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P. P. Bilhorn

1865 - 1936 Person Name: P. P. B. Author of "The Church in the Wildwood" in Voices of Victory Pseudonyms: W. Ferris Britcher, Irene Durfee; C. Ferris Holden, P. H. Roblin (a anagram of his name) ================ Peter Philip Bilhorn was born, in Mendota, IL. His father died in the Civil War 3 months before he was born. His early life was not easy. At age 8, he had to leave school to help support the family. At age 15, living in Chicago, he had a great singing voice and sang in German beer gardens there. At this time, he and his brother also formed the Eureka Wagon & Carriage Works in Chicago, IL. At 18 Peter became involved in gospel music, studying under George F. Root and George C. Stebbins. He traveled to the Dakotas and spent some time sharing the gospel with cowboys there. He traveled extensively with D. L. Moody, and was Billy Sunday's song leader on evangelistic endeavors. His evangelistic work took him into all the states of the Union, Great Britain, and other foreign countries. In London he conducted a 4000 voice choir in the Crystal Palace, and Queen Victoria invited him to sing in Buckinghm Palace. He wrote some 2000 gospel songs in his lifetime. He also invented a folding portable telescoping pump organ, weighing 16 lbs. It could be set up in about a minute. He used it at revivals in the late 19th century. He founded the Bilhorn Folding Organ Company in Chicago. IL, and his organ was so popular it was sold all over the world. He edited 10 hymnals and published 11 gospel songbooks. He died in Los Angeles, CA, in 1936. John Perry

