Thomas Bulch

{{Short description|Australian musician and composer}} {{redirect|Bulch|an English footballer|Robert Bulch}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Thomas Edward Bulch | image = Thomas Bulch (-1930).gif | birth_date = 30 December 1862 | birth_place = New Shildon, Durham, England | death_date = 13 November 1930 | death_place = Mascot, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | occupation = Composer | known_for = Australian Brass Band Music Composition }}

'''Thomas Edward Bulch''' (30 December 1862 – 13 November 1930) was an English-born Australian musician and composer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au/search/display?dbid=auth&id=36056326|title = Bulch, T. E. (Thomas Edward), 1862-1930 – Full record view – Libraries Australia Search}}</ref>

==Biography== {{Listen|type=music|filename=Brewster's Millions.mid|title=Brewster's Millions Waltz 1908 by Thomas Bulch|description=MIDI version<ref>{{Citation | title=Brewster's millions [music] : waltz / composed by T.E. Bulch| author1=Bulch, T. E. (Thomas Edward), 1862-1930 | year=1908 | publisher=Allan & Co | language=No linguistic content | url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-181564395}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196111156 |title=Advertising |newspaper=The Age |issue=16,550 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=28 March 1908 |accessdate=14 July 2021 |page=16 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>|filename2=Happy Thoughts Schottische.mid|title2=Happy Thoughts Schottishe 1875|description2=Midi Version<ref>{{Citation | title=Happy thoughts [music] : schottische / composed by T.E. Bulch | author1=Bulch, T. E. (Thomas Edward), 1862-1930 | year=1875 | publisher=James S. Kerr | language=No linguistic content | url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-178355223}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article155851710 |title=General News. |newspaper=Mount Magnet Miner And Lennonville Leader |volume=7 |issue=44 |location=Western Australia |date=28 March 1903 |accessdate=19 July 2021 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article156883053 |title=Music in the Park |newspaper=National Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=14 January 1903 |accessdate=19 July 2021 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>}}

Bulch was born in New Shildon, Durham, one of thirteen children, living at 48 Adelaide Street, New Shildon. His father was a timekeeper at the Shildon Locomotive Works. On leaving school Thomas became apprenticed as a fitter at the same works. Both his father and uncles were bandsmen in local bands and it was not long before Thomas started to learn music. He started playing the piano, largely teaching himself, then with the help of his father moved on to brass instruments.

He showed a great aptitude for music in his early years and it was at the age of 12 that he joined a junior band formed by his uncle Mr. Dinsdale. The Dinsdale family, his mother's relatives, lived close to the Bulch Family in New Shildon. During this period with the junior band, Thomas started to compose music and at the age of 17 composed his first contest march, "The Typhoon". At the age of 19 he took over from his uncle, as bandmaster.

At the age of 21, Thomas migrated to Australia on the ship ''Gulf of Venice''. Friends <!--in America{{dn}} is this right? there's no indication he had ever been to America -->had suggested he go there, as he would have good prospects in the music field. Thomas also had friends in Australia who finally influenced him to join them. It was further said that he came to Australia for health reasons.

Shortly after his arrival in Creswick, Thomas was asked to take control of the 3rd Battalion Band. It was with this band that he entered his first competition in 1886. This was at the "Creswick Miners Sports" where the band took first place. In about 1886 he was also bandmaster of the Ballarat Temperance Brass Band. Following a dispute with the Commanding Officer in 1886/7 Thomas resigned as bandmaster of the 3rd Battalion band. He then formed "Bulch's Model Band", a private band. Some of the bandsmen also resigned from the 3rd battalion band and joined him as members of the "Model Band".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67996678 |title=TO ADJUDICATE AT DEVONPORT. |newspaper=The Advocate (Australia) |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=24 January 1933 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Bulch's Model Band was renamed the Ballarat City Brass Band in 1900, and later became the City of Ballarat Municipal Band which still exists today.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aunty.mmf.com.au/what-goes-on/city-of-ballarat-municipal-brass-band/|title=City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band}}</ref>

His two sons both enlisted in the Australian armed forces during the First World War. Youngest son, Corporal John (Jack) Bulch served in France in the 22nd Battalion but returned to Australia in 1919 aboard the Chemnitz transport ship. Elder son Sergeant Thomas Edward Bulch Junior (Service number 1149) served in Alexandria, Gallipoli and was then killed in France in 1916.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1677720|title=Thomas Edward Bulch}}</ref>

Thomas died on 13 November 1930 at his home in the Sydney suburb of Mascot.

==Music== Thomas wrote music as a living. Apart from his need for income to support his family he had a great love for composing and spent much of his time at the piano working on his music. He wrote under many pseudonyms and it is difficult now to identify all his work. Some of the better known names he used are Godfrey Parker, Henri Laski,<ref>Geelong Advertiser, 21 Nov 1914, Page 3 under headline GEELONG COMPOSER</ref> Pat Cooney and Eugene Lecosta. These are but a few of the names used. He also created arrangements for brass and military bands of the works of other composers; some from opera and the classics such as Meyerbeer, Weber and Rossini; others from the works of popular contemporary composers of his day such as Carl Volti (a pseudonym for Glaswegian violinist Archibald Milligan) and Charles le Thiere (a pseudonym for London-based composer and conductor Thomas Wilby Tomkins) occasionally leading to the names of such to be occasionally mistakenly conflated with that of Bulch himself.

He wrote and dedicated compositions to all the female members of his family. For his wife, he dedicated the music and song “''My Darling Wife''” and a waltz “''My Polly''”. His eldest daughter Adeline had the compositions titled “''Little Dark Eyes''” and “''Adelina''” written for her. His second daughter, Myrtle May had a waltz “''Les Fleurs D’Australie''” (Flowers of Australia) dedicated to her, and the names of Myrtle and Adeline were combined to name a waltz “''Myrine''”.

His youngest daughter Alice had her name combined with that of her husband Norman (Johnson) to title a waltz “''Noralla''” and a mazurka using her name as the title, “''Alice Bertha''”.

The composition “''Craigielee''” composed by Thomas (using the pen name Godfrey Parker) is said to have a connection with the music of “''Waltzing Matilda''”. It has been written that a Christina MacPherson heard it being played at the Warrnambool Races in 1894. She later played it from memory in Queensland and Banjo Paterson put words to it.

Thomas was in contact with his wife's grandmother Elizabeth Paterson during her lifetime. She had emigrated to Australia and lived at Inglewood in Victoria. Her maiden name was Craigie and he composed and dedicated the march “''Craigielee''” to her as a tribute using the name Godfrey Parker as the composer. Thomas had made a practice of writing and dedicating music to all the female members of the family. In discussion with Adeline Bulch several years after her father's death she mentioned the soldiers returning from France whistling a popular song that she said was set to her father's music. This she identified as “''Waltzing Matilda''”. She also said that a woman had written to her father requesting permission to use the music, as she wanted to put words to it. Thomas had replied that he no longer had copyright of the music. It is widely thought that Thomas based Craigielee on James Barr's setting of Robert Tannahill's poem “''Thou Bonnie Wood o' Craigielee''” (now commonly spelled as “''Craigielea''”). The tune of “''Waltzing Matilda''” is similar to Barr's melody and to Bulch's composition.

==Critical reception== On the domestic scene, Thomas Bulch works were frequently played as far afield as Kalgoorlie<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89625866 |title=BOULDER CITY BAND. |newspaper=Kalgoorlie Miner |volume=10 |issue=3282 |location=Western Australia |date=31 March 1906 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> His notoriety was used as a yardstick to compare other composers of his time<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11388415 |title=PERSONAL. |newspaper=The Mercury |volume=CVIII |issue=15,115 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=5 April 1918 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> His works were published in the United States and Britain<ref>{{Citation | title=Bulch, T. E. (Thomas Edward) (1862-1930) | journal=Trove | date=2009 | url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-783648 | access-date=12 August 2019 }}</ref> His fame is reflected in eulogy.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242941945 |title=PERSONAL |newspaper=The Herald |issue=16,694 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=17 November 1930 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and beyond.

As of 2025, ten of Bulch's marches are on the Prescribed March List of the National Band Council of Australia, which outlines marches that are permitted for brass band contests.

Thomas Bulch was considered a paragon for brass players<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67996678 |title=TO ADJUDICATE AT DEVONPORT. |newspaper=The Advocate (Australia) |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=24 January 1933 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Works== ===Marches=== ''Marches marked with an asterisk (*) are included in the Prescribed March List for the Australian National Band Championships.'' *A.B.C.D.E.F* *Antipodes* *Baby Elephant (1906) (score lost?)<ref>{{cite news|date=31 March 1906|title=BOULDER CITY BAND.|volume=10|page=6|newspaper=Kalgoorlie Miner|issue=3282|location=Western Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89625866|via=National Library of Australia|accessdate=13 August 2019}}</ref> *Bathurst <ref>{{Citation|author1=Bulch, T. E.|title=Bathurst contest march|date=c. 1900|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-170770012|publisher=Allan & Co|accessdate=13 August 2019}}</ref> *Belgian Guards, The: Quick March (1895)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trove|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/25168473}}</ref> *Bendigo* (1908)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article211766522 |title=AMUSEMENTS. |newspaper=The Sun |issue=527 |location=Western Australia |date=20 December 1908 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>A copy of this music is held by the Evergreen Brass Band in Bendigo. https://evergreenband.org.au/</ref> *Canterbury Engineers* *Craigielee *El Ave *General Joffre<ref>{{Cite web|title=General Joffre (Bulch, Thomas Edward) – IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/General_Joffre_(Bulch,_Thomas_Edward)|access-date=2021-09-25|website=imslp.org}}</ref> *Gibraltar* *The Jubilee March (1887)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trove|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/43270107}}</ref> *Kitcheners Army: March Past (1914)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trove|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/25163032}}</ref> *Newcastle* *Newtown* *On the War Path *The Postman's Parade* (1900)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trove|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/11669073}}</ref> *Sandhurst<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224229328 |title=TO-DAY'S BROADCASTING |newspaper=The Sun |issue=5395 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=22 February 1928 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |page=14 (SPECIAL EDITION) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> *Second to None* *South Street Parade* *Torchlight Parade<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sheet Music, Torchlight Parade|url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e0c6e3c21ea670e749b9578|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Victorian Collections|language=en}}</ref>

