Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/388

 the fifty years she never missed a single service.

John was indebted to his father for his first music lessons, and for his bias towards the organ. Although he was deprived of the sight of the left eye by an accident when he was five years old, his progress was unimpeded. At the age of seven he could play Bach's Fugue in E major. Early in 1848 he became a probationer in the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, and on 24 June 1849 he was formally admitted as a full chorister. Under William Bayley, the choirmaster, he studied harmony from the book written by the cathedral organist, (Sir) John Goss [q. v.]. He sang at the funeral of J. M. W. Turner (1851) and of the Duke of Wellington (1852). He possessed a beautiful voice and exceptional ability as a singer, whUe his manner and personality endeared him to his associates.

In 1854 he was appointed organist of St. Benedict and St. Peter, Paul's Wharf. He had a remarkable facility in extemporising on the organ, in the manner of Bach. About this time he had lessons in organ playing from George Cooper, at St. Sepulchre's church. In 1856 Sir Frederick Gore Ouseley [q. v.] came to an afternoon service at St. Paul's and found Stainer deputising at the organ. He was so struck with the youth's ability that he offered him the post of organist at St. Michael's, Tenbury, then; as now, a centre for the study of ecclesiastical music. In 1857 Stainer was settled at Tenbury. He used to ascribe much of his ultimate success as a church musician to his two years' experience here under Ouseley.

Matriculating at Christ Church, Oxford, on 26 May 1859, he proceeded B.Mus. there on 10 June following, whilst he was still at Tenbury. In July 1860 he was appointed organist of Magdalen College, Oxford, and next year became organist to the university. He then went into residence at St. Edmund Hall, in order to read for an arts degree, and he graduated B.A. in 1864. On 9 Nov. 1865 he passed his examination for the degree of doctor of music, the oratorio 'Gideon' being his degree exercise. In 1866 he proceeded M.A., and was appointed a university examiner in music. In this capacity he examined (Sir) Hubert Parry for his bachelor, of music degree. He founded the Oxford Philharmonic Society, and conducted its first concert on 8 June 1866.

The supreme opportunity of his life occurred when in 1872 he became organist at St. Paul's Cathedral. At this period the service music at St. Paul's had drifted into an unsatisfactory condition. Stainer brought to its reform great tact in administration and exceptional musical ability, and the cathedral soon acquired a worldwide reputation for the beauty and reverence of its service music, and for Stainer's masterly organ playing. During his career at St. Paul's he found time for music composition and other exacting work. He was organist to the Royal Choral Society from 1873 until 1888. He was one of the chief founders of the Musical Association, which was established in 1874. In 1876 he became professor of the organ at the new National Training School for Music, and in 1881 he succeeded (Sir) Arthur Sullivan [q. v. Suppl. I] as principal. He was a juror at the Paris Exhibition of 1878, and for his services was created a chevalier of the Legion of Honour in France. In 1882 he was appointed government inspector of music in the training colleges for elementary school teachers in Great Britain. In spite of the blindness of one eye, his sight long bore the strain of music reading and writing without any sign of weakness. But in 1888 he was warned that it was in danger, and he resigned the organistship of St. Paul's and other professional appointments. On 10 July he was knighted by Queen Victoria. In 1889 he succeeded Sir Frederick Ouseley as professor of music in the University of Oxford, and he retained this post until 1899. The last important position he occupied in the musical world was the mastership of the Musicians' Company, which he accepted in 1900.

Among Stainer's other distinctions were honorary fellowships of Magdalen College, Oxford, and of St. Michael's College, Tenbury. At Durham he was made hon. Mus.D. (1858) and hon. D.C.L. (1895). He was also member or officer of the chief musical societies, being vice-president of the Royal College of Organists ; president of the Plain Song and Mediæval Music Society ; president of the London Gregorian Association ; president of the Musical Association. He died suddenly at Verona on 31 March 1901, and was buried at Holywell cemetery, Oxford.

On 27 Dec. 1865 he married Eliza Cecil, only daughter of Alderman Randall of Oxford. She survived him with four sons and two daughters. His elder daughter. Miss E. C. Stainer, published a 'Dictionary of Violin Makers' in 1896, and she greatly assisted her father in his historical inquiries.