s Parish, Newick. The list of presents the couple received for their wedding is extensive. His father died in 1935, and in the will, Mervyn is left the residue of his property.
In the 1939 Register, Bruxner is working at Eton College.
Bruxner died on the 25th April 1973 in Maidstone, Kent and his occupation is listed as Retired Music Advisor. His estate is worth 44402Uk pounds.
References
Ancestry.com
British Newspapers online