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(See also Julian p.141a)
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His brother John, Vicar of Acton, Suffolk and then Rector of Sapcote, Leicestershire, was also a hymn writer and editor. A nephew (John's second son), also Edward, became Dean of Lichfield; and another nephew (John's fourth son Robert) became Bishop of Ripon. Yet another Edward (1850-97) emigrated to Japan and became Bishop of South Tokyo; but his relationship to the others has not been ascertained. The best known member (hymnologically speaking) of this distinguished and influential family was Edward Henry Bickersteth, son of the Edward Bickersteth of this article, who later became Bishop of Exeter, and who continued and considerably expanded the hymnological work begun by his father as well as contributing many hymns of his own.
(See also DNB; Julian p.141b)
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Son of Edward Bickersteth (1786-1850).
(See also DNB; Julian pp.141b-142a)
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- ( words and music )
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(See also DNB; Julian p.143a)
An obituary notice appeared in the Year Book of the Congregational Union of England & Wales, 1893.
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After studying at the Royal College of Music he was organist of St Thomas's, Regent Street, London 1950-53; All Saints' Margaret Street 1953-58; Chichester Cathedral 1958-80; and of the Temple Church since 1982. He has been organist to the Royal Choral Society since 1966 and Curator-Organist of the Royal Albert Hall since 1984.
(See also GDM)
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Although his place of birth is unknown, it may be significant that he named many of his hymn-tunes after towns in mid-Berkshire. He was organist of Winchester College 1695-1737, lay Vicar of the Cathedral 1696 and organist 1729-37. He is buried in the cloisters of the College, where a Latin inscription honours his integrity and musicianship during his 42 years' service there.
(It has often been said that he was temporary organist and lay clerk of King's College Cambridge in 1687, but that was probably a namesake.)
(See also DNB; GDM)
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While studying at the Royal College of Music he was organist of All Saints', Child's Hill, Hampstead. He then taught at Twyford preparatory School, Winchester, 1929-35; and was Director of Music at Worksop College 1935-45, and at Malvern College 1945-68.
He was an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 1946-80; President of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, 1973-74; editor, 1948-58, of the RSCM's quarterly English Church Music; music editor of The Worksop College Hymn Book 1938 and the Malvern College Hymn Supplement 1955; and co-editor of Hymns for Church & School 1964.
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(See also DNB; Julian p.151b)
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(See also DNB; Julian pp.161-162a)
The last of these hymn collections, edited by Horatius Bonar's son H.N.Bonar, contains an extended Introduction incorporating biographical details about the hymn writer. This is separately transcribed here > > > .
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For details of some published biographies, click here > > .
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He was educated at Plaistow School and then, with a view to ministry in the Baptist Church, at Rawdon College, Leeds. He was ordained in 1884, and served in Baptist pastorates at Sale, Cheshire, and at Portland Chapel, Southampton. There followed a long period as Secretary of the National Sunday School Union (1900-29), including a year as its President in 1922-23; after retirement from the NSSU he was elected Presedent of the Baptist Union for 1931-32.
He was known as much as a musician as a Baptist minister, both as a composer of cantatas and hymn-tunes and as a conductor of choral festivals. His best-known works, however, were the editing of the Sunday School Hymnary of 1905 and three volumes of Child Songs (1908- ), together with his chairmanship of the Editorial Committees (including its Tunes Committee) for the Revised Baptist Church Hymnal 1933 and its immediate predecessor, the supplement to the 1900 BCH (Hymns for Today 1930)
In his day he greatly contributed to the raising of standards of music for worship used by children and young people. Most of his actual output has not survived, having been overtaken by several generations of new ideas in this particular area; but his influence in this continually changing field has been of historic importance.
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Initially largely self-taught in music, he was organist of the Wesleyan Chapel, Banbury 1867-76; then, after study at the Royal Academy of Music, he was organist and choirmaster at Park Chapel (Congregational), Crouch End, N.London, 1877-1918.
He selected and edited the anthems for the Congregational Church Hymnal 1887, and was chief music adviser to the committee for the Congregational Hymnary 1916. He composed an oratorio, a cantata, several school operettas, part-songs, anthems, chants and over 100 hymn-tunes.