===Other works=== * Austral: overture *Bombardment of Port Arthur: fantasia: grand naval divertimento<ref>{{Citation|author1=Bulch, T. E.|title=Bombardment of Port Arthur fantasia : grand naval divertimento|date=1904|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-170820345|publisher=Suttons|accessdate=13 August 2019}}</ref> *Chiselhurst – quadrille<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sheet Music, Chiselhurst|url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e0c3ee121ea670e742eb871|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Victorian Collections|language=en}}</ref> *Ernani – fantasia<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sheet Music, Ernani|url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e0c447d21ea670e743c74af|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Victorian Collections|language=en}}</ref> *Gems of America: selection *Gigantique: grand overture * Jamie Stewart's birthday: Scotch patrol *Kilties, The – quadrille *Land of the shamrock: quadrille (Irish)<ref>{{Citation|author1=Bulch, T. E.|title=Land of the shamrock quadrille (Irish)|date=c. 1900|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-173402403|publisher=Suttons|accessdate=13 August 2019}}</ref> *Meltonville: lancers / T.E. Bulch<ref>{{Citation|author1=Bulch, T. E.|title=Meltonville lancers|date=c. 1900|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-170836346|publisher=Suttons|accessdate=13 August 2019}}</ref> * Memories of England – see {{YouTube|id=?v=nkvFdq1zdkc|title=Memories of England}} *Memories of Erin: selection / Thos. E. Bulch<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trove|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/232776791}}</ref> *Miranda: intermezzo<ref>{{Citation|author1=Bulch, T. E.|title=Miranda intermezzo|date=c. 1900|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-173427148|publisher=Suttons|accessdate=13 August 2019}}</ref> *Nada: valse (as Henri Laski)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trove|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/17017738}}</ref> *Noralla: valse – For Piano<ref>{{Cite web|title=Noralla (Bulch, Thomas Edward) – IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Noralla_(Bulch,_Thomas_Edward)|access-date=2021-09-25|website=imslp.org}}</ref> *Phonograph – quadrille<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sheet Music, Phonograph|url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e0c5b3521ea670e7472f41e|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Victorian Collections|language=en}}</ref>

*The Pro: solo polka<ref>{{Citation|author1=Bulch, T. E.|title=The pro solo polka|date=c. 1900|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-173422885|publisher=Ed. Lyons|accessdate=13 August 2019}}</ref> *Roberto – quadrille *Sacred gems: sacred fantasia<ref>{{Citation|author1=Bulch, T. E.|title=Sacred gems sacred fantasia|date=c. 1930|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-170795991|publisher=Suttons|accessdate=13 August 2019}}</ref>

*Sydney by Night<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sheet Music, Sydney|url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e0c6dca21ea670e749a96e2|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Victorian Collections|language=en}}</ref> * The tripod: solo tongueing polka see {{YouTube|id=vIemb3CnV5w|title=Tripod}} *Young Recruit, The: descriptive fantasia<ref>{{Citation|author1=Bulch, T. E.|title=The young recruit descriptive fantasia|date=c. 1900|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-170824782|publisher=Ed. Lyons|accessdate=12 August 2019}}</ref>

==References==

A family history titled: “''Thomas Edward Bulch. Musician, A Family History''”, by Eric S. Tomkins, has been published and copies are lodged with the NSW State Library and the National Library in Canberra, which gives a fuller account of his life and history.

<references />

==External links== * {{IMSLP|id=Bulch, Thomas Edward}} * [http://www.wizardandtyphoon.org/the-typhoon/ Thomas Bulch Blog] * photograph of Thomas Bulch and band [https://www.flickr.com/photos/26421213@N08/5397196830]

{{Authority control}} * Australian War Memorial video "Torchlight Parade" on YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nG42HJxDeKY#

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulch, Thomas}} Category:1862 births Category:1930 deaths Category:19th-century Australian composers Category:19th-century Australian male musicians Category:20th-century composers Category:20th-century Australian male musicians Category:20th-century Australian musicians Category:Australian composers Category:Australian male composers Category:Brass band composers Category:Brass band conductors Category:English emigrants to colonial Australia