Sir Granville Bantock (August 7, 1868 - October 16, 1946), was a British composer of classical music. Bantock was born in London. A close friend of fellow composer Havergal Brian, he was professor of music at the University of Birmingham from 1908 to 1934 (in which post he succeeded Sir Edward Elgar). In 1934, he was elected Chairman of the Corporation of Trinity College of Music in London. He was knighted in 1930. His music was influenced by folk song of the Hebrides (as in the 1915 Hebridean Symphony) and the works of Richard Wagner. Some of his works have an "exotic" element, including the oratorio Omar Khayyám (1906-09). Among his other better-known works are the overture The Pierrot of the Minute (1908) and the Pagan Symphony (1928). Many of his works have been commercially recorded. He was influential in the founding of the City of Birmingham orchestra (later the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra), whose first performance in September 1920 was of his Overture: Saul. He died in London. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.