John Maughan Barnett (21 March 1867 – 31 July 1938) was a New Zealand organist, choirmaster, pianist, composer and conductor.
Early life
He was born in
Leamington, Warwickshire, England on 21 March 1867. He studied piano and composition at the
Crystal Palace School
Crystal Palace School of Art, Science, and Literature, also known as Crystal Palace Company's School of Art, (1854–1936) was opened in 1854 by the Crystal Palace Company as a new enterprise, to occupy part of its buildings when it re-erected t ...
in
Sydenham Sydenham may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sydenham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
** Sydenham railway station, Sydney
* Sydenham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
** Sydenham railway line, the name of the Sunbury railway line, Melbourne un ...
, London.
Career
Barnett was organist and choirmaster at churches in
Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the Weald, High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Roc ...
and
St Leonards, Sussex.
In 1890, for health reasons, he emigrated to
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
,
Tasmania
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, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
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, subdi ...
.
There he was organist and choirmaster at the cathedral, moving to the same position in
Napier Napier may refer to:
People
* Napier (surname), including a list of people with that name
* Napier baronets, five baronetcies and lists of the title holders
Given name
* Napier Shaw (1854–1945), British meteorologist
* Napier Waller (1893–19 ...
, New Zealand in 1893. In England, Tasmania and New Zealand he taught, composed and performed on the organ and piano.
From 1895 he was organist and choirmaster at
St John's Church in Wellington, becoming city organist in 1908. He became
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
city in organist in 1912 until he retired in 1932.
While in Wellington Barnett conducted the Wellington Choral Society and Orchestral Society.
His Musical Society performed the cantata ''Hinemoa'' by
Alfred Hill in November 1896 for the Wellington Industrial Exhibition.
Personal life
Barnett married his first wife Harriett Frances Tugwell in 1889 in Tunbridge Wells. They had three daughters and one son.
Their son, Lewin Maughan Barnett, was killed in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
at
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...
.
Harriett died in 1925 and Barnett was married again in 1935 to Mary Jameson.
He died in Auckland in 1938.
Selected works
Music
Barnett wrote compositions for piano and organ as well as other works including:
* ''Valse Caprice'' (1909) ''–'' for piano
* ''Concert Overture in E minor''
* ''Ode to be sung at the opening of the Canterbury Jubilee Industrial Exhibition'' (1900)
* ''Ode to be sung at the laying of the foundation stone of the
Town Hall, Wellington, by His Royal Highness the
Duke of Cornwall and York
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
'' (1901)
*''Marching song (Auckland Provincial Expeditionary Force)'' (1914)
* ''
Dilworth School
Dilworth School, often referred to simply as Dilworth, is an independent full boarding school for boys in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest full boarding school in both the country and Australasia. Owned and operated by a charitable tru ...
Song'' (1924)
Book
* ''A Short Course of Pianoforte Technique'' (1904)
References
1867 births
1938 deaths
New Zealand conductors (music)
Male conductors (music)
English emigrants to New Zealand
New Zealand classical organists
Male classical organists
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