Arthur Sullivan: Difference between revisions

Sullivan was born on 13 May 1842 in [[Lambeth]], [[London]], the younger of the two children, both boys, of Thomas Sullivan (1805–1866) and his wife, Mary Clementina ''née'' Coghlan (1811–1882). His father was a military bandmaster, clarinettist and music teacher, born in Ireland and raised in [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]], London; his mother was English born, of Irish and Italian descent.<ref>Young, pp. 1–2</ref> Thomas Sullivan was based from 1845 to 1857 at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], where he was the bandmaster and taught music privately to supplement his income.<ref name=Ancestry>Ainger, pp. 6 and 22–23</ref><ref>Jacobs, pp. 6–7</ref> Young Arthur became proficient with many of the instruments in the band and composed an [[anthem]], "By the Waters of Babylon", when he was eight.<ref>Jacobs, p. 7</ref> He later recalled: