Montague Thomas Robson Younger (25 June 1836 – 26 December 1899) was an Australian church musician, music teacher and organist. Younger was born in Sydney,

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and died in

Ashfield, Sydney Ashfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 8 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district. Ashfield's population is highly multicultural. Its urban density is ...

. He was the first

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 ...

St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney St Andrew's Cathedral (also known as St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral) is a cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia. The cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan o ...

and has been described as "the first native of Sydney to reach eminence as an organist".E. J. Lea-Scarlett, ''Montague Thomas Robson Younger''
Australian Dictionary of Biography online (accessed 3 July 2009) Montague Younger was born in Sydney on 25 June 1836, the third son of Charles Younger, an

ironmonger Ironmongery originally referred, first, to the manufacture of iron goods and, second, to the place of sale of such items for domestic rather than industrial use. In both contexts, the term has expanded to include items made of steel, aluminium ...

, and his wife Harriett, née Mills. Charles Younger was organist at St Thomas's Church, North Sydney and a founding member of the Sydney Philharmonic Society in 1854. Montague attended a private school at

Surry Hills Surry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. Surry Hills is surround ...

conducted by Rev. Thomas L. Dodd. and took music lessons from Stephen Marsh and later from C. S. Packer. At the age of 12 years he succeeded his father as organist at St Thomas's, and also served as organist at St Peter's Church, Cook's River. Younger became a partner in his father's firm, Younger and Son, ironmongers, until 1865. On 26 October 1865 he was married to Anna Maria Reilly at St Peter's Church. In 1865 the couple moved to Ipswich, Queensland, where Younger was appointed organist of St Paul's Church and director of the local Philharmonic Society. In 1868 Younger became the first organist of the newly opened St Andrew's Cathedral, in which post he served for over thirty years.Peter Hughes, ''Montague Younger : first organist of St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney : 12 October 1868 – 26 December 1899'', pp. 21-22 Younger became vice-warden of the Sydney College of Music and was chairman of the committee for the specifications of the organ in the

Sydney Town Hall The Sydney Town Hall is a late 19th-century heritage-listed town hall building in the city of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, housing the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, council offices, and venues for meetings an ...

. He was an influential music teacher; one of his pupils, Arthur Mason being appointed City of Sydney Organist. Younger was a judge at the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879–80. Younger died of broncho-pneumonia at Ashfield on 26 December 1899. He was buried in the cemetery of St Thomas's, North Sydney and a memorial plaque was erected in St Andrew's Cathedral.

References

Bibliography

*A. Wiegand, ''The Largest Organ in the World and the Musical Artists of Sydney (Syd, 1892)'', Australasian, 6 Jan 1900; Sydney Morning Herald, 17 Dec 1932. *Peter Hughes, ''Montague Younger : first organist of St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney : 12 October 1868 – 26 December 1899'', the Organ Society of Sydney in "The Sydney Organ Journal", (Dec. 1999), *E. J. Lea-Scarlett, ''Younger, Montague Thomas Robson (1836–1899)'', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6, Melbourne University Press, 1976, pp 458–459. 1836 births 1899 deaths Australian classical musicians Australian music educators Australian classical organists Male classical organists Australian Anglicans Ironmongers Deaths from pneumonia in New South Wales 19th-century male musicians 19th-century musicians 19th-century organists {{Australia-musician-stub