Samuel Sebastian Wesley
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Samuel Sebastian Wesley (14 August 1810 — 19 April 1876) was an English organist and composer.
He was born in London, the son of the composer Samuel Wesley and his partner Sarah Suter, and grandson of Charles Wesley. After singing in the choir of the Chapel Royal as a boy, he embarked on a career as a musician, becoming organist of Hereford Cathedral in 1832. He moved to Exeter Cathedral three years later, and subsequently held appointments at Leeds Parish Church, Winchester Cathedral and Gloucester Cathedral. Famous as an organist in his day, he composed almost exclusively for the Church of England. His anthems include Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Blessed be the God and Father, The Wilderness and Ascribe unto the Lord (these are rather late examples of verse anthems, which contrast unison and contrapuntal sections with smaller, more intimate passages for solo voice or voices; some are of considerable length and elaboration, as is his Evening Service in E.
A major biography of Wesley, Samuel Sebastian Wesley: A Life by Peter Horton, was published in 2004. The work has been described as "the definitive biography" and received wide-spread acclaim. This coincided with the first recording of several anthems by the choir of York Minster (Guild Music) and the first recording of several of the piano works by [John Kersey]. Paul Morgan, the current organist of Exeter Cathedral, has recorded a CD of organ music by Wesley on the organs of Exeter and Killerton House.
References
- 'Samuel Sebastian Wesley', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 1 October 2004) http://www.grovemusic.com
- ["Samuel Sebastian Wesley: A Life" by Peter Horton (Oxford University Press)]
External links
- Free scores by [Samuel Sebastian Wesley] in the Werner Icking Music Archive
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