Harry Benjamin Jepson (August 16, 1870 – August 23, 1952) was an American

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 ...

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 ...

and (starting in 1906) the first University Organist of

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

.A New Endowment to Secure the Future of The Newberry Memorial Organ / Woolsey Hall
" Accessed June 21, 2012. Jepson was born August 16, 1870, in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

. He attended Hillhouse High School. Jepson studied at Yale under Horatio Parker and Gustave Stoeckel, earning a B.A. in 1893 and a B.M. in 1894. While at Yale he was the organist for New Haven's Christ Church (in 1889) and Old Center Church (from 1890 to 1894 where he was succeeded by

Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, actuary and businessman. Ives was among the earliest renowned American composers to achieve recognition on a global scale. His music was largely ignored d ...

). He then studied in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

under Charles Marie Widor and

Louis Vierne Louis Victor Jules Vierne (8 October 1870 – 2 June 1937) was a French organist and composer. He was the organist of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1900 until his death. As a composer, much of his output was Organ (music), organ music, including six ...

. He was appointed instructor at Yