Edward J Dent

Edward J Dent (1876–1967) was a writer on music.

He was born at Ribston Hall, Yorkshire and studied music at Eton College and King's College Cambridge. He was elected a fellow of King's in 1902. In 1918 he moved to London and became a music critic, returning to Cambridge in 1926 as Professor of Music. In 1928 he helped to found the International Society for Contemporary Music, becoming its President. In 1941 he moved to London.

His closest friends were Lawrence Haward and J. B. Trend, but he began a close friendship with Clive Carey in 1902 which continued until Edward Dent's death. Clive Carey was a 19-year-old organ scholar at Clare College. Edward Dent wrote him over four hundred letters during their friendship. Another friend was E. M. Forster who represented him as the character Philip Herriton in Where Angels Fear To Tread. Edward Dent also introduced Ronald Firbank to Rupert Brooke. Edward Dent was part of a circle of gay men at Cambridge which included A. T. 'Theo' Bartholomew. In the summer of 1915 they met Gabriel Atkin who was in Cambridge for his officer training. In August that year they also met Siegfried Sassoon who arrived in Cambridge for the same reason. Gabriel Atkin had already left but Edward Dent engaged in some matchmaking and encouraged Siegfried Sassoon and Gabriel Atkin to meet, which they did in November, 1918. This was the start of an affair of several years.