Mr. Marmaduke Barton, F.R.C.M., for close upon fifty years a professor at the Royal College of Music, died last Sunday in the West London Hospital in his seventythird year. He was a convert of many years' standing, and a Mass is among his few published compositions.
Mr. Barton's early religious experience was with Methodism, his father, the Rev. S. S. Barton, being a minister of the United Methodist connection. When eighteen he won an open scholarship, for the pianoforte, which enabled him to begin, as a student, a connection with the college that was to fast, with an intermission abroad, throughout his life. Winning the Hopkinson Gold Medal, he went later to Germany, on a travelling scholarship, and studied with Stavenhagen.
On his return to England Mr. Barton went back to the Royal College of Music as a Professor. Occasionally he had played in public, either in concertos under Auguste Manns or Sir Henry Wood, or in pianoforte recitals of works of his own choosing; but for the most part his musical gift was employed as a teacher, Two years ago he was stricken with illness, from which he made so good a recovery that despite his age he took up his work again and carried it on till the end.
In the chapel of the Assumption convent in Kensington Square, W.. a requiem Mass was offered yesterday, previous to the interment in St. Mary's Cemetery, Kensal Green.