Description
Herman Finck (born Hermann Van Der Vinck) (1872-1939) was an English composer of Dutch extraction. He was musical director at the Palace Theatre in London from 1900-1920 and he was also a principal conductor at the Queen’s Theatre, at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. As a conductor he was involved in many early orchestral recordings including, in 1909, the first record album ever made, which was of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.
In the early decades of the 20th century Finck was a prolific composer, writing theatre shows, operettas and ballets, incidental music, revues, songs, ‘mood music’ for the silent cinema and many light orchestral pieces. Whilst working at the Palace Theatre he wrote numerous dances for the renowned ‘Palace Girls’. One such piece – originally called Tonight – became hugely popular as an instrumental piece called In the Shadows. Lyrics were later added by Edward Ray Goetz.
In the Shadows remains Finck’s best-known work, not least as it was known to be one of the last pieces played on the deck of the doomed ocean liner Titanic.