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(See also Julian p.163b)
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He was an adherent of John Calvin, and in 1541 joined him in Geneva. There he served as cantor in the churches of St Pierre and St Gervais; and in 1545 became master of the choristers. In 1547 the city granted him citizenship but, in view of the importance of his work, exempted him from such duties as serving with the town guard and working on the fortifications, and presented him with a stove for his apartment.
Under Calvin's patronage he was music editor of the first (partial) French psalter (1542) and of various expanded editions over the next decade. In 1547 he prepared two harmonized psalters, one with Genevan and one with independent melodies; these were for private use since, for worship in the Genevan Reformed churches, Calvin required unaccompanied unison singing only (a ruling not rescinded until the 19th century). Calvin's disapproval of harmonized singing probably explains why Bourgeois had those two books printed in Lyon.
His last psalter, printed at Geneva in 1551, led to his imprisonment for altering tunes without authorization; but Calvin, although personally remonstrating with him, secured his release within twenty-four hours. (The alterations later received official approval!) Also in 1551 Bourgeois's salary was reduced, supposedly because of a shortage of public funds; although Calvin interceded for him, he never succeeded in getting an increase. This, together with the strong opposition of some of the people to part-singing and Calvin's refusal to allow either the printing or the singing of harmonized tunes, led Bourgeois to leave Geneva for Lyon in 1552 and later to return to Paris. He is known to have been in Paris in 1561 when he published harmonizations of all the psalm melodies then in use; but thereafter he disappears from history.
How many of the melodies in the 1551 psalter were his own composition is unknown - most were probably adaptations of earlier melodies - but he was responsible for the final forms of 85 of the 125 tunes in the complete psalter, and of the 17 tunes he took from the 1539 Strasbourg Psalter for his edition of 1542.
He published a text-book on singing in 1550. It is said that Calvin's influence at Geneva owed much to the enthusiasm engendered by the congregational singing of Bourgeois's melodies.
(See also GDM; OCM)
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A son of a G.P. and a great-grandson of J.B.Dykes, he was educated at Cheltenham College and became an articled pupil of Sir Herbert Brewer, organist of Gloucester Cathedral. He was organ scholar of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; organist of Truro Cathedral 1926-29; New College, Oxford 1930-33; Durham Cathedral 1933-36; St Paul's Cathedral 1936-67.
He was one of the music editors of Ancient & Modern (Revised) 1950 and, as chairman of the Board of Hymns Ancient and Modern, was closely involved with its two supplements 100 Hymns for Today 1969 and More Hymns for Today 1980. He was knighted in 1968.
(See also DNB; GDM; OCM)
and the hymn-books referenced above.
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(See also DNB; Julian pp.166-167a)
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He was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral, then an articled pupil of the organist there, Maurice Greene. In spite of impaired hearing, he was organist of several London churches including St Michael's, Cornhill 1736-68, conductor of the Three Choirs Festival, and composer to (and later an organist of) the Chapel Royal. He succeeded Greene as Master of the King's Band in 1756 and worked for Garrick at the Drury Lane Theatre.
Increasing deafness having compelled him to give up his various posts, he devoted himself to editing the large and celebrated collection of Cathedral Music begun by Maurice Greene (1760, 1768, 1773). He composed eight symphonies, 46 anthems, five services, songs (including `Heart of oak'), instrumental and theatre music. He is buried beneath the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.
(See also DNB; GDM; OCM)
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Xrefs:
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(See also DNB; Julian p.920a)
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He was for two years assistant organist at Worcester Cathedral, and then Director of Music at Lancing College from 1913-34. He then retired to devote himself to composition and writing and speaking on musical topics.
His compositions, mostly unpublished, include concertos, choral works and a number of light operas.
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(or Von Brethorst, Leona)
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His "devotional" treatise, The Christian Sacrament and Sacrifice (1673), was abridged by John Wesley and included as the preface to Hymns on the Lord's Supper (John & Charles Wesley) 1745.
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End of Biographies B2 Return to Top . . .
(The Rejoice & Sing Enchiridion:edited by David Goodall; last amended 14/5/03)