9 5 9 ) ▁was ▁an ▁English ▁music ▁critic ▁and ▁music ologist . ▁Gro ve ' s ▁Dictionary ▁of ▁Music ▁and ▁Mus icians ▁describes ▁him ▁as ▁" the ▁most ▁celebrated ▁British ▁music ▁critic ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ." ▁His ▁style ▁of ▁criticism , ▁aim ing ▁at ▁intellectual ▁object ivity ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁subject ive ▁approach ▁of ▁other ▁critics , ▁such ▁as ▁Ne ville ▁Card us , ▁was ▁reflected ▁in ▁his ▁books ▁on ▁Richard ▁Wagner , ▁Hugo ▁Wolf , ▁Richard ▁Stra uss ▁and ▁others . ▁He ▁was ▁music ▁critic ▁of ▁The ▁Sunday ▁Times ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁nearly ▁forty ▁years ▁later . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁New man ▁was ▁born ▁William ▁Roberts ▁in ▁Ever ton , ▁a ▁district ▁of ▁Liverpool , ▁the ▁only ▁child ▁of ▁S eth ▁Roberts , ▁a ▁Wel sh ▁tail or , ▁and ▁his ▁second ▁wife ▁Har ri et , ▁n ée ▁Spark , ▁both ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁children ▁by ▁their ▁first ▁mar ri ages . ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁St ▁Sav iour ' s ▁School , ▁Ever ton , ▁Liverpool ▁College ▁and ▁University ▁College , ▁Liverpool , ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁English ▁literature , ▁philosophy ▁and ▁art . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁no ▁formal ▁musical ▁education ▁but ▁taught ▁himself ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁piano ▁" after ▁a ▁fashion ", ▁could ▁read ▁music ▁as ▁easily ▁as ▁books , ▁studied ▁vocal ▁music , ▁composition , ▁harm ony ▁and ▁counter point ,