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Frederick Rosse was an English composer of light music and operetta. He was born on the Isle of Jersey in 1867, and he died on 20 June, 1940. He was a godson of the celebrated actress Lillie Langtry, although she was only thirteen years old when she was given this responsibility.

He attended Harrow, a private boarding school in London, and he later studied music at the conservatoire in Leipzig and in Dresden, Brussels and Vienna. While in Leipzig, he shared lodgings with composer Frederick Delius.

He began his musical career singing the minor role of "Takemine (Sergeant of the Governor's Guard)" in the popular musical The Geisha at Daly's Theatre in Westminster. He was eventually promoted to chorus master there and then became a musical director in several other London theaters.

Rosse is most remembered for his incidental music to "The Merchant of Venice" the performance of which was first produced by Arthur Bourchier at the Garrick Theater.

By 1920, Frederick Rosse was the musical director of the Waldorf Theatre (which later became the Novello Theatre). He had married Edith Marion, who had been in the cast of a touring company at the theatre, and they resided in a bungalow in Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, because Edith liked being near the river.

His friend and business manager was Maundy Gregory who often lodged with the couple. Later, the three moved to a house in St. John's Wood called Abbey Lodge. (It was later converted into Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things and others recorded.)

In 1923, Frederick and Edith formally separated. Edith continued to live in the Abbey Lodge with Gregory, but theirs was not a romantic relationship, because Gregory was a homosexual. On 15 September, 1932, Edith Rosse died suddenly after refusing Gregory's request for a loan, and there has since been speculation that she was murdered by Gregory, although no such charges were ever filed against him.

Frederick Rosse died in Brighton on 20 June 1940.

A Partial list of compositions by Frederick Rosse:
"All Aboard" (1895 – published by Chappell)

Incidental music to The Three Musketeers (1898)

Incidental music to Monsieur Beaucaire (1902) (Rosse did not write the operetta of the same name)

Incidental music to The Water Babies (1902)

Incidental music to "Almond Eye".

Incidental music to "The Merchant of Venice" (1905) 1. Prelude 1 2. Barcarolle 3. Prelude 2 4. Oriental March 5. Portia 6. The Doge's March

"Cyrano de Bergerac" (1923) orchestral suite

"Petite Suite Moderne" (1908) for orchestra 1. Graceful Dance 2. Nocturne 3. Hornpipe

"Childhood's Memories"

"Suite Gabrielle" Op. 101 (1916) for orchestra 1. Pizzicato 2. Valse Romance 3. Minuet 4. Patrol

"Suite Dansante," Op.110 (1920) for piano

Melodie solennelle in D

Songs: ""The Refractory Monk"" "Put Me In My Little Cell" (1905) "Almond Eye" (1923) "Nobody Seems to Want to Love Me Now" "Still I'd Have Faith" "Oki Dearie Me" "In the Old Countrie"

Some of his songs, such as "Put Me In My Little Cell" were included in musicals by other composers.