Thomas Armstrong (conductor)

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Sir Thomas Henry Wait Armstrong (15 June 1898 – 26 June 1994) was an English

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 ...

, conductor, composer and educationalist. He was from a musical family and his early career was as a church and cathedral organist. From the 1920s onwards he was a broadcaster for the

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giving talks as well as playing. While organist and faculty member of Christ Church, Oxford Armstrong combined academic work with practical musicianship, as player and conductor. From 1955 to 1968, he was principal of the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), London, where he was known for his concern for the well-being of his staff and students and his efforts to strengthen links with overseas music colleges.

Life and career

Early years

Armstrong was born in

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

, the eldest of three children, and only son, of Amos Ebenezer Armstrong (1878–1950) and his wife Elizabeth Annie West, née Handford (1880–1939). His mother was a former headmistress, and his father was a leading figure in Peterborough's musical life, music master at the King's School, organist and choirmaster at St Augustine's church, Woodston, and conductor of the local operatic, orchestral, and choral societies.Stoker, Richard
"Armstrong, Sir Thomas Henry Wait (1898–1994)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 13 November 2017 The young Armstrong was a chorister at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace from 1907 to 1910, during which time he sang at the funeral of

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

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 Unite ...

. In 1912 Armstrong was appointed organist of

Thorney Abbey Thorney Abbey, now the Church of St Mary and St Botolph, was a medieval monastic house established on the island of Thorney in The Fens of Cambridgeshire, England. History The earliest documentary sources refer to a mid-7th century hermita ...

, and the following year he was

articled Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

Haydn Keeton Haydn Keeton (26 October 1847, in Mosborough – 27 May 1921, in Peterborough) was a cathedral organist, who served at Peterborough Cathedral. Background Haydn Keeton was born in Mosborough. His father Edwin Keeton was organist at Eckington Pa ...

, organist of

Peterborough Cathedral Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Pau ...

. A fellow apprentice,

Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...

, later known as a conductor, became a lifelong friend. They liked to trace their musical ancestry back to Mozart: Keeton had been articled to George Elvey, who was articled to Thomas Attwood, who was articled to Mozart.Armstrong, Robert.
The Works of Thomas Armstrong
, Notes to Chandos CD 9657, pp. 4–7

Early career

In 1915–16, Armstrong was assistant organist in Peterborough for a year before being elected

organ scholar An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at a cathedral, church or institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and adm ...

of Keble College, Oxford. His studies were interrupted by service in France during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

; he enlisted with the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

in 1916, before being commissioned towards the end of the war. During his war service he met Ralph Vaughan Williams, whom Armstrong later described as "the greatest influence of anybody on my life"."Obituary: Sir Thomas Armstrong", ''The Times'', 28 June 1994, p. 23 Armstrong remained in France for some months after the cessation of hostilities, not returning to England until 1919; he rented a room with a piano in Cambrai to get himself back in practice. After the war Armstrong completed his studies, studying music with Hugh Allen and organ under Henry Ley at Christ Church. He graduated with a BA in modern history in 1921 and took his

BMus 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 presc ...

in 1922. After leaving Oxford in 1922 Armstrong briefly took up an appointment at Manchester Cathedral (assistant organist), during which time he worked with

Hamilton Harty Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty (4 December 1879 – 19 February 1941) was an Irish composer, conductor, pianist and organist. After an early career as a church organist in his native Ireland, Harty moved to London at about age 20, soon becoming a w ...

.Rose, Bernard Rose
"Armstrong, Sir Thomas"
''Grove Music Online'', Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 November 2017 The following year he was appointed organist of St. Peter's Church, Eaton Square, London. During this period he studied at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...

with

Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

and Vaughan Williams. In 1926 Armstrong married Hester Draper, daughter of the Rev W H Draper, Master of the Temple. They were married for 52 years and had two children:

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

(later Baron Armstrong of Ilminster) (1927-2020) and Helen Hilary (b. 1930). In 1927 Armstrong made his first broadcast, in an organ recital for the

...
, playing music ranging from

Buxtehude Buxtehude (), officially the Hanseatic City of Buxtehude (german: Hansestadt Buxtehude, nds, Hansestadt Buxthu ()), is a town on the Este River in Northern Germany, belonging to the district of Stade in Lower Saxony. It is part of the Hamburg ...

to Stanford and Parry; his long association with the BBC included many talks on the radio about topics such as British music. In 1928 he completed the three compositions required for the award of a Dmus: ''A Passer-By'' (a rhapsody for baritone, chorus and orchestra), a ''Fantasy Quintet'' for pianoforte and strings, and ''Friends Departed'' (for soprano, chorus and orchestra). From 1928 to 1933 he was organist of Exeter Cathedral, a post he held in tandem with the directorship of music at the University College of the South West.

