Introduction
Eli Parish (1808-1849) was a boy from Teignmouth in Devon who went on to become one of Europe’s most celebrated and dextrous concert harpists, and a prolific composer.
THE year 1818 was a momentous one for the ten-year-old Eli Parish.
That was the year he gave his first harp concert, in his hometown of Teignmouth, Devon; and it was also the year that his father was declared bankrupt.
Eli was denied a place at the Royal Academy of Music, but a local landowner paid for him to continue his studies in London with Nicolas-Charles Bochsa, who would have been his professor.
In 1828, Eli left for the Continent, where he adopted the stage-name Elias Parish Alvars, and performed alongside Carl Czerny, John Field, and the Lewy brothers Edouard and Joseph, whose sister Melanie he married.
In 1848, Eli was in Vienna when the city became embroiled in a wave of revolutions that robbed him of his pupils, his concerts, and his livelihood.
His health declined, and the man whom Hector Berlioz described as a ‘magician’, ‘the Liszt of the harp’, passed away on 25th January, 1849.
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Précis
Eli Parish (1808-1849) from Teignmouth in Devon failed to get into the Royal Academy of Music after his father lost his money, but a wealthy landowner stepped in. Before long, he was taking all Europe by storm, playing alongside famous names and earning the admiration of such as Hector Berlioz for his virtuoso technique and enchanting melodies. (57 / 60 words)
Eli Parish (1808-1849) from Teignmouth in Devon failed to get into the Royal Academy of Music after his father lost his money, but a wealthy landowner stepped in. Before long, he was taking all Europe by storm, playing alongside famous names and earning the admiration of such as Hector Berlioz for his virtuoso technique and enchanting melodies.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, because, otherwise, since, until, whereas, whether.
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Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Embroil. Perform. Stage.
2 Declare. He. Landowner.
3 Concert. Father. Give.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Man. 2. Pass. 3. Left.
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Music. 2. Field. 3. Wave. 4. Name. 5. Concert. 6. Local. 7. Pay. 8. Brother. 9. Place.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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