William Stanley (composer)

Stanley was born in Egham, near Windsor, England, the son of William Sexton and Ann Stanley. Sexton, who was the organist at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (1801–1824), married Ann in 1819. After Sexton's death, Ann married William Best (1803–1880) in 1827. Best was an oboist or trumpeter with the King's Band (under the control of the Master of the King's Musick). Ann died on 14 May 1828, one month after giving birth to Stanley's half-sister, Emma.Edmund H Fellowes and Elizabeth R Poyser (eds), The Baptism, Marriage and Burial Registers of St George's Chapel, Windsor (1957) p. 44, p. 253. This left Stanley and two younger sisters in Best's care.

Stanley, under the name of Sexton, was a member of the choir of St George's Chapel, and is said to have sung at the funeral of King George IV there in 1830.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14510138 |title=The Oldest Pianist in Australia|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=18 September 1902 |access-date=20 June 2020 |page=8 |via=Trove}} Recognised as a musical prodigy at an early age (he could play complex compositions on the piano at sight), his step-father provided some instruction but, having a large family to support, could not afford the training Stanley required. By the age of 9 he composed a series of variations on "God Save the King".Windsor and Eton Express, 9 January 1830, p. 3.

His step-father's connections with the Royal Household no doubt got him the opportunity to perform his own compositions before Queen Adelaide.

In 1836, under his mother's name Stanley, he joined the 80th Regiment of Foot, which was given the duty of escorting convict transports to Australia and he arrived in Sydney in 1837. He was discharged from the Regiment in 1840.{{cite web|url=http://sydney.edu.au/paradisec/australharmony/stanley-william.php|title=Australharmony - William Stanley|website=sydney.edu.au}}

His first performance in Australia opened the Royal Victoria Theatre, Sydney.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104066289 |title=The Oldest Pianist in Australia. |newspaper=Wagga Wagga Advertiser |volume=XXVII |issue=4063 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 September 1902 |accessdate=17 June 2021 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Another of Stanley's earliest piano performances in Sydney was at the Royal Hotel on 17 October 1838. A concerto by Henri Herz showed him "at once to be a master of this instrument".{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226460437 |title=Miss Wallace's Concert. |newspaper=Commercial Journal and Advertiser |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 October 1838 |access-date=20 June 2020 |page=2 |via=Trove }} He accompanied many visiting performers, including Sara Flower, Miska Hauser, and Anna Bishop.

He was a church organist at a number of Sydney Anglican churches, including St John's, Parramatta, St Andrew's pro-cathedral, St Barnabas, Broadway,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139131014 |title=MUSIC NOTES. |newspaper=The Australasian |volume=LXXIII |issue=1903 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=20 September 1902 |accessdate=17 June 2021 |page=38 |via=National Library of Australia}} and Christ Church St Laurence (1870–1882).

A trusted teacher, Stanley was instrumental in forming a musical society west of Sydney.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108007376 |title=Marrickville Musical Union. |newspaper=Evening News |issue=6282 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=8 July 1887 |accessdate=17 June 2021 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} At the time of his death, he was said to be Australia's oldest pianist. He also conducted a Brass Band.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63130972 |title=TARANAKI. |newspaper=Empire |issue=3,600 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=27 April 1863 |accessdate=17 June 2021 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Stanley's Rose Bay Quadrilles were arranged for guitar duet by Peter Sculthorpe{{cite web|url=http://www.move.com.au/disc/peter-sculthorpe-piano-music|title=Peter Sculthorpe: Piano Music|publisher=}}

• 1850 Tell Him I love him yet{{cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/22562389|title=Tell him I love him yet|first=William|last=Stanley|date=11 September 2017|publisher=Sydney : J.T.Grocott|via=Trove}}
• The Sydney Polka (1851){{Cite web|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-165950646|title=The Sydney polka [music]}}
• Rose Bay Quadrilles{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-164686143/view?partId=nla.obj-164693086|title = Australian album, 1857 [music]}}
• 1863 The NSW Volunteer Rifles Quick March{{Cite web|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-179806418|title=The N.S.W. Volunteer Rifles quick march [music]}}
• 1863 Heliotrope Mazurka{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-181836457|title=Australian music [music].|website=nla.gov.au}}
• 1879 Sydney international exhibition grand march{{cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/22795234|title=Sydney international exhibition grand march|first=William|last=Stanley|date=11 September 1879|publisher=Sydney : John Sands|via=Trove}}
• 1893 Bay View Gavotte

• Rose Bay Quadrilles{{cite web|url=http://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/workversion/sculthorpe-peter-rose-bay-quadrilles/7524|title=The Rose Bay quadrilles (solo piano) by Peter Sculthorpe and William Stanley|website=Australian Music Centre}}

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Category:Australian composers

Category:1820 births

Category:1902 deaths

Category:Australian conductors (music)

Category:Australian male composers

Category:Australian classical pianists

Category:Male classical pianists

Category:Australian classical organists

Category:19th-century male musicians

Category:19th-century organists