Memorial to Herbert Brewer in Gloucester Cathedral

Sir Alfred Herbert Brewer (21 June 18651 March 1928) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

composer and

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

. As organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1896 until his death, he contributed a good deal to the

Three Choirs Festival 200px, Worcester cathedral 200px, Gloucester cathedral The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester) and originally featu ...

for 30 years.Edwards, F.G. 'Brewer, Sir (Alfred) Herbert', in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001)

Life

Brewer lived in

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

his whole life. He was the organist at two of its churches, and also founded the city's choral society in 1905. He had been a Gloucester Cathedral chorister in his boyhood, and began his organ studies there under C. H. Lloyd. He was educated at the Cathedral School, Oxford and was the first organ scholar at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...

. He matriculated at

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

in 1884. In December 1896 he succeeded C. Lee Williams (1852-1935) as organist and choirmaster of Gloucester Cathedral. His pupils there included Ivor Novello,

Ivor Gurney Ivor Bertie Gurney (28 August 1890 – 26 December 1937) was an English poet and composer, particularly of songs. He was born and raised in Gloucester. He suffered from bipolar disorder through much of his life and spent his last 15 years in ps ...

and

Herbert Howells Herbert Norman Howells (17 October 1892 – 23 February 1983) was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music. Life Background and early education Howells was born in Lydney, Gloucest ...

. Although his professional career was spent in the provinces, his three decades of involvement in planning and organising the

brought him into contact with a wide range of composers and other artistic figures both from Britain and the continent, including

Robert Bridges Robert Seymour Bridges (23 October 1844 – 21 April 1930) was an English poet who was Poet Laureate from 1913 to 1930. A doctor by training, he achieved literary fame only late in life. His poems reflect a deep Christian faith, and he is ...

, Edward Elgar,

Glazunov Glazunov (; feminine: Glazunova) is a Russian surname that may refer to: *Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936), Russian composer ** Glazunov Glacier in Antarctica named after Alexander * Andrei Glazunov, 19th-century Russian trade expedition leader * An ...

, H Rider Haggard,

Hubert Parry Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet (27 February 18487 October 1918) was an English composer, teacher and historian of music. Born in Richmond Hill in Bournemouth, Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is be ...

Arthur Quiller-Couch Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (; 21 November 186312 May 1944) was a British writer who published using the pseudonym Q. Although a prolific novelist, he is remembered mainly for the monumental publication '' The Oxford Book of English Verse ...

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

, Saint-Saëns and

Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

. In 1913 Brewer was entrusted with conducting the premiere of Sibelius's tone-poem for soprano and orchestra, '' Luonnotar'', Op. 70. The soloist was

Aino Ackté Aino Ackté (originally Achte; 24 April 18768 August 1944) was a Finnish soprano. She was the first international star of the Finnish opera scene after Alma Fohström, and a groundbreaker for the domestic field. Biography Ackté was born in ...

.Herbert A Brewer. ''Memories of Choirs and Cloisters''
ed. John Morehen, Stainer & Bell Brewer was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

ed in 1926. His memoirs, ''Memories of Choirs and Cloisters'', were published posthumously in 1931.

Music

As a composer, Brewer was fairly conservative. His output includes church music of all types, cantatas, songs, instrumental works, and orchestral music. Grove divides the works into those with "serious aspirations", such as the cantatas ''Emmaus'' (Gloucester, 1901) and ''The Holy Innocents'' (Gloucester, 1904), and lighter pieces including ''Three Elizabethan Pastorals'' for voice and orchestra (Hereford, 1906), ''Summer Sports'', a suite for chorus and orchestra (Gloucester, 1910), and the song cycle ''Jillian of Berry'' (Hereford, 1921), which "represent him more favourably". 'The Fairy Pipers' was his most popular song, and it was taken up and recorded by

Clara Butt Dame Clara Ellen Butt, (1 February 1872 – 23 January 1936) was an English contralto and one of the most popular singers from the 1890s through to the 1920s. She had an exceptionally fine contralto voice and an agile singing technique, and imp ...

between 1917 and 1921. The greater part of his life was devoted to the advancement of the standards of ecclesiastical music. Some of his church music has been recorded on the

Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...

label.''The Choral Music of Herbert Brewer''
Priory PRCD797
''The Complete Organ Works of Sir Herbert Brewer''
Priory PRCD1057 His

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for " y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical servic ...

and

Nunc dimittis The Nunc dimittis (), also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 through 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate ...

in D major are in the standard repertoire of

Anglican church music Anglican church music is music that is written for Christian worship in Anglican religious services, forming part of the liturgy. It mostly consists of pieces written to be sung by a church choir, which may sing '' a cappella'' or accompanie ...

. An organ work, ''Marche Héroïque'', is also revived from time to time (and was heard at the televised 1979 funeral of Lord Mountbatten).

Works

Organ works

* ''Meditation on the name of BACH'' * ''Solitude'' * ''An impression'' * ''Elegy'' * Introduction and Fugato * ''Marche héroïque'' * ''Reverie'' * ''A Thanksgiving Processional'' * 'Carillon' (Mvmt 3 from ''A Little Organ Book'') * Interlude in F * ''Eventide'' * ''Cloister Garth'' * ''Paean of Praise'' * Canzonetta * Praeludium in Eb

Choral works

* ''Emmaus'', cantata (1901) * ''The Holy Innocents'', cantata (1904) * ''Bow down Thine ear, O Lord'' * ''Brothers in Arms'' a marching song, words by H. Godwin Chance (1914) * ''Fear Not, O Land'' * ''God is our hope and strength'' * ''Let the people praise thee'' * ''I heard the bells'' * Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in D * Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in E flat * Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in F * Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in A

Transcriptions for organ of Elgar's works

* Prelude and "Angel's Farewell", from ''The Dream of Gerontius'', Op. 38 * ''In the South'', Op. 50 * ''Chanson de Matin'', Op. 15/1 * ''Chanson de Nuit'', Op. 15/2

Orchestral

* ''Three Elizabethan Pastorals'' for voice and orchestra (1906) * ''Summer Sports'', suite for chorus and orchestra (1910)

Song

* ''The Fairy Pipers'' (1912), text Frederic Weatherly * ''Jillian of Berry'', song cycle (1921) * ''Miller’s Green'', song cycle (1921) * ''A Sprig of Shamrock: Four Old Irish Airs'', song cycle (1925), text F W Harvey

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brewer, Herbert 1865 births 1928 deaths English composers English classical organists British male organists Cathedral organists People from Gloucester Knights Bachelor Composers awarded knighthoods Musicians awarded knighthoods Musicians from Gloucestershire Pupils of Charles Villiers Stanford Male classical organists