Harry Crane Perrin (19 August 1865 – 6 November 1953) was a cathedral organist at Canterbury Cathedral, England, and an academic who served as the first dean of music at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...

, Canada.

Background

Perrin was born in

Wellingborough Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

. He attended Wellingborough Grammar School, and studied music under Sir Robert Prescott Stewart at Trinity College, Dublin, graduating with a Bachelor of Music in 1890, as a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 1892, and as a Doctor of Music in 1901. He composed the cantatas "Abode of Worship" and "Pan's Pipes" (both published by Breitkopf), ''Song of War'' (published by Weekes), morning and evening services, anthems, hymn tunes and songs (some of which were published by

Novello & Co Wise Music Group is a global music publisher, with headquarters in Berners Street, London. In February 2020, Wise Music Group changed its name from The Music Sales Group. In 2014 Wise Music Group (as The Music Sales Group) acquired French cla ...

). He was organist at

St Columba's College, Dublin St Columba's College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school founded in 1843 located in Whitechurch, County Dublin, Ireland. Among the founders of the college were Viscount Adare (who later became The 3rd Earl of Dunraven and M ...

, at Lowestoft, and, following a competition on the organ at Westminster Abbey, at Coventry Cathedral. He was organist and choirmaster at Canterbury Cathedral for ten years. In 1908, he moved to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

to take up an appointment as professor of music at

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

and director of the Conservatorium and was presented to

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

prior to his departure. Perrin restructured the curriculum at the Conservatorium so that instead of simply learning an instrument or singing, students also studied the history and theory of music. In 1920, a Faculty of Music was established at the university, and Perrin was its first dean until his retirement in 1930. He also established an orchestra and a choir there, and developed a Canada-wide system of musical examinations. He married Enid Hilda Pridmore in Coventry in 1896; they had one son and one daughter.Perrin died at his home in Exeter,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, in 1953.

Career

Organist of: * St. Columba's College, Rathfarnham 1886 - 1888 * St. John's Church, Lowestoft 1888 - 1892 * St. Michael's Church, Coventry 1893 - 1898 * Canterbury Cathedral 1898 - 1908

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perrin, Harry Crane English classical organists British male organists Cathedral organists 1865 births 1953 deaths Academic staff of McGill University People from Wellingborough Male classical organists