John Larkin Hopkins (25 November 1819 – 25 April 1873) was an English organist and composer, mostly of church music.

Life

He was born in Westminster on 25 November 1819, son of Edward Hopkins, a musician. The organist

Edward John Hopkins Dr. Edward John Hopkins FRCO (30 June 1818 - 4 February 1901) was an English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an ...

was a cousin. He sang for several years as chorister boy in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

James Turle James Turle (5 March 1802 – 28 June 1882) was an English organist and composer, best known today as the writer of several widely sung Anglican chants and the hymn tune "Westminster" sung to the words of Frederick William Faber "My God, how wond ...

being the organist and master of the choristers. After leaving the abbey choir Hopkins devoted himself to the study of music, and particularly of the organ, with such success that in 1841, aged 22, he was chosen to succeed Ralph Banks as organist of

Rochester Cathedral Rochester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an English church of Norman architecture in Rochester, Kent. The church is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rochester in the Church of England and the s ...

. In 1842 Hopkins took the degree of Mus. Bac. at Cambridge University, and in 1856 was elected organist at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

; he resigned his appointment at Rochester and moved to Cambridge. He proceeded to the degree of Mus. Doc. in 1857. He died at

Ventnor Ventnor () is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, from Newport. It is situated south of St Boniface Down, and built on steep slopes leading down to the sea. ...

, Isle of Wight, on 25 April 1873.

Compositions

His compositions include ''Five Glees and a Madrigal'' (London, 1842); cathedral services in C flat and E flat (London, 1857); a collection of anthems, and several other services, anthems, songs, glees, and carols. He was the author of ''A New Vocal Tutor'' (London, 1855), and he published in 1847, with the Rev. S. Shepherd, a collection of words of anthems used in Rochester Cathedral.

References

Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, John Larkin 1819 births 1873 deaths People from Westminster 19th-century organists English classical organists British male organists Classical composers of church music Glee composers 19th-century British male musicians Male classical organists Cathedral organists