Thomas Forbes Walmisley (22 May 1783 – 10 July 1866) was an organist, and a composer of church music and of

glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

Life

Walmisley was born in Westminster, London in 1783, the third son of William Walmisley, clerk of the papers to the House of Lords. He, like his brothers, was a chorister in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

, and he was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

from 1793 to 1798. In 1796 he sang in oratorios at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

.''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers & Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800: Tibbett to M. West''.

SIU Press Southern Illinois University Press or SIU Press, founded in 1956, is a university press located in Carbondale, Illinois, owned and operated by Southern Illinois University. The press publishes approximately 50 titles annually, among its more tha ...

, 1993. pp. 241–242. He studied music under John Spencer and Thomas Attwood. From 1810 to 1814 he was assistant organist to the Female Orphan Asylum; in 1814 he succeeded Robert Cooke as organist of

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

. He resigned, on a pension, in March 1854. He was elected a professional member of the

Noblemen and Gentlemen's Catch Club In music, a catch is a type of round or canon at the unison. That is, it is a musical composition in which two or more voices (usually at least three) repeatedly sing the same melody, beginning at different times. Generally catches have a secula ...

in 1827. From 1803 he was a teacher of piano and singing, and became well known as a teacher; pupils included

Edward John Hopkins Dr. Edward John Hopkins FRCO (30 June 1818 - 4 February 1901) was an English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an ...

. In 1810 Walmisley married the eldest daughter of William Capon, an architectural draughtsman. His eldest son, of six sons and four daughters who survived infancy, was

Thomas Attwood Walmisley Thomas Attwood Walmisley (21 January 181417 January 1856) was an English composer and organist. Life and career He was born in London, the son of Thomas Forbes Gerrard Walmisley (1783–1866), a well-known organist and composer of church music a ...

(1814–1856), whose ''Cathedral Music'' he edited in 1857. Walmisley died on 10 July 1866, and was buried in the family grave at

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is a London cemetery, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Estab ...

Compositions

Walmisley composed more than fifty glees, four of which won prizes; he also composed anthems, and a morning and evening service. He published ''A Collection of Glees, Trios, Rounds and Canons'' (1826), ''Three Canons'' (1840) and ''Sacred Songs'' (1841). His ''Six Glees'' were reviewed in October 1830: "We do not perceive in any one of them the semblance of an error, either in composition or in the manner of setting the words, and the parts are constructed with every possible regard to vocal convenience, as well as joint effect. The total absence, too, of all nonsensical pedantry... is another recommendation of them.... But we must also say... that we now and then meet with a cadence whose day is past.... On the other hand, the melodies are generally distinct and flowing, and not devoid of elegance...."

References

Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Walmisley, Thomas Forbes 1783 births 1866 deaths People from Westminster Glee composers Classical composers of church music 19th-century organists Burials at Brompton Cemetery