Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 21.djvu/81

 in obtaining the co-operation of Hill, the organ-builder. After strenuous opposition from many quarters the organ of Christ Church was transformed in time for Mendelssohn's arrival in the autumn of 1837, the bulk of the necessary funds being raised by private subscriptions. An interesting account of Mendelssohn's playing on the new instrument was written by Gauntlett in the ‘Musical World’ (15 Sept. 1837), a paper in which he took an active interest, and of which he was for some time editor and part proprietor. Many of the best articles in the earlier volumes are by him; one upon the ‘Characteristics of Beethoven’ attained a more than temporary celebrity. Among the other organs built and improved by Hill under Gauntlett's direction were those of St. Peter's, Cornhill; York Minster; the town hall, Birmingham, &c. In 1841 he married Henrietta Gipps, daughter of W. Mount, esq., J.P. and deputy-lieutenant, of Canterbury. In the following year Dr. Howley, archbishop of Canterbury, conferred upon him the degree of Mus. D. It was the first instance of such a degree being conferred since the Reformation, unless it be true that the degree conferred on Blow was given by Sancroft [see ]. About this time he superintended the erection of a new organ in St. Olave's, the old one having been destroyed by fire. The work was done by Lincoln, but subsequently voiced by Hill. The last of his schemes for the structural improvement of the organ was the application of electricity to the action. He took out a patent for this in 1852. In 1843 (3 Aug.) he gave a performance of works by John Bull at Christ Church, in the presence of the king of Hanover, who gave him permission to style himself his organist. The object of the performance was to ventilate the theories of Richard Clark (1780–1856) [q. v.] as to the origin of our national anthem. In 1846 he was chosen by Mendelssohn to play the organ part in the production of ‘Elijah’ at Birmingham on 26 Aug.; the task was not an easy one, for the organ part had been lost, and Gauntlett was compelled to supply one from the score, which he did to the composer's entire satisfaction. In the same year he resigned his post at St. Olave's. From this time he devoted himself to literary work and to composition, although he held various posts after this date. At Union Chapel, Islington (Rev. Dr. Allon's), he undertook to play the organ in 1853, the arrangement lasting until 1861, when he was appointed to All Saints, Notting Hill, remaining there for two years. His last appointment was to St. Bartholomew's, Smithfield, a post which he held for the last four years of his life. He died at his residence, 15 St. Mary Abbotts Terrace, Kensington, on 21 Feb. 1876, and was buried at Kensal Green on the 25th. His widow and six children survive him. Much of Gauntlett's literary work is hidden away in musical periodicals, in prefaces to unsuccessful hymn-books, and in similar places. The chants and hymn tunes written by him are many hundreds in number. Of the latter it is safe to say that tunes like ‘St. Alphege,’ ‘St. Albinus,’ and ‘St. George’ will be heard as long as public worship exists in England. His compositions in this class show correct taste, a pure style, free alike from archaisms and innovations, and a thorough knowledge of what is wanted for congregational use. Other compositions, such as ‘The Song of the Soul,’ a cycle of songs, and his excellent arrangements for the organ, are in all respects worthy of him. The following are the most important of the compilations, &c., on which he worked: 1. ‘The Psalmist,’ 1839–41. 2. ‘Gregorian Canticles,’ 1844. 3. ‘Cantus Melodici,’ 1845 (this was intended to be the title of a tune book, but it is prefixed only to an elaborate introductory essay on church music, the compilation for which it was designed being afterwards published, with another preface, as ‘The Church Hymn and Tune Book,’ see below). 4. ‘Comprehensive Tune Book,’ 1846. 5. ‘Gregorian Psalter,’ 1846. 6. ‘Harmonies to Gregorian Tones,’ 1847. 7. ‘Comprehensive Choir Book,’ 1848. 8. ‘Quire and Cathedral Psalter,’ 1848. 9. ‘Christmas Carols,’ 1848. 10. ‘The Bible Psalms, … set forth to appropriate Tunes or Chants,’ 1848. 11. ‘373 Chants, Ancient and Modern,’ 1848 12. ‘The Hallelujah’ (with Rev. J. J. Waite), 1848, &c. (A book with this title, a compilation made for Waite's educational classes, had been issued, in a meagre form, as early as 1842, by Waite and J. Burder; Gauntlett's connection with the former began in 1848, and lasted until Waite's death. See preface to the ‘memorial edition’ of the ‘Hallelujah,’ in which Gauntlett's work is fully acknowledged.) 13. ‘The Stabat Mater, set to eight melodies,’ 1849. 14. ‘Order of Morning Prayer,’ 1850. 15. ‘Church Anthem Book,’ 1852–4 (incomplete). 16. ‘Church Hymn and Tune Book’ (with Rev. W. J. Blew), 1851. 17. ‘Hymns for Little Children,’ 1853. 18. ‘Congregational Psalmist’ (with Dr. Allon), 1856. 19. ‘Manual of Psalmody’ (with Rev. B. F. Carlyle), 1860. 20. ‘Christmas Minstrelsy’ (with Rev. J. Williams), 1864. 21. ‘Tunes New and Old’ (with J. Dobson), 1866. 22. ‘Church Psalter and Hymnal’ (with Canon Harland), 1869. 23. ‘The Service of Song,’ 1870. 24. ‘Parish