Charles H. Steggall (3 June 1826 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

– 7 June 1905 in London) was an English

hymnodist A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who is traditionally ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

Early life

The son of R. W. Steggall (of the London-based harness and saddlery maker Whippy, Steggall and Flemming), Charles Steggall was educated at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

and then studied under

William Sterndale Bennett Sir William Sterndale Bennett (13 April 18161 February 1875) was an English composer, pianist, conductor and music educator. At the age of ten Bennett was admitted to the London Royal Academy of Music (RAM), where he remained for ten years. B ...

at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

, where he subsequently became Professor of organ and harmony.

Later career

Steggall worked as an

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

for many

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

including: Christ Chapel,

Maida Vale Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district in North West London, England, north of Paddington, southwest of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn, on Edgware Road. It is part of the City of Westminster and is northwest of Charing C ...

; Christ Church,

Lancaster Gate Lancaster Gate is a mid-19th century development in the Bayswater district of central London, immediately to the north of Kensington Gardens. History It consists of two long terraces of houses overlooking the park, with a wide gap between t ...

and

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

, He was also an examiner for the DMus degree. As its first Hon Secretary, he played an important role under

to form the Bach Society, forerunner to the Bach Choir in London. He taught organ studies to Helen Johnston (a student at

Queen's College, London Queen's College is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school for girls aged 11–18 with an adjoining prep school for girls aged 4–11 located in the City of Westminster, London. It was founded in 1848 by theologian and social ...

) whom Sterndale Bennett had chosen to translate the

St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...

from German into English for the first performance in London on 6 April 1854. He edited the first English edition of Bach's Six Motets (BWV 225–230). He was one of the first twenty-one members of the

Royal College of Organists The Royal College of Organists (RCO) is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, with members worldwide. Its role is to promote and advance organ playing and choral music, and it offers music education, training and de ...

. In 1906 he republished the Complete edition of the

Hymns Ancient and Modern ''Hymns Ancient and Modern'' is a hymnal in common use within the Church of England, a result of the efforts of the Oxford Movement. The hymnal was first published in 1861. The organization publishing it has now been formed into a charitabl ...

. He died in Notting Hill, London.

Family

There were six children, the youngest being composer and organist Reginald Steggall (17 April 1867 — 15 November 1938). Reginald studied organ at the Royal Academy of Music under his father, and composition under

George Macfarren George Macfarren (1788–1843) was a playwright and the father of composer George Alexander Macfarren. Life He was born in London 5 September 1788. He was the son of George Macfarren. He was educated chiefly at Archbishop Tenison's school in Cas ...

and Ebenezer Prout. He became organist of the Church of St. Anne, Soho, and on the death of his father succeeded him as organist and director of the choir to the Honorable Societies of Lincoln's Inn. Reginald Steggall's compositions include works for organ, choral music for the church and large scale orchestral pieces (two symphonies, the ''Variations on an Original Theme'', and the ''Concertstück'' for organ and orchestra).Leach, Gerald. ''British Composer Profiles'' (3rd. edition, 2012), p 194

External links

Cyber Hymnal BiographyOxford Biography Index entry
* *

References

* F.G.E., "Charles Steggall", ''The Musical Times'' 46, No. 749 (July 1905), pp. 449–45

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steggall, Charles British composers 1826 births 1905 deaths English hymnwriters English Christian hymnwriters Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge 19th-century English musicians Associates of the Royal College of Organists