Joseph Robinson (16 August 1815 – 23 August 1898) was an Irish composer, baritone, conductor, and teacher.

Biography

Joseph Robinson was the youngest son of Francis Robinson senior, a "writing master" at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and a founding member of the Philharmonic Society, Dublin. Joseph was a chorister at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, between 1823 and 1831. When his voice broke he succeeded his brother John (1810–1844) as organist of Sandford Church, Dublin. He was a vicar choral (singer) at Christ Church (1836–43) and St Patrick's (1843–8 and again 1854–6). Together with his three brothers Francis junior (c.1799–1872), William (1805–1881), and John (1810–1844) they were known as "the four wonderful brothers", frequently performing glees and partsongs as a vocal quartet. In 1834, Robinson founded the Antient Concerts Society, a private choral society that grew to become Dublin's leading orchestral and choral society and the "hub of Dublin's musical life" in the mid-19th century and conducted it until 1862. Later he also conducted the University of Dublin Choral Society (1876–88) and the Philharmonic Society. At a performance of

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's oratorio ''Elijah'' at Birmingham in August 1846, Robinson (successfully) asked Mendelssohn to orchestrate the accompaniment of his ''Hear my Prayer'' for performance by the Antient Concerts Society. He married the English pianist Fanny Arthur (1831–1879; later known as "Mrs Joseph Robinson" or Fanny Robinson) in 1849, and their house at 3 Upper Fitzwilliam Street became a centre for visiting international musicians, including

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. He liked conducting at massive choral and orchestral occasions such as the 1852 Cork Industrial Exhibition, the 1853 Great Industrial Exhibition in Dublin, the 1865 Dublin International Exhibition of Fine Arts and Manufactures, and the centenaries of

Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...

(1875) and

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...

(1879). Robinson was a co-founder of the

Royal Irish Academy of Music The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) in Dublin, Ireland, is one of Europe's oldest music conservatoires, specialising in classical music and the Irish harp. It is located in a Georgian building on Westland Row in Dublin. An institution which ...

in 1848 and professor of singing there (1856–75, and again from 1887), also conducting choral and orchestral classes, and a vice-president of the institution's Board of Studies, 1892–6.

Charles Villiers Stanford Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Anglo-Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Romantic music, Romantic era. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was ed ...

was his most prominent (private) pupil. His busy teaching and conducting schedule left comparatively little time for composition. Two evening services and some anthems constitute his religious music, and there are also a number of songs and arrangements of Irish folk songs, the latter particularly lauded by Stanford. He twice declined the conferment of a "Doctor of Music" (MusD) title from Trinity College Dublin, preferring to be known as "Joe Robinson".

Selected compositions

Church music *''Bow Down Thine Ear O Lord'', anthem (1853)Modern edition, with commentary, in Gerard Gillen & Andrew Johnstone (eds.): ''A Historical Anthology of Irish Church Music'' (= ''Irish Musical Studies'' vol. 6) (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2001), p. 147–79. *''Magnificat and Nunc dimittis'' (1867, published 1895) *''Not unto Us O Lord'', anthem (1869) *''Glory to God on High'', service in D major (1895) Piano music *''The Aztec's Polka'' (1853) *''The Magnolia'', polka (1855) *''The Coronella'', polka (1855) *''The Evening Star'', polka (1857) *''The Little Brook's Song'', melody (1866) *''Nocturne'' (1871) *''Etude'' (1872) Songs *''Oh Tell Me Father Why You Weep'' (1845) *''In Dreams When Sleep Falls o'er Me'' (1853) *''Spring is Coming'' (1853) *''Tears and Smiles'' (1858) *''May Song'' (1859) *''The Lost Chord'' (1864) *''Christmas Morn'' (1866) *''Rest Song'' (1870) *''The Loss of the Cornwall'' (1872) *''I Wish I Were on Yonder Hill'' (1874) Partsongs *''Voices of the Dead'' (c.1855) *''When Cold in the Earth'' (1856) *''Eventide'' (1860) *''Sylvan Hours'' (1863) *''A May Carol'' (1871) *''Balmy Night'' (published 1900) Irish folksong arrangements *''Irish Melodies'', new arrangements for voice and piano of Moore's Melodies (c.1863) *''My Gentle Harp'' for four voices (c.1863) *''Six Irish Melodies'' for voice and piano (c.1865) *''The Golden Star'' for voice and piano (1870) *''The Snowy-Breasted Pearl'' for voice and piano (1888) As editor *''Sacred Music of Sir John Stevenson'' (Dublin, c.1840; 2nd ed. c.1857) *''Hymns as Used in Dublin Churches'', ed. with his brothers Francis junior and John (Dublin, c.1858) *''Improved Instructions for the Harmonium with a Selection of Exercises'' (Dublin, 1859) *''The Organist's Friend. Collection of Voluntaries etc.'' (Dublin, 1859–77, 1880) *''The Choralist'', ed. with Francis Robinson jr (Dublin, c.1865)

Bibliography

*"Obituary: Joseph Robinson", in: ''The Musical Times'' 39 (September 1898). *Charles Villiers Stanford: chapter "Joseph Robinson" in ''Studies and Memories'' (London: Archibald Constable & Co., 1908), p. 117–27. *W.H. Grindle: ''Irish Cathedral Music'' (Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1989). *Barra Boydell: ''A History of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin'' (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2004).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Joseph 1815 births 1898 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century conductors (music) 19th-century Irish people Classical composers of church music Composers for piano Glee composers Irish Anglicans Irish choral conductors Irish classical composers Irish conductors (music) Irish music arrangers Irish songwriters Musicians from Dublin (city) Romantic composers