Tag: organist

Handel Festival, Whitchurch, 1916

Daily Telegraph 14 July 1916 page 11

A Handel Festival

Two hundred years ago that opulent and lavish nobleman, the Duke of Chandos, restored and reopened what was then the private chapel on his Canons estate, and what is now known as St Lawrence’s Church, Whitchurch. It was to celebrate this bicentenary that a festival was held at the church yesterday afternoon, and it was only right and proper that the music should be drawn from the works of Handel, who was the Duke’s chapel master at about that time. The festival opened with a short service, for which Mr Edward Cutler, KC, had written a pleasant and unambitious anthem, “I am Glad,” and at which a brief address on the spiritual influence of Handel was given by the rector, the Rev CW Scott-Moncrieff. Then came a selection from Handel’s music, made, for the most part, from that which he wrote at the time that he was at Canons. First came the overture to “Esther” which an improbable tradition has it that he wrote at the quaint little organ, with black naturals and white sharps, which still retains its place at the east end of the church, though it has been enlarged and improved. It is very far from unreasonable to suppose, however, that he tried the music over upon this organ as he wrote it. Next came the Chandos anthem, “O Praise the Lord with one Consent,” which, of course, with its eleven companions, was specially written for performance in this church; next, the famous hymn, “Rejoice, the Lord is King”; then the beautiful alto solo, “Like as a father,” from another of the anthems, and, lastly, the fine organ concerto in F, which, of course, is of considerably later date.

For the performance of these, Dr Churchill Sibley, who is organist of the church, had gathered together a most excellent company of singers and instrumentalists. The choir was formed of boys from the London College of Choristers and of men from the choirs at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s, St George’s Hanover Square, and St Margaret’s, Westminster, while the band included some of the best known orchestral players in London, and the organ concerto was played by MFW Belchamber. It was not surprising therefore, that Handel’s music should have been interpreted yesterday with all the breadth, the sympathy, and the reverence that it so essentially demands. It was, indeed, a celebration of a real landmark in English musical history, that was admirable in conception and worthily carried out, and all those who were responsible for its planning and its fulfillment are warmly to be congratulated on the very large measure of success that attended their work.

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Edward Cutler on Handel, 1928

Harrow Observer, 16 November 1928, page 12

Enterprise

Mr Edward Cutler, KC, whom I knew well, organist at Whitchurch in those days, and an authority on Handel’s connection with the church, probed into the matter and came definitely to the conclusion that the “Air with Variations” was composed by Handel in 1720, but it was not until 1830 – that is, 72 years after Handel’s death and 110 years after it was written – that an enterprising music publisher re-issued the music under the title of “the Harmonious Blacksmith,” the title of which bears as much relation to the composition as “Kiss me Quick and let me go” does to the fox-trot of that name.” The legend of the rain, the shelter, the smithy, and even the blacksmith, was then invented and the sale pushed by methods which put even present-day film press agents to shame. The music sold like wildfire. A copy was to be found in every young ladies’ academy; it tinkled from every harpsichord, and the interest continued and culminated until 1868 a grave appropriately found in Whitchurch and the present headstone erected by public subscription, bearing, as “Socrates” says, a sunk medallion, a hammer, anvil, laurel wreath and the opening bar of the variations. The exercises which Handel wrote – Suites or Lessons as they were called in England – were probably the most popular pieces ever written for the harpsichord, and in the early editions no mention is made of the “Harmonious Blacksmith,” but the air is simply labelled “Air et Doubles” which was the common way of describing any theme with variations. Later researches show that the air was written by a second-rate musician named Wagenseil, that Handel was quick to see its potentialities, that he had no scruple in appropriating it for his own purposes, and used it deliberately in his “suites”. Sir Hubert Parry seems to hit the nail on the head when he says that the air was republished by a certain Lintott in Bath, and he called it “The Harmonious Blacksmith” in honour of his father, who had been a blacksmith.

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Another Organist in the tree, 2024

Richard Guise was choir master and organist at Westminster Abbey until his death in 1806. He is also buried there. He was also known as a composer, although not much survives.

Through his great-granddaughter Mary Cutler Paulin, his great 3x grandson George Paulin was also a composer and organist. He was organist at Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria BC.

Newly discovered is another organist and composer, Edward Cutler, KC, who was Richard’s great-grandson. While professionally Edward was a lawyer he was known as an organist and a composer.

I have actually found a recording of one of his compositions on You Tube – here

Here is his obituary:

Harrow Observer, 29 December 1916, page 8

Mr E Cutler, KC

Mr Edward Cutler, KC, of Little Stanmore, died in London, on December 22, aged 85. Mr Cutler was the son of the late Mr Edward Cutler, surgeon to St George’s Hospital, and grandson of Sir Thomas Plumer, first Vice-Chancellor of England and afterwards Master of the Rolls. He was educated at Eton, Paris, Dresden, and Balliol College, Oxford, where he obtained honours in classics, and was called to the bar in 1857. In his practice he devoted himself particularly to copyright law, and this, with his knowledge of music, led to his writing a “Manual of Musical Copyright Law” (1906) and collaborating with Mr Eustace Smith and Mr FE Weatherley in a “Treatise on Musical and Dramatic Copyright.” Mr Cutler, who had taken “silk” in 1884, was on the Imperial Commission for Copyright in 1909, and was employed in the International Copyright Bill. He wrote many songs and pieces for full orchestra, organ, and pianoforte, of which, perhaps, the best known is a song called “Golden Years.” He was Grand Organist of English Freemasons in 1892-3, and at one time gave frequent recitals in public. He also wrote pamphlets in French on educational and other subjects.

Mr Cutler married Ellen Mona, daughter of Major Larkins, who was murdered at Cawnpore, and leaves one son and two daughters.

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