Lowell Mason

1792 - 1872 Arranger of "AZMON" in Celebrating Grace Hymnal Dr. Lowell Mason (the degree was conferred by the University of New York) is justly called the father of American church music; and by his labors were founded the germinating principles of national musical intelligence and knowledge, which afforded a soil upon which all higher musical culture has been founded. To him we owe some of our best ideas in religious church music, elementary musical education, music in the schools, the popularization of classical chorus singing, and the art of teaching music upon the Inductive or Pestalozzian plan. More than that, we owe him no small share of the respect which the profession of music enjoys at the present time as contrasted with the contempt in which it was held a century or more ago. In fact, the entire art of music, as now understood and practiced in America, has derived advantage from the work of this great man. Lowell Mason was born in Medfield, Mass., January 8, 1792. From childhood he had manifested an intense love for music, and had devoted all his spare time and effort to improving himself according to such opportunities as were available to him. At the age of twenty he found himself filling a clerkship in a banking house in Savannah, Ga. Here he lost no opportunity of gratifying his passion for musical advancement, and was fortunate to meet for the first time a thoroughly qualified instructor, in the person of F. L. Abel. Applying his spare hours assiduously to the cultivation of the pursuit to which his passion inclined him, he soon acquired a proficiency that enabled him to enter the field of original composition, and his first work of this kind was embodied in the compilation of a collection of church music, which contained many of his own compositions. The manuscript was offered unavailingly to publishers in Philadelphia and in Boston. Fortunately for our musical advancement it finally secured the attention of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society, and by its committee was submitted to Dr. G. K. Jackson, the severest critic in Boston. Dr. Jackson approved most heartily of the work, and added a few of his own compositions to it. Thus enlarged, it was finally published in 1822 as The Handel and Haydn Society Collection of Church Music. Mason's name was omitted from the publication at his own request, which he thus explains, "I was then a bank officer in Savannah, and did not wish to be known as a musical man, as I had not the least thought of ever making music a profession." President Winchester, of the Handel and Haydn Society, sold the copyright for the young man. Mr. Mason went back to Savannah with probably $500 in his pocket as the preliminary result of his Boston visit. The book soon sprang into universal popularity, being at once adopted by the singing schools of New England, and through this means entering into the church choirs, to whom it opened up a higher field of harmonic beauty. Its career of success ran through some seventeen editions. On realizing this success, Mason determined to accept an invitation to come to Boston and enter upon a musical career. This was in 1826. He was made an honorary member of the Handel and Haydn Society, but declined to accept this, and entered the ranks as an active member. He had been invited to come to Boston by President Winchester and other musical friends and was guaranteed an income of $2,000 a year. He was also appointed, by the influence of these friends, director of music at the Hanover, Green, and Park Street churches, to alternate six months with each congregation. Finally he made a permanent arrangement with the Bowdoin Street Church, and gave up the guarantee, but again friendly influence stepped in and procured for him the position of teller at the American Bank. In 1827 Lowell Mason became president and conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society. It was the beginning of a career that was to win for him as has been already stated the title of "The Father of American Church Music." Although this may seem rather a bold claim it is not too much under the circumstances. Mr. Mason might have been in the average ranks of musicianship had he lived in Europe; in America he was well in advance of his surroundings. It was not too high praise (in spite of Mason's very simple style) when Dr. Jackson wrote of his song collection: "It is much the best book I have seen published in this country, and I do not hesitate to give it my most decided approbation," or that the great contrapuntist, Hauptmann, should say the harmonies of the tunes were dignified and churchlike and that the counterpoint was good, plain, singable and melodious. Charles C. Perkins gives a few of the reasons why Lowell Mason was the very man to lead American music as it then existed. He says, "First and foremost, he was not so very much superior to the members as to be unreasonably impatient at their shortcomings. Second, he was a born teacher, who, by hard work, had fitted himself to give instruction in singing. Third, he was one of themselves, a plain, self-made man, who could understand them and be understood of them." The personality of Dr. Mason was of great use to the art and appreciation of music in this country. He was of strong mind, dignified manners, sensitive, yet sweet and engaging. Prof. Horace Mann, one of the great educators of that day, said he would walk fifty miles to see and hear Mr. Mason teach if he could not otherwise have that advantage. Dr. Mason visited a number of the music schools in Europe, studied their methods, and incorporated the best things in his own work. He founded the Boston Academy of Music. The aim of this institution was to reach the masses and introduce music into the public schools. Dr. Mason resided in Boston from 1826 to 1851, when he removed to New York. Not only Boston benefited directly by this enthusiastic teacher's instruction, but he was constantly traveling to other societies in distant cities and helping their work. He had a notable class at North Reading, Mass., and he went in his later years as far as Rochester, where he trained a chorus of five hundred voices, many of them teachers, and some of them coming long distances to study under him. Before 1810 he had developed his idea of "Teachers' Conventions," and, as in these he had representatives from different states, he made musical missionaries for almost the entire country. He left behind him no less than fifty volumes of musical collections, instruction books, and manuals. As a composer of solid, enduring church music. Dr. Mason was one of the most successful this country has introduced. He was a deeply pious man, and was a communicant of the Presbyterian Church. Dr. Mason in 1817 married Miss Abigail Gregory, of Leesborough, Mass. The family consisted of four sons, Daniel Gregory, Lowell, William and Henry. The two former founded the publishing house of Mason Bros., dissolved by the death of the former in 1869. Lowell and Henry were the founders of the great organ manufacturer of Mason & Hamlin. Dr. William Mason was one of the most eminent musicians that America has yet produced. Dr. Lowell Mason died at "Silverspring," a beautiful residence on the side of Orange Mountain, New Jersey, August 11, 1872, bequeathing his great musical library, much of which had been collected abroad, to Yale College. --Hall, J. H. (c1914). Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company.

Joseph Haydn

1732 - 1809 Person Name: F. J. Haydn Composer of "[O praise ye the Lord! prepare your glad voice]" in Bible Songs Franz Joseph Haydn (b. Rohrau, Austria, 1732; d. Vienna, Austria, 1809) Haydn's life was relatively uneventful, but his artistic legacy was truly astounding. He began his musical career as a choirboy in St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, spent some years in that city making a precarious living as a music teacher and composer, and then served as music director for the Esterhazy family from 1761 to 1790. Haydn became a most productive and widely respected composer of symphonies, chamber music, and piano sonatas. In his retirement years he took two extended tours to England, which resulted in his "London" symphonies and (because of G. F. Handel's influence) in oratorios. Haydn's church music includes six great Masses and a few original hymn tunes. Hymnal editors have also arranged hymn tunes from various themes in Haydn's music. Bert Polman