Oxford and Royal Academy of Music

Armstrong returned to Oxford in 1933 as organist of Christ Church in succession to

William Harris William or Will or Willie Harris may refer to: Politicians and political activists *William Harris (born 1504) (1504–?), MP for Newport, Cornwall *William Harris (died 1556), MP for Maldon (UK Parliament constituency), Maldon *William Harris (MP ...

who had been appointed to

St George's Chapel, Windsor St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...

. He was also conductor of the Oxford Orchestra and Oxford Bach Choir, and president of the Musical Club and Union. In 1939 the governing body of Christ Church elected him a student (the equivalent of a

fellowship A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

in other colleges), the first organist to receive that honour. His son has written that Amstrong "found the wider academic community deeply congenial, especially the Senior Common Room at Christ Church … For him, Oxford was, and remained, a spiritual home." When Allen died, after a road accident in 1946, Armstrong hoped to be appointed to succeed him as professor of music at the university, but the post was given to

Jack Westrup Sir Jack Westrup (26 July 190421 April 1975) was an English Musicology, musicologist, writer, teacher and occasional conductor and composer. Biography Jack Allan Westrup was the second of the three sons of George Westrup, insurance clerk, of Dulw ...

."Professor of Music at Oxford", ''The Times'', 19 June 1946, p. 6 In 1955 Armstrong was appointed principal of the Royal Academy of Music. ''The Times'' later commented on this period: As well as his concern for the well-being of his students and staff, Armstrong worked to develop links between the RAM and conservatoires of music in other European countries. In addition to his RAM duties, Armstrong was prominent in other aspects of British musical life. He was senior adviser to the Delius Trust, chairman of the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

, a member of the

Countess of Munster Trust The Countess of Munster Musical Trust is a charity based in Godalming, Surrey, England, that provides scholarships, prizes and loans to support young musicians in the United Kingdom. History The trust was founded in 1958 by Hilary Wilson (9 March ...

, a member of the board of directors of the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

, a Governor of the

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Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat ...

Foundation, chairman of the governors of the Central Tutorial School for Young Musicians (founded in 1962), now renamed the

Purcell School The Purcell School for Young Musicians is a specialist music school for children, located in the town of Bushey, south Hertfordshire, England, and is the oldest specialist music school in the UK. The school was awarded the UNESCO Mozart Medal ...

, and chairman of the

Musicians Benevolent Fund Help Musicians (formerly Musicians Benevolent Fund), is a United Kingdom charity offering help for musicians throughout their careers. History It was created by Victor Beigel in 1921 as the Gervase Elwes Memorial Fund, following the death of E ...

."Armstrong, Sir Thomas Henry Wait"
''Who Was Who'', Oxford University Press, 2014. Retrieved 14 Nov 2017 Armstrong was knighted in 1958 and retired in 1968, when he was 70. He and his wife moved to the village of Newton Blossomville in Buckinghamshire, close to the

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

border. There he formed and conducted a village choir, which won several prizes in music festivals. After the death of his wife in 1982, he moved to Olney, a few miles away, sharing a cottage with Rosemary Rapaport, his former colleague from the RAM. Robert Armstrong recalled that in Olney, when already ninety years old, Armstrong "was delighted to be sought out, as 'the old man in East Street who plays the organ', to play for Mass at the local Roman Catholic church for six months." Armstrong died at his home in Olney at the age of 96. Memorial to Thomas Armstrong

Compositions

Armstrong was modest about his music, although he composed all his life, despite the other demands on his time. For his '' Who's Who'' entry he confined himself to seven words on the subject: " Compositions: various, the larger ones remain unpublished." He admitted that he had not lived up to Vaughan Williams's advice that "if you write a little bit of music to the best of your ability on every day of your life you will write one good piece before you die." He continued to compose into his nineties: "I still try to write a little music in my antiquated idiom. But I suppose nothing is so antiquated as what was avant-garde five years ago". Amrstrong composed 25 anthems, carols,

services Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a p ...

and a large number of songs. The ambitious secular works composed for his doctorate remained unperformed until after his death, when they were recorded on a Chandos CD. His biographer Richard Stoker writes that Armstrong "belonged to the gentle English tradition of Parry, Vaughan Williams, Howells, and Finzi".

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Thomas 1898 births 1994 deaths 20th-century British conductors (music) 20th-century English composers Academics of the Royal Academy of Music Alumni of Keble College, Oxford Cathedral organists English classical organists British male organists English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) Fellows of Christ Church, Oxford Honorary Members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Knights Bachelor Musicians from Cambridgeshire People educated at The King's School, Peterborough People from Peterborough Principals of the Royal Academy of Music 20th-century organists 20th-century British male musicians Chairpersons of the Royal Philharmonic Society Male classical organists