Dr Richard Wassell (14 November 1880 – 1949) FRCO was a composer and organist based in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

Life

He was born in

Tipton Tipton is an industrial town in the West Midlands in England with a population of around 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham. Tipton was once one of the most heavily industrialised towns in the Black Country, w ...

, Staffordshire in 1880, the son of Richard Wassell and Matilda Spare. He studied organ under Charles W. Perkins, Birmingham City Organist. He was conductor of the

Birmingham City Police Birmingham City Police was the police service responsible for general policing in the city of Birmingham from 1839 to 1974. The force was established by a special Act of Parliament in 1839, and was amalgamated as of 1 April 1974 with the West ...

Band from 1922–1942 and chorus master and conductor of the Birmingham City Chorus and Birmingham Choral Society. He was also musical director at the

Birmingham and Midland Institute The Birmingham and Midland Institute (popularly known as the Midland Institute) (), is an institution concerned with the promotion of education and learning in Birmingham, England. It is now based on Margaret Street in Birmingham city centre. It ...

. He was awarded the Lambeth Degree of Mus. Doc. by the Archbishop of Canterbury,

Cosmo Gordon Lang William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth, (31 October 1864 – 5 December 1945) was a Scottish Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of York (1908–1928) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942). His elevation to Archbish ...

in 1939.Western Daily Press - Saturday 2 December 1939 He married Annie Groves in 1905; they had four children: *Richard Wassell b. 1907 *Mary Wassell b. 1909 *James Wassell b.1914 *Joan Wassell b.1918

Appointments

*Organist at Birmingham Parish Church 1920–1942 *Organist at

St. Alphege's Church, Solihull St Alphege Church, Solihull, is a medieval parish church in the Church of England in Solihull, West Midlands. History The church is medieval, dating from the 13th century. The previous spire was 59m and collapsed in 1757: the current spire is 57 ...

1942–1949

Compositions

He wrote: *Jesu the very thought of thee *He that hath pity upon the poor * How Sweet the Name of Jesus sounds *Who shall ascend *Sweet Saviour, bless us ere we go *Overture for Military Bands *Overture put use Fete Religieuese

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wassell, Richard 1880 births 1949 deaths English organists British male organists English composers People from Tipton Holders of a Lambeth degree Fellows of the Royal College of Organists Birmingham City Police 20th-century organists 20th-century British male musicians