John Warrington Hatton

1710 - 1793 Person Name: H. Hatton Composer of "DUKE STREET" in Hymns of the Advent John Warrington Hatton (b. Warrington, England, c. 1710; d, St. Helen's, Lancaster, England, 1793) was christened in Warrington, Lancashire, England. He supposedly lived on Duke Street in Lancashire, from where his famous tune name comes. Very little is known about Hatton, but he was most likely a Presbyterian, and the story goes that he was killed in a stagecoach accident. Bert Polman

John H. Stockton

1813 - 1877 Person Name: J. H. Stockton Composer of "[Jehovah hear thee in the day]" in Bible Songs Stockton, John Hart, a Methodist minister, was born in 1813, and died in 1877. He was a member of the New Jersey Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the successive pastoral charges that he filled as a member of that Conference are found in the Conference Journal. He was not only a preacher, but a musician and composer of tunes, as well as hymn writer. He published two gospel song books: Salvation Melodies, 1874, and Precious Songs, 1875. Hymn Writers of the Church by Charles Nutter, 1911 =============== Stockton, John Hart, b. April 19, 1813, and d. March 25, 1877, was the author of "Come, every soul by sin oppressed" (Invitation), in I.D. Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos, 1878, and of "The Cross, the Cross, the blood¬stained Cross" (Good Friday) in the same collection. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) =============== Stockton, John Hart. (New Hope, Pennsylvania, April 19, 1813--March 25, 1877). Born of Presbyterian parents, he was converted at a Methodist camp meeting in 1838, being received into full membership in the New Jersey Conference in 1857. Because of ill health he twice took the "supernumerary relations." He withdrew from actual pastoral work in 1874 and engaged in compiling and publishing gospel hymn books, issuing Salvation Melodies that year and Precious Songs in 1875, writing both words and music for a number of the songs. He died suddenly after attending a Sunday morning service at Arch Street Church, Philadelphia. Our Hymnody, McCutchan, has, perhaps, the fullest account of him readily available. --Robert G. McCutchan, DNAH Archives

