John Hullah

John Pyke Hullah (1860s)John Hullah (1812-1884) was a composer and Professor of Vocal Music at King's College from 1843 until 1874.

He trained at the Royal Academy of Music and achieved an early success co-writing a comic opera with Charles Dickens entitled The Village Coquettes, which ran from 1836-1837.

Hullah composed numerous songs and operas but achieved lasting distinction as a leading advocate of the reform of music teaching, in particular by popularising Wilhem's method of teaching song in which the untutored and groups could easily participate.

Hullah lectured on the method in Battersea, Manchester at several leading public schools including Winchester and Eton and was instrumental, in conjunction with other King's luminaries including Frederick Maurice, in the foundation of Queen's College in Harley Street in 1848, one of the earliest such educational institutions for women.

He was organist at Charterhouse from 1858 and from 1872 was musical inspector of training schools for the Royal Academy of Music. He died in 1884.

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