Arthur Thomas Corfe (9 April 1773 – 28 January 1863) was an English organist, composer, and Master of Choristers of

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

for fifty eight years.

Life

Corfe was born in

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

in 1773, the third son of Joseph Corfe, organist of

. In 1783 he became a chorister of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

under

Benjamin Cooke Benjamin Cooke (1734 – 14 September 1793) was an United Kingdom, English composer, organist and teacher. Cooke was born in London and named after his father, also Benjamin Cooke (publisher), Benjamin Cooke (1695/1705 – 1743), a music publ ...

, and for some time studied the piano under

Muzio Clementi Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi (23 January 1752 – 10 March 1832) was an Italian-British composer, virtuoso pianist, pedagogue, conductor (music), conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer, who was mostly ac ...

. In 1804 he succeeded his father as organist of the cathedral, and in 1813 ''

The Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1907, ceasing publication altogether in 1922. It was the first to use the term ''m ...

'' reported that he had got the choir into a state of remarkable perfection. In 1828 he organised a successful festival at Salisbury, which took place from 19 to 22 August of that year. He conducted the whole of the performances, and his son John Davis Corfe played the organ. Among the solo singers were Mary Ann Paton, Rosalbina Caradori-Allan, and John Braham. Towards the end of his life his health showed signs of failing, but he attended the daily service regularly until the end. On 28 January 1863 he was found in the morning dead at his home, kneeling by his bedside as if in prayer. He was buried in the cloisters of the cathedral.

Family

In 1796 Arthur married Frances, daughter of J. Davies, vicar of Padworth, Berkshire, and they had fifteen children. Several of his sons were choristers at

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

. His eldest son, John Davis (1804–1876), was organist of

Bristol Cathedral Bristol Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bristol. The cathedral was originally an abbey dedicated to St ...

for more than fifty years. His fourth son, George, became resident medical officer at the

Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally clos ...

, and wrote several medical treatises. His younger son, Charles William (1814–1883), took the degree of Mus. Doc. at Oxford in 1852, and was organist of

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

from 1846 to his retirement shortly before his death. He was appointed

choragus In the theatre of ancient Greece, the ''choregos'' (pl. ''choregoi; , Greek etymology: χορός "chorus" + ἡγεῖσθαι "to lead") was a wealthy Athenian citizen who assumed the public duty, or ''choregiai'', of financing the preparation ...

to the university in 1860, and published several glees, part-songs, anthems and other works.
photographic portrait
taken by

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

circa 1860 can be seen in the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

Works

Arthur Thomas Corfe wrote a service and a few anthems, and some piano pieces. He published various arrangements, and a book ''The Principles of Harmony and Thorough-bass''.

References

Attribution *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Corfe, Arthur Thomas 1773 births 1863 deaths English cathedral organists English classical organists 19th-century British organists English male classical organists English classical composers of church music Burials at Salisbury Cathedral Musicians from Salisbury