Albert Midlane

1825 - 1909 Person Name: A. Midlane (1825-1909) Author of "Revive your church, O Lord" in Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) Midlane, Albert, was born at Newport, Isle of Wight, Jan. 23, 1825, and was engaged in business in that town for many years. To his Sunday school teacher he ascribes the honour of prompting him to poetic efforts: and the same teacher did much to shape his early life. His first printed hymn, "Hark! in the presence of our God," was written in September, 1842, at Carisbrooke Castle, and printed in the Youth’s Magazine in November of the same year. Since then he has written over 300, and of these a large proportion are in common use. They appeared in magazines and small mission hymn-books, including:— (1) The Youth's Magazine; (2) The British Messenger; (3) The London Messenger; (4) Trotter's Evangelical Hymn Book, 1860; (5) The Ambassador's Hymn Book, 1861; (6) Second edition of the same, 1868; (7)Hymn Book for Youth; (8) Good News for the Little Ones, 1860; (9) William Carter's Gospel Hymn Book, 1862; and several other works of a similar kind. In addition to several small works in prose, Mr. Midlane has gathered his verse together from time to time and published it as:— (1) Poetry addressed to Sabbath School Teachers, 1844; (2) Vecta Garland, 1850; (3) Leaves from Olivet, 1864; (4) Gospel Echoes, 1865; (5) Above the Bright Blue Sky, 1867; (6) Early Lispings, 1880. Of the hymns contained in these works nearly 200 have been in common use from 1861 to 1887, the most popular being "There's a Friend for little children." The hymn-books, however, in which many of them are found are usually very small, are used in what are commonly known as Gospel Missions, and have gradually given way to other and more important collections. We therefore append only those hymns which are at the present time in use in official or quasi-official hymn-books, or such collections as have a wide circulation. Those hymns which are omitted from the following list may be found in the works given above, and especially in the Gospel Echoes. The bracketed dates below are those of the composition of the hymns. i. Given in Trotter's Evangelical Hymn Book, 1860. 1. How sweet the cheering words. (Aug. 1860.) The Gospel. 2. Lord Jesus, save! (July 1860.) Lent. ii. Given in The Ambassador's Hymn Book, 1861. 3. Angels rejoice o'er sinners saved. (Aug. 1860.) Joy in Heaven over Repenting Sinners. 4. Come to the royal feast. (Aug. 1860.) The Gospel Feast. 5. Father, bless the heavenly message. (Aug. 1860.) Divine blessing implored. 6. How vast, how full, how free. (Aug. 1860.) Divine Mercy. 7. I am not told to labour. (June 25, 1860.) Salvation by Faith. 8. Jesus died upon the tree. (Aug. 13, 1860.) Good Friday. 9. Lord, prepare the hearts of sinners. (Aug. 28, 1861.) Preparation of the heart. 10. Not all the gold of all the world. Peace through Jesus. 11. Now we'll render to the Saviour. (Sept. 1, 1861.) Praise for Salvation. 12. O what a gift the Father gave. (Aug. 22, 1860.) The Gift of The Son. 13. O what a Saviour is Jesus the Lord. (Aug. 29, 1861.) Jesus the Saviour. 14. Passing onward, quickly passing. (Sept. 10, 1861.) Prepared? 15. Salvation, Lord, is Thine. (Aug., 1860.) Salvation through Jesus. 16. Sinner, where is room for doubting? (Sept., 1861.) Expostulation. 17. Soft the voice of mercy sounded. Grace. 18. The perfect righteousness of God. (Sept. 21, 1861.) God our Righteousness. 19. There is a throne of grace. (Sept. 14, 1860.) The Throne of Grace. 20. We speak of the mercy of God. (Sept. 19, 1861.) Divine Mercy. iii. Given in W. Carter's Gospel Hymn Book, 1863. 21. Can any say, I do believe ? (Aug., 1860.) Assurance in Christ. 22. If Jesus came to seek and save. (Oct., 1861.) Salvation in Jesus. iv. Given in Leaves from Olivet, 1864. 23. See the blessed Saviour dying. (Oct. 5, 1860.) Good Friday. 24. Sweet the theme of Jesus' love. (April 22, 1862.) The Love of Jesus. v. Given in Gospel Echoes, 1865. 25. Come and welcome to the Saviour. (June 8, 1862) Invitation. 26. God be gracious to a sinner. (May 21, 1861.) Lent. 27. God speaks from heaven; in love He speaks. (July, 1860.) Love and Mercy of God. 28. Hark! the cry, Behold He cometh. (June 8, 1862.) Advent. 29. He saves because He will. (April 20, 1862.) The "I Wills" of Jesus. 30. How solemn are the words. (Aug. 1, 1865.) The New Birth. 31. Himself He could not save. (Sept. 1861.) Good Friday. 32. I once was bound in Satan's chains. Pardon. 33. Jesus lived. He lived for sinners. (Jan. 4, 1862.) Easter. 34. Jesus never answered "Nay." (May 13, 1862.) Jesus always the same. 35. Jesus the blessed centre is. (June 8, 1862). Father glorified in the Son. 36. Jesus, the risen Saviour. (July 31, 1862.) Easter. 37. Jesus, the soul that trusts in Thee. (May 7, 1864.) Salvation through Jesus. 38. Look, poor sinner, look to Calvary. Good Friday. 39. Lord, when I think upon the love. (Oct. 1, 1860.) The Love of Jesus. 40. Peace with God ! How great a treasure (Oct. 18, 1861.) Peace. 41. Salvation! What a precious word. (Nov. 22, 1861.) Salvation. 42. Scripture says Where sin abounded. (March 3, 1862.) Abounding Grace. 43. Shall Jesus' love be spoken? (May 4, 1862.) Love of Jesus. 44. The Lamb was slain, the blood was brought. (Aug. 24,1862.) The Passover. 45. The silver trumpets sounding. (May 7, 1862.) The Year of Jubilee. 46. There is a rest for weary souls. (Dec. 4, 1863.) Rest. Peace in Jesus. 47. 'Tis the voice of mercy calls thee. (Nov. 5, 1861.) Mercy. 