Eli Hudson

British flute & piccolo player, conductor, arranger, and teacher. Born in 1877 in Kegness, Lincolnshire, England, UK as Elijah Rennison Hudson, but he changed his name officially by deed poll in 1905 - Died 18 January 1919. He enjoyed great success as an orchestral flute player but had a parallel career as a music hall artist. Hudson is best known today as a sensational piccolo virtuoso. He graduated from the Royal College of Music, London in 1889. He, his wife (the Welsh soprano Eleanor Jones Hudson, whom he married in 1899) and his sister, Winifred, formed a trio, Olga, Elgar And Eli Hudson, where Eleanor used the stage name Olga and Winifred called herself Elgar (after their friend, the composer Sir Edward Elgar). During the pre-war period, they travelled around the country topping the bill with their music hall act. He worked with the London Symphony Orchestra (Guest Principal Flute in 1904 and after the war), the Queen's Hall Orchestra, The New Symphony Orchestra Of London (co-founder and Principal Flute), as well as the Crystal Palace Orchestra. He taught at the Royal Military School, Kneller Hall.