Warlock, Peter (1894-1930), was the pen name of Philip Arnold Heseltine, a British composer and writer known for his songs and other vocal compositions. He used his real name for his books and music criticism. Warlock was a particular expert on English music of the 1500’s and 1600’s. He was deeply influenced by the music and literature of the Elizabethan period of the 1500’s in both his composition and musical research. He was a friend of the English composer Frederick Delius and was influenced by Delius’s music. Warlock wrote a book on Delius, published in 1923. He was also influenced by the modern Dutch composer Bernard van Dieren. Warlock’s major compositions for voice include the song cycles The Curlew (1920-1922) and Lillygay (1922), Sociable Songs for chorus and keyboard (1924-1925), and a suite for strings called Capriol (1926, revised for orchestra, 1928).
Warlock was born on Oct. 30, 1894, in London. He suffered from mental instability throughout his life and died on Dec. 17, 1930, probably a suicide.