48. When the Saviour said "'Tis finished" (Oct. 1861.) Good Friday. 49. When God begins His gracious work. (Dec. 27, 1860.) God Unchangeable. 50. Who can praise the blessed God ? (Oct. 1861.) Praise for Salvation. 51. Why those fears, poor trembling sinner. Safety in Jesus. vi. Given in the Ambassador's Hymn Book, 2nd ed., 1868. 52. Life from the dead, eternal life. (Oct. 11, 1867.) Work of the Holy Spirit. 53. Stern justice cries for blood. (March 2, 1867.) The Atonement. vii. Various. 54. Apart from every worldly care. (June 1866.) Prayer Meetings. Written for Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book 1866. 55. Be not weary, toiling Christian. (Feb. 1857.) Encouragement. In the British Messenger, Sept. 1857. 56. Eighteen hundred years ago. (Aug. 1859.) Fulness of Time. In the London Messenger, April, 1861. 57. Father, for Thy promised blessing. (Feb. 20, 1860.) Outpouring of the Spirit desired. In The Revival, July, 1860. 58. God bless our Sunday School. Sunday School Anniversary. First printed in the Baptist Children's Magazine, July, 1844. It has passed into numerous collections for children, but usually st. ii. is omitted, thus reducing it to 3 st. 59. He comes! He comes! the Bridegroom comes. (Sept. 9, 1850.) Advent. In The Present Testimony, 1851. 60. Kept by the power of God. (May 6 ,1858.) Security in God. In the London Messenger, Sept., 1860. 61. Let the waves of blessing roll. (Jan. 6, 1868.) Missions. In the Enlarged London Hymn Book, 1873. 62. Lord, 'our waiting spirits bow. (June, 1866.) Prayer Meetings. Written for Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book 1866. 63. Love us freely, blessed Jesus. (July 2, 1858.) Lent. In the Churchman's Penny Magazine. Oct., 1858. 64. Never perish! words of mercy. Mercy in Christ. Printed in the monthly Girdle, June, 1857, and in the British Messenger, Aug. 1857, in 4 double st. In the collections it is reduced to the first two stanzas. 65. No separation, O my soul. (May 6, 1863.) Perseverance. In the British Herald, Aug., 1863. 66. Nought but the voice of God can speak. (Jan. 29, 1863.) All things are of God. In the 1873 Appendix to Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory. 67. Now, O joy, my sins are pardoned. Pardon and Peace. (Nov. 9, 1860). Printed in the London Messenger, March, 1861, then in the Gospel Echoes, 1865; and then in several hymn-books. The original began, "Once I sang, but not in earnest." Usually st. ii., iii., of 8 l, are given as "Now, O joy, &c." 68. O art thou an heir of glory? (June 4, 1861.) Cautions. In Hymn Book for Youth, 1862. 69. O what a glorious truth is this. (Aug. 3, 1860.) Jesus Died. In the London Messenger, Sept., 1860. 70. Once it was mine, the cup of wrath. (Aug. 8, 1860.) Wrath and Pardon. In the London Messenger, Oct., 1861. 71. Onward, upward, heavenward. (Feb. 7, 1860.) Pressing Onward. In the London Messenger, March, 186l. 72. Perennial spring of pure delight. (March 17, 1864.) Jesus All in All. In the London Messenger, Jan., 1865. 73. Sheltered by the [Thy] sprinkled blood. (Sept. 23, 1863.) Safety in Jesus. In the London Messenger, Feb. 1864. 74. Showers of blessing, gracious promise. (April 19, 1862.) Missions. In the London Messenger, Aug., 1862, and Leaves from Olivet, 1864. 75. The Church of God, amazing, precious thought. (July 6, 1857.) The Church. In The Present Testimony, 1858, and Leaves from Olivet, 1864. 76. The whispers of Thy love divine. (May 3, 1868.) Love of God. In the Island Greeting, Oct., 1872. 77. Though billows round me roll. (April 2, 1853.) Trust. In Food for Christ's Flock, 1853. 78. 'Tis finished, cried the dying Lamb. (Feb. 21, 1850.) Good Friday. In the Baptist Children's Magazine, 1850). 79. Tis heaven where Jesus is. (Oct. 23, 1862.) Joy and Peace in Jesus. In the Enlarged London Hymn Book, 1873. 80. Together all things work for good. (Aug. 14, 1860.) All work for Good. In the Enlarged London Hymn Book, 1813. 81. Waiting for Jesus, and loving while waiting. (Jan. 9, 1872.) Second Advent desired. In the 1873 Appendix to Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory. 82. Without a cloud between. (Mar. 18,1862.) Jesus, Face to Face. In the London Messenger, June, 1862. 83. Yet awhile; how sweet the thought. (Dec, 1864.) Second Advent desired. In theLondon Messenger, 1865. The collections in which these hymns are mainly found are Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, 1866; Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872-3; Hurditch's Enlarged London Hymn Book, 1873, and smaller books for Evangelical mission work. Of Mr. Midlane's hymns as a whole, Miher's estimate that "His hymns are full of spiritual thought, careful in their wording, and often very pleasing without reaching the highest form of poetical excellence " (Singers and Songs, p. 572), is just. A marked feature of these hymns is the constant and happy use of Scripture phraseology. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ======================== Midlane, A., p. 733, ii. Mr. Midlane published in 1901 The Bright Blue Sky Hymn Book, of 315 of his hymns, and the same year The Gospel Hall Hymn Book, for use in the Gospel Hall, Newport, I.W., with 218 additional, making 533 original compositions. A broad-sheet of seven special hymns for Jewish children, in connection with the Mildmay Mission to the Jews, was also issued in December, 1904. Other publications previously noticed give, with these, over 800 hymns to Mr. Midlane as his contribution to the hymnody of the Church. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

