Sir John Stainer (1840 – 1901) was an English
composer and organist whose music, though seldom
performed today (with the exception of The Crucifixion,
still heard at Passiontide in some churches of the
Anglican Communion), was very popular during his
lifetime. His work as choir trainer and organist set
standards for Anglican church music that are still
influential. He was also active as an academic,
becoming Heather Professor of Music at Oxford. He was
born in Southwark, London, in 1840, the s...(+)
Sir John Stainer (1840 – 1901) was an English
composer and organist whose music, though seldom
performed today (with the exception of The Crucifixion,
still heard at Passiontide in some churches of the
Anglican Communion), was very popular during his
lifetime. His work as choir trainer and organist set
standards for Anglican church music that are still
influential. He was also active as an academic,
becoming Heather Professor of Music at Oxford. He was
born in Southwark, London, in 1840, the son of a
schoolmaster. He became a chorister at St Paul's
Cathedral when aged ten and was appointed to the
position of organist at St Michael's College, Tenbury
at the age of sixteen. He later became organist at
Magdalen College, Oxford, and subsequently organist at
St Paul's Cathedral. When he retired owing to his poor
eyesight and deteriorating health, he returned to
Oxford to become Professor of Music at the university.
He died unexpectedly while on holiday in Italy in
1901.
Stainer's output of sacred music was extensive,
including the Passion cantata or oratorio The
Crucifixion (1887), the Sevenfold Amen (this latter
piece was especially admired by the lexicographer Sir
George Grove), and numerous hymn tunes, including
"Cross of Jesus", "All for Jesus" (both from The
Crucifixion), and "Love Divine". His settings for the
Gloria and Sanctus were sung at the coronation of
Edward VII in 1902.
His work as a composer was much esteemed during his
lifetime but is not well known today - and Stainer
himself was dismissive of his own work, telling Edmund
Fellowes that "he regretted ever having published most
of his compositions". The Crucifixion is one of the few
major works of his that is still regularly performed.
It is often given in Anglican churches during Holy Week
and forms part of the repertoire of numerous choirs. He
also made a lasting contribution to the music of
Christmas in his Christmas Carols New and Old (1871),
produced in collaboration with the Revd. H. R. Bramley,
which marked an important stage in the revival of the
Christmas carol. The book includes Stainer's
arrangements of what were to become the standard
versions of "What Child Is This", "God Rest Ye Merry
Gentlemen", "Good King Wenceslas", "The First Nowell",
and "I Saw Three Ships", among others. He was a skilled
musician and accompanist and Walter Galpin Alcock, who
was taught composition by Arthur Sullivan at the
National Training School for Music, recalls Sullivan
saying "I was at St Paul's yesterday, listening to Dr
Stainer extemporising. My dear young friends, he is a
genius, and I hope you will miss no chance of hearing
him." John Stainer was also a close friend of Edmund
Hart Turpin, the later Hon. Secr. of the Royal College
of Organists for more than fifty years.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stainer).
Although originally composed for Chorus (SATB) & Organ,
I created this interpretation of "How Beautiful Upon
the Mountains" for Winds (Flute, Oboe, French Horn &
Bassoon) and Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
PARTITION