Memorial to Philip Armes in Durham Cathedral

Philip Armes (15 August 1836 – 10 February 1908) was an English organist, notably holding posts at

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and Durham Cathedral.

Musical career

Armes was a chorister at the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

of his native city,

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

, between 1846–48, under

Zechariah Buck Dr. Zechariah Buck (9 September 1798 – 5 August 1879), was an English organist and choir director who is remembered as a preeminent trainer of boys' voices. Early life and family Born to Jeremiah Buck (a tradesman) and Sarah Astbury in Norwich, N ...

. He then became a chorister at

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

where his father sang bass in the choir, from 1848–50. He was an articled pupil of John Larkin Hopkins, organist of Rochester Cathedral. He transitioned from a chorister to assistant organist at Rochester in 1850. In 1854 he became organist of Trinity Church, Milton, Kent, where he worked until 1857. He spent four years as organist of St Andrew's Church, Wells Street, London before he became Organist and Master of the Choristers at

Chichester Cathedral Chichester Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in West Sussex, England. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of ...

in 1861. Following the collapse of the cathedral's central tower and spire, Armes moved to the more lucrative Organist position at Durham Cathedral, in 1862, a post he held for 45 years. Armes taught in the

music department A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

at Durham University, was resident examiner from 1890 and became Professor of Music there in 1897. He had married, in 1864, Emily Jane, the daughter of Sir Henry Davison, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court; they had two sons, Augustus and Algernon, and two daughters, Emily and Alice. Armes died on 10 February 1908 in North Bailey, Durham, and is buried in Bow Cemetery, Durham.

Academic qualifications

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of pre ...

( Oxon, 1858) *

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

( Dunelm) *

Doctor of Music The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted b ...

(Oxon, 1864) *Doctor of Music (Dunelm, 1874) * Fellow of the Royal College of Organists * Honorary Royal Academy of Music

Works

Armes wrote oratorios, church music, madrigals, psalm chants and organ pieces. In 1901 he delivered a lecture at Manchester on ''Double Counterpoint, Imitation, and Canon''.

Anthems

* Give ear, O ye heavens * I will sing a new song * O send out thy light * Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous * The Lord preserveth the souls of his saints * We wait for thy loving-kindness

Hymn tunes

Two hymn tunes, ''Galilee'' (LM) and ''St. Bede'' (8.7.8.7.8.7) appear in ''

Hymns Ancient and Modern ''Hymns Ancient and Modern'' is a hymnal in common use within the Church of England, a result of the efforts of the Oxford Movement. The hymnal was first published in 1861. The organization publishing it has now been formed into a charitabl ...

''. Other hymn tunes he wrote include ''Armes'' (SM) and ''Obedience'' (7.7.7.7), as well as other un-named tunes.

Madrigal/ part-song

* Angels' Music

Oratorios

* Hezekiah (1878) * St. John the Evangelist (1881) * St. Barnabas (1891, Durham Cathedral)

Organ

* Introduction and Fugue * Pastorale

Services

* Communion Service in A * Communion Service in B-flat (Unison) * Preces, Responses, Litany and latter Suffrages

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armes, Philip 1836 births 1908 deaths Cathedral organists English organists British male organists Musicians from Norwich Organists & Masters of the Choristers of Chichester Cathedral Academics of Durham University 19th-century classical musicians 19th-century British male musicians Oratorio composers Male classical organists 19th-century organists