James Rowe

1865 - 1933 Author of "The Church in the Wildwood" in Calvary's Praises Pseudonym: James S. Apple. James Rowe was born in England in 1865. He served four years in the Government Survey Office, Dublin Ireland as a young man. He came to America in 1890 where he worked for ten years for the New York Central & Hudson R.R. Co., then served for twelve years as superintendent of the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society. He began writing songs and hymns about 1896 and was a prolific writer of gospel verse with more than 9,000 published hymns, poems, recitations, and other works. Dianne Shapiro, from "The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers" by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (Chicago: The Rodeheaver Company, 1916)

Delores Dufner

b. 1939 Person Name: Delores Dufner, OSB, b. 1939 Author of "Sing a New Church" in Worship (4th ed.) Delores Dufner is a member of St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, with Master's Degrees in Liturgical Music and Liturgical Studies. She is currently a member and a Fellow of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, the National Pastoral Musicians (NPM), the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), and the Monastic Worship Forum. Delores is a writer of liturgical, scripturally based hymn and song texts which have a broad ecumenical appeal and are contracted or licensed by 34 publishers in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and China. She has received more than 50 commissions to write texts for special occasions or needs and has published over 200 hymns, many of which have several different musical settings and appear in several publications. She is the author of three hymn collections: Sing a New Church (1994, Oregon Catholic Press), The Glimmer of Glory in Song (2004, GIA Publications), and And Every Breath, a Song (2011, GIA Publications). Delores, the middle child of five, was born and raised on a farm in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. She attended a one-room country school in which she learned to read music and play the tonette, later studying piano and organ. Delores was a school music teacher, private piano and organ instructor, and parish organist/choir director for twelve years. She served as liturgy coordinator for her religious community of 775 members for six years and as Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota for fifteen years. She subsequently worked as a liturgical music consultant for the Diocese of Ballarat, Victoria in southeast Australia for fifteen months. At present, she is preparing a fourth hymn collection and assisting with liturgy planning and music leadership at the monastery. Delores Dufner

