In 1877 Gaul started teaching the first classes in the theory of music, harmony and counterpoint at the Birmingham and Midland Institute, marking the first step towards providing a fully rounded musical instruction at the institution that would eventually become Birmingham Conservatoire. He would later be appointed as professor of orchestration and composition at the school. He taught singing and harmony at the King Edward VI High School for Girls. Gaul wrote a large quantity of choral music in a simple melodious style influenced by Spohr and Mendelssohn. His cantatas were widely performed on the music festival circuit, with the best known The Holy City -- premiered at the Birmingham Music Festival in 1882 -- being the most popular of its era.
Gaul
Mendelssohn