Alan Gray

Alan Gray (23 December 1855 – 27 September 1935) was an English organist and composer.

Life and career

Gray was born in into a well-known York family (the Grays of Grays Court). His father William Gray was a solicitor and (in 1844) Lord Mayor of York. His brother Edwin Gray (c 1847-1929) became Lord Mayor of York in 1897, and again in 1902.

Alan Gray attended St Peter's School'Dr Alan Gray' in ''The Times'', 30 September 1935, p. 20 and initially trained as a solicitor, qualifying in 1881.Humphreys, M and Evans, R
''Dictionary of Composers for the Church in Great Britain and Ireland'' (1997) p 132
/ref> But after musical studies with Edwin G Monk at York Minster he turned to music, studying as an undergraduate at Trinity College, Cambridge, where Charles Villiers Stanford came across him.Dibble, Jeremy. Notes to Hyperion CD A68301 (2020)
/ref> From 1883 until 1893 he was Director of Music at Wellington College. Other staff members in the music department at the same time were A H Fox Strangways and Hugh Allen.

In 1893 he returned to Cambridge to be organist at Trinity College and conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society, succeeding Stanford. One of his organ pupils was Ralph Vaughan Williams. He remained there until 1930. He did important work as an editor for the Purcell Society. ''The Shropshire Songbook'', a book of arrangements made by Gray and Nicholas Gatty from folksongs collected by W H Leslie, was published in 1922.

Gray was described in his ''Times'' obituary as "a magnificent organist ndskilful improviser". Known as "long Alan" by his contemporaries, he was 6 foot six inches tall and had a wide range of intellectual interests beyond music. In 1887 he married Maude Vickers (sister of suffragist and social reformer Almyra Vickers, who married Gray's older brother Edwin) and there were three sons: Basil, Maurice and Edward. During the First World War he was badly affected, losing two of his three sons (Maurice and Edward) towards the end of the conflict. He died at his home, 10 Chaucer Road, Cambridge aged 79. His wife continued to live there until her own death in 1953.

Music

Among his compositions are liturgical music for Morning and Evening Prayer and the Office of Holy Communion for use in the Church of England according to the ''Book of Common Prayer'': the ''Magnificat and Nunc dimittis'' in F minor for double choir (1912); a setting of Holy Communion in G; and several anthems. There is also a collection of descants to various hymn tunes published in 1920, several of which are still in use today (''Common Praise'' 000includes four). His other works include five cantatas for chorus and orchestra (set to religious and secular texts), chamber and instrumental music, and organ music including four sonatas

During the war Gray composed a cycle of three partsongs setting Rupert Brooke entitled ''1914'', as well as an ''Elegy'' (1915) for organ and strings (or solo organ) in memory of the composer W C Denis Browne, who had been the organ scholar at Clare College, Cambridge and who died in action in 1915. Perhaps his best known piece, ''What are these that glow from afar?'' (1928, words Christina Rossetti), was composed in memory of his sons lost in the war. The anthem uses a quotation from the plainsong tune of ''Jesu dulcis memoria'' to great effect.

The ''Magnificat and Nunc dimittis'' has been recorded by the Westminster Abbey Choir, conducted by James O'Donnell. The ''1914'' partsongs - 'Peace', 'The Dead', and 'The Soldier' - have been recorded by Truro Cathedral Choir. Barry Rose and the Guildford Cathedral Choir also recorded 'The Dead' and 'The Soldier'. John Kitchen has recorded the Organ Sonata No 2.

Compositions

* ''The Widow of Zarephath'', cantata (York, 1888)
* Organ Sonata No 2 (1890)
* ''Arethusa'', cantata (Leeds, 1892)
* ''Easter Ode'', choral (1892)
* ''The Legend of the Rock Buoy Bell'', cantata (Hovingham, 1893)
* ''Fantasia'' in D minor for organ (1894)
* ''Festival Te Deum'' (1895)
* ''The Vision of Belshazzar'', cantata (Hovingham, 1896)
* ''A Song of Redemption'', cantata (Leeds, 1898)
* Andante and Allegro for piano trio (1903)
* ''Odysseus in Phaeacia'', cantata (1906)
* Evening Service in F minor (Magnificat and Nunc dimittis) for double choir (1912)
* ''1914'', partsongs (1914)
* ''Elegy'' for organ and strings (1915)
* ''Recessional'' for organ (1916)
* ''Andante grazioso'' for organ (1922)
* ''What are these that glow from afar?'', anthem (1928)ChoralWiki entry
/ref>
* Requiem
* Piano Quartet
* String Quartet
* Violin Sonata
* Adagio and Toccata for organ
* ''Fantasy'' in G minor for organ
* Four Organ Sonatas
* ''Four idylls'' for organ
* Ground for organ
* The Little Organ Book in memory of Parry
* Variations for organ
* sets of short preludes and postludes

References

External links

* and a
IMSLP

Trinity College Chapel Memorial

Psalm 96, sung by the combined choirs of St Paul's Cathedral and Her Majesty's Chapel Royal, conductor Andrew Carwood, 5 June 2012

''What Are These That Glow From Afar'', sung by The Choir of Truro Cathedral, director David Briggs
*
Cecil Hurry: Scrapbook on Alan Gray
', Cambridge University Library Archive

Performance of 'The Soldier'
from the cycle ''1914'', Guildford Cathedral Choir, conducted by Barry Rose

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Alan
People educated at St Peter's School, York

1855 births
1935 deaths
English classical organists
English composers
English male classical organists