George Oldroyd

Oldroyd studied with the organist and composer Arthur Eaglefield Hull and took violin lessons from Johann Rasch and Frank Arnold.Leach, Gerald. British Composer Profiles (2011), p. 152-3 He graduated with a B.Mus (1912) and D.Mus (1917) at the University of London.Humphreys, M and Evans, R. [https://books.google.com/books?id=WSLUAwAAQBAJ&dq=Johan+Rasch+violinist&pg=PA250 Dictionary of Composers for the Church in Great Britain and Ireland] (2001), p. 250 In the middle of his studying he spent a year in Paris as the organist of St George's English Church.[https://www.jstor.org/stable/910728 The Musical Times, Vol. 56, No. 868 (June 1915), p. 345]

He was organist of St. Alban's Church, Holborn from 1919 to 1920, and then of St Michael's Church, Croydon from 1920 until his death in 1951. Both are churches firmly rooted within the Anglo-Catholic tradition in the Church of England. In the 1920s he taught at Trinity College, London, and from 1933-1948 was Director of Music at Whitgift School in Croydon. From 1944 he was Dean of the Faculty of Music at London University, becoming King Edward Professor of Music from 1951, succeeding Stanley Marchant.Nicolas Slonimsky. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 7th ed. (1984), p. 1680

He composed numerous settings of the mass, but is best remembered for his Mass of the Quiet Hour composed in 1928, whose swooping melodies and lush harmonies recall the "Palm Court" style of that era. It was dedicated to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Gordon Lang, in whose diocese St. Michael's at that time lay, and is still part of the repertoire of many English cathedrals and parish churches. There is also a large scale Stabat Mater (1922), and Jhesu Christ, St Mary's Sone: A Spiritual Rhapsody (1931) for voices and orchestra.{{Cite web |url=https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/12164759 |title=Princeton University Library catalog |access-date=28 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728070652/https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/12164759 |url-status=dead }} This piece was successfully revived by Harrison Oxley at Bury St Edmunds in 2001.Lewis Foreman. Recording British Music (2004), p. 26 There is a recording of the anthem When Jordan hushed his waters still by the choir of Leeds Parish Church.[https://www.discogs.com/release/15576475-The-Choir-Of-Leeds-Parish-Church-Joy-For-Every-Age Joy for Every Age, Foxglove Records 035CD (1992)]

His organ works are mostly short. The earlier pieces, published by Augener, include Contemplation (1913), the Prelude in F sharp minor (1914), Lune de Miel (1919, a wedding piece with the title a play on the words 'Honey Moon'), Canticle (Deus Miseratur) (1919), Three Hymn Tune Meditations (1924), and the Phantasy: Prelude and Chorale (1924, using the chorale melody 'Nun danket'). From the 1930s OUP was his publisher for organ works, including the Three Liturgical Preludes (1938) and the Three Liturgical Improvisations (1948). Other works include the part song, 'Lute book lullaby' and pieces for piano and for violin.

Oldroyd was an authority on counterpoint, and published The Technique And Spirit Of Fugue: An Historical Study in 1948[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/517890 WorldCat] and Polyphonic Writing for Voices in 6 and 8 Parts in 1953.[https://books.google.com/books?id=JA-SAAAAIAAJ Oxford University Press] He was also the co-author of a manual on plainchant accompaniment, with Charles William Pearce (1856–1928).Oldroyd and Pearce. The accompaniment of plainchant: a practical guide for students, Curwen (c 1924)

• {{ChoralWiki}}
• [https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Oldroyd,_George George Oldroyd scores at IMSLP]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I2gJFg1NIw Three Liturgical Improvisations (No 1)], performed by Paul Swinden
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006030002/http://www.croydonstmichael.org.uk/GeorgeOldroydFrame2Source1.htm |date=October 6, 2007 |title=Archived web site for The Parish of St. Michael and All Angels with St. James }}
• {{cite web |url=https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85128749.html |title=Oldroyd, George |website=Library of Congress}}

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Category:1886 births

Category:People from Kirklees (district)

Category:1951 deaths

Category:English classical organists

Category:English composers

Category:English Anglo-Catholics

Category:20th-century English organists

Category:20th-century English male musicians

Category:English male classical organists

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