[1] Crook was born in Marylebone, London, and had a privileged musical education, as protégé of an aunt and uncle, the well-known artistes Madame De Belleville and violinist Antonio James Oury.
[a][2] After completing his studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London, he joined a grand opera company as violinist, and was soon promoted to chorus master and pianist at rehearsals.
[1] His writing for the stage includes, The Lady Slavey at the Avenue Theatre The New Barmaid (also billed as The Lady Barmaid), The County Councillor at the Duke of York's Theatre, Jaunty Jane Shore (a parody of The Tragedy of Jane Shore)[4] at The Strand, The Kodak, or King Kodak, at Terry's, Venus, Orpheus, Black and White, House of Lords, the "gloriously tuneful"[5] Peter Pan, and several musical comedies composed for Arthur Roberts: Lancelot the Lovely, Don Quixote, Claude Duval, and Robinson Crusoe.
[2] In August 1900 George Musgrove sailed for Australia with an English company for a six-week season of grand opera, with Crook as one conductor, Gustave Slapoffski, already in Melbourne, as the other.
[6] Their first performance in Australia was Il Trovatore at Musgrave's newly acquired and refurbished Princess Theatre, on Saturday, 13 October 1900, and was hailed by critics.