EDWARD MANNING (1874-1948), born in Saint John, New Brunswick, spent much of his life in the USA. After studying with Edward MacDowell in New York (1896-1902), he travelled to Berlin to study composition with Engelbert Humperdinck (1907-08) and later with Paul Vidal in Paris (1910-11). He taught privately and at Columbia University (1914-1919) in New York, where he was also a music supervisor for the New York City public school system. He wrote a three-act folk opera Rip Van Winkle, which premiered in New York in 1919, as well as piano works and songs.