Thomas Attwood Walmisley (21 January 181417 January 1856) was an English composer and

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 ...

Life and career

He was born in London, the son of

Thomas Forbes Gerrard Walmisley Thomas Forbes Walmisley (22 May 1783 – 10 July 1866) was an organist, and a composer of church music and of glees. Life Walmisley was born in Westminster, London in 1783, the third son of William Walmisley, clerk of the papers to the House of ...

(1783–1866), a well-known organist and composer of

church music Church music is Christian music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclesiastical liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. History Early Christian music The on ...

and glees. Thomas Attwood was his godfather, and the boy was educated in music under their tuition. Walmisley was organist of Croydon Parish Church in 1830 before becoming organist at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

in 1833, and there he soon became prominent by his anthems and other compositions. He was simultaneously organist for the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge. He not only took the degrees of Mus.Bac. and Mus.Doc. but also graduated at Jesus College as BA and MA. In 1836, Walmisley was made Professor of Music at Cambridge. His ''Cathedral Music'' was edited after his death by his father. Walmisley died in 1856 and is buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church,

Fairlight, East Sussex Fairlight is a village in East Sussex, England within Rother district, three miles (5 km) to the east of Hastings. Fairlight is also the name of the civil parish forming part of the Rother district which includes the villages of Fairlight a ...

Compositions

Walmisley is remembered chiefly for his

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for " y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical servic ...

and

Nunc dimittis The Nunc dimittis (), also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 through 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate ...

in D minor, which have a place in the Anglican choral repertoire. He also composed numerous Anglican chants still in general use.

Notes

References

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External links

* * 1814 births 1856 deaths English composers English classical organists British male organists Musicians from London Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Members of the University of Cambridge Faculty of Music 19th-century British composers 19th-century English musicians 19th-century British male musicians Professors of Music (Cambridge) Male classical organists 19th-century organists 19th-century musicologists {{UK-composer-stub