John Albert Delany

Born in England in 1852, the only son of J. D. Delany, and came to New South Wales around 1855 with his parents. His first music lessons were with Ellis Taylor, organist of St John's Church of England, Newcastle,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231871166 |title=Our Church Otganists and Organs |newspaper=The Sunday Sun (Sydney) |issue=159 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=15 April 1906 |accessdate=29 August 2021 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}} then studied with the Benedictine monks at Lyndhurst College, Sydney, and had music lessons from William Cordner, organist of St Mary's pro-Cathedral. After Cordner's death, in 1870, he was taken on as a student by Charles S. Packer.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146711851 |title=Mr John Delany. |newspaper=Table Talk |issue=148 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=20 April 1888 |accessdate=29 August 2021 |page=16 |via=National Library of Australia}} This reference has 1853 as Delany's year of birth.

His first musical appointment was as violinist in the orchestra of the Victoria Theatre. He had become sought-after by theatre managers for his expertise in scoring music for orchestra.

In 1872 "Cordner's boy"{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article229535603 |title=Death of Mr Delany |newspaper=The Australian Star |issue=6084 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=13 May 1907 |accessdate=27 August 2021 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} was appointed choirmaster at St Mary's Cathedral, and followed John Hill as choirmaster and organist in 1873.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128810142 |title=Advertising |newspaper=Freeman's Journal |volume=XXIV |issue=1508 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=8 March 1873 |accessdate=31 August 2021 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}} There could have been no pipe organ in the brick building that served as the cathedral since the fire of 1868, but a harmonium would have been adequate for the purpose.

His students include Harry Barton Dawkins.{{cite book|author=E. J. Lea-Scarlett |title=Australian Dictionary of Biography: Delany, John Albert (1852–1907) |chapter=John Albert Delany (1852–1907) |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/delany-john-albert-3389/text5133 |year=1972 |access-date=27 August 2021}}

He joined the Lyster Opera Company as conductor and chorus master in 1877, and was musical director for Nellie Melba's Sydney debut.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230498553 |title=Marvellous Melba |newspaper=The Star (Sydney) |issue=143 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=25 August 1909 |accessdate=27 August 2021 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}

He later filled similar functions with Martin Simonsen's company.

He returned to St Mary's briefly, for the triduum (three-day festival) that accompanied the opening of the new Cathedral by Archbishop Vaughan 8–10 September 1882, when choirs from all of Sydney's Catholic churches took part.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111314959 |title=J. A. Delany's Concert |newspaper=Freeman's Journal |volume=XXXIII |issue=2011 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=7 October 1882 |accessdate=30 August 2021 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}} Delany composed the march that was performed at the opening and closing ceremonies. Thomas P. Banks was the organist.

He was conductor of the Sydney Liedertafel 1885–1897.

From 1886 to 1897 he served at St Mary's pro-Cathedral as musical director, and from 1895 to 1897 as organist. His resignation from both posts has been attributed to the cathedral's refusing to allow women as choir members.

Delany served in 1897 as first director of the Sydney Institute of Music as chairman of the board of examiners.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T_nOCwAAQBAJ&q=John+Albert+Delany&pg=PA30|title=The Australian Symphony from Federation to 1960|first=Rhoderick|last=McNeill|date=23 March 2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317040873|via=Google Books}}

• He was one of three conductors, with Alfred Hill and Hugo Alpen, of the mass choirs at the Federation celebration on New Year's Day 1901 at Centennial Park, Sydney.
• He conducted the Australian premiere of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius at the Sydney Town Hall on 21 December 1903.

• Delany wrote spiritual works in unaccompanied plainsong.{{cite web|url=http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/music-archive/mda002/|title=J. A. Delany, Te Deum (1900)|date=13 November 2013|publisher=}}
• He is best known for an operatic Mass in A Flat, first performed December 1892. It was recorded in the 1950s{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/classic/content/2012/05/05/3494418.htm|title=ABC Classic FM – Weekend Breakfast – A Fox's Breakfast|website=ABC Classic FM}} and revived in 1993.{{cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/37487366|title=Mass in A flat [sound recording] : Ave Maria|first1=J. A.|last1=Delany|first2=David|last2=Russell|date=15 September 1993|publisher=Sydney, N.S.W. : Walsingham Classics|via=Trove}}
• Triduum march (1882)
• Cantata Captain Cook, to words by P. E. Quinn MLA, brother of Roderic Quinn
• A Song of the Commonwealth, first performed at the investiture of Governor-General Hopetoun in 1901.

Delany married Jane Anne Sharpe at St Mary's pro-Cathedral on 11 May 1872.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13259148 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |volume=LXV |issue=10,632 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=15 June 1872 |accessdate=31 August 2021 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}} The couple had two daughters; his wife Jane died in 1887. Delany died in Paddington, Sydney, in 1907 and his remains were buried in the Waverley Cemetery.{{cite web|url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/delany_john |title=John A. Delany |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |author=Graeme Skinner}}

{{reflist}}

• Photograph and obituary notice: "[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article238055898 The Late Mr J. A. Delany]". The Daily Telegraph (8720). New South Wales, Australia. 14 May 1907. p. 9. Retrieved 9 January 2019 – via National Library of Australia.

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Category:1852 births

Category:1907 deaths

Category:Australian classical organists

Category:Australian composers

Category:Australian choral conductors

Category:Australian conductors (music)

Category:19th-century organists