William Stanley (1820–1902) was an English-born Australian
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
composer, conductor and performer.
Early life
Stanley was born in Egham, near Windsor, England, the son of William Sexton and Ann Stanley. Sexton, who was the organist at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (1801–1824), married Ann in 1819. After Sexton's death, Ann married William Best (1803–1880) in 1827. Best was an oboist or trumpeter with the King's Band (under the control of the
Master of the King's Musick
Master of the King's Music (or Master of the Queen's Music, or earlier Master of the King's Musick) is a post in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. The holder of the post originally served the monarch of England, directing the court orche ...
). Ann died on 14 May 1828, one month after giving birth to Stanley's half-sister, Emma. This left Stanley and two younger sisters in Best's care.
Stanley, under the name of Sexton, was a member of the choir of St George's Chapel, and is said to have sung at the funeral of
King George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
there in 1830. Recognised as a musical prodigy at an early age (he could play complex compositions on the piano at sight), his step-father provided some instruction but, having a large family to support, could not afford the training Stanley required. By the age of 9 he composed a series of variations on " God Save the King".
His step-father's connections with the Royal Household no doubt got him the opportunity to perform his own compositions before Queen Adelaide.
In 1836, under his mother's name Stanley, he joined the 80th Regiment of Foot, which was given the duty of escorting convict transports to Australia and he arrived in Sydney in 1837. He was discharged from the Regiment in 1840.
Australian career
His first performance in Australia opened the Royal Victoria Theatre, Sydney.
Another of Stanley's earliest piano performances in Sydney was at the Royal Hotel on 17 October 1838. A concerto by
Henri Herz
Henri Herz (6 January 1803 – 5 January 1888) was a virtuoso pianist, composer and piano manufacturer, Austrian by birth and French by nationality and domicile. He was a professor in the Paris Conservatoire for more than thirty years. Among his ...
showed him "at once to be a master of this instrument". He accompanied many visiting performers, including
Sara Flower
Sara Elizabeth Flower (21 October 1820 – 20 August 1865) was a British-born contralto singer who became Australia's first opera star. She began a musical career in London during the 1840s before emigrating to Australia in late 1849. In 1852, ...
, Miska Hauser, and
Anna Bishop
Anna Bishop (9 January 181018 March 1884) was an English operatic soprano. She sang in many countries on every continent, and was the most widely travelled singer of the 19th century.St John's, Parramatta, St Andrew's pro-cathedral,
St Barnabas, Broadway
St Barnabas Anglican Church, Broadway, is an Anglican church in the Diocese of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The church property is located on Broadway, near the University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney.
Commonly called ...
, and
Christ Church St Laurence
Christ Church St Laurence is an Anglican church located at 814 George Street, near Central railway station and Haymarket, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is the principal centre of Anglo-Catholic worship in the city and Diocese of S ...
(1870–1882).
A trusted teacher, Stanley was instrumental in forming a musical society west of Sydney. At the time of his death, he was said to be Australia's oldest pianist. He also conducted a Brass Band.
Stanley's ''Rose Bay Quadrilles'' were arranged for guitar duet by
Peter Sculthorpe
Peter Joshua Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014) was an Australian composer. Much of his music resulted from an interest in the music of countries neighboring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigin ...
Works
* 1850 Tell Him I love him yet
* The Sydney Polka (1851)
* Rose Bay Quadrilles
* 1863 The NSW Volunteer Rifles Quick March
* 1863 Heliotrope Mazurka
* 1879 Sydney international exhibition grand march
* 1893 Bay View Gavotte