Billy Mayerl

William Joseph Mayerl (31 May 1902 – 25 March 1959) was an English pianist and composer who built a career in music hall and musical theatre. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, he wrote over 300 piano pieces, many of which were named after flowers and trees, including his best-known composition, “Marigold” (1927). He also ran the successful School of Syncopation, for whose members he published hundreds of his own arrangements of popular songs. He also composed works for piano and orchestra, often in suites with evocative names such as the Aquarium Suite (1937), comprising “Willow Moss”, “Moorish Idol”, “Fantail”, and “Whirligig”. Early life and education Mayerl was born in 1902 on London’s Tottenham Court Road, near the West End theatre district. His father, a violin player, attempted to introduce him to the violin age of four, but failed. After noticing his affinity to the piano, he started him with piano lessons. By age seven he was studying at the Trinity College of Music, paid for with a series of scholarships. His first major concert was at age nine, playing Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto. In his teens, he supplemented these lessons by accompanying silent movies