Orlando Gibbons

1583 - 1625 Composer of "SONG 13" in Baptist Hymnal (1975 ed) Orlando Gibbons (baptised 25 December 1583 – 5 June 1625) was an English composer, virginalist and organist of the late Tudor and early Jacobean periods. He was a leading composer in the England of his day. Gibbons was born in Cambridge and christened at Oxford the same year – thus appearing in Oxford church records. Between 1596 and 1598 he sang in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where his brother Edward Gibbons (1568–1650), eldest of the four sons of William Gibbons, was master of the choristers. The second brother Ellis Gibbons (1573–1603) was also a promising composer, but died young. Orlando entered the university in 1598 and achieved the degree of Bachelor of Music in 1606. James I appointed him a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, where he served as an organist from at least 1615 until his death. In 1623 he became senior organist at the Chapel Royal, with Thomas Tomkins as junior organist. He also held positions as keyboard player in the privy chamber of the court of Prince Charles (later King Charles I), and organist at Westminster Abbey. He died at age 41 in Canterbury of apoplexy, and a monument to him was built in Canterbury Cathedral. A suspicion immediately arose that Gibbons had died of the plague, which was rife in England that year. Two physicians who had been present at his death were ordered to make a report, and performed an autopsy, the account of which survives in The National Archives: We whose names are here underwritten: having been called to give our counsels to Mr. Orlando Gibbons; in the time of his late and sudden sickness, which we found in the beginning lethargical, or a profound sleep; out of which, we could never recover him, neither by inward nor outward medicines, & then instantly he fell in most strong, & sharp convulsions; which did wring his mouth up to his ears, & his eyes were distorted, as though they would have been thrust out of his head & then suddenly he lost both speech, sight and hearing, & so grew apoplectical & lost the whole motion of every part of his body, & so died. Then here upon (his death being so sudden) rumours were cast out that he did die of the plague, whereupon we . . . caused his body to be searched by certain women that were sworn to deliver the truth, who did affirm that they never saw a fairer corpse. Yet notwithstanding we to give full satisfaction to all did cause the skull to be opened in our presence & we carefully viewed the body, which we found also to be very clean without any show or spot of any contagious matter. In the brain we found the whole & sole cause of his sickness namely a great admirable blackness & syderation in the outside of the brain. Within the brain (being opened) there did issue out abundance of water intermixed with blood & this we affirm to be the only cause of his sudden death. His death was a shock to peers and the suddenness of his passing drew comment more for the haste of his burial – and of its location at Canterbury rather than the body being returned to London. His wife, Elizabeth, died a little over a year later, aged in her mid-30s, leaving Orlando's eldest brother, Edward, to care for the children left orphans by this event. Of these children only the eldest son, Christopher Gibbons, went on to become a musician. One of the most versatile English composers of his time, Gibbons wrote a quantity of keyboard works, around thirty fantasias for viols, a number of madrigals (the best-known being "The Silver Swan"), and many popular verse anthems. His choral music is distinguished by his complete mastery of counterpoint, combined with his wonderful gift for melody. Perhaps his most well known verse anthem is This is the record of John, which sets an Advent text for solo countertenor or tenor, alternating with full chorus. The soloist is required to demonstrate considerable technical facility at points, and the work at once expresses the rhetorical force of the text, whilst never being demonstrative or bombastic. He also produced two major settings of Evensong, the Short Service and the Second Service. The former includes a beautifully expressive Nunc dimittis, while the latter is an extended composition, combining verse and full sections. Gibbons's full anthems include the expressive O Lord, in thy wrath, and the Ascension Day anthem O clap your hands together for eight voices. He contributed six pieces to the first printed collection of keyboard music in England, Parthenia (to which he was by far the youngest of the three contributors), published in about 1611. Gibbons's surviving keyboard output comprises some 45 pieces. The polyphonic fantasia and dance forms are the best represented genres. Gibbons's writing exhibits full mastery of three- and four-part counterpoint. Most of the fantasias are complex, multisectional pieces, treating multiple subjects imitatively. Gibbons's approach to melody in both fantasias and dances features a capability for almost limitless development of simple musical ideas, on display in works such as Pavane in D minor and Lord Salisbury's Pavan and Galliard. In the 20th century, the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould championed Gibbons's music, and named him as his favorite composer. Gould wrote of Gibbons's hymns and anthems: "ever since my teen-age years this music ... has moved me more deeply than any other sound experience I can think of." In one interview, Gould compared Gibbons to Beethoven and Webern: ...despite the requisite quota of scales and shakes in such half-hearted virtuoso vehicles as the Salisbury Galliard, one is never quite able to counter the impression of music of supreme beauty that lacks its ideal means of reproduction. Like Beethoven in his last quartets, or Webern at almost any time, Gibbons is an artist of such intractable commitment that, in the keyboard field, at least, his works work better in one's memory, or on paper, than they ever can through the intercession of a sounding-board. To this day, Gibbons's obit service is commemorated every year in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. --wikipedia.org

George James Webb

1803 - 1887 Composer of "WEBB" in The Hymnal and Order of Service George James Webb, b. 1803,England; d. 1887, Orange, N. J. Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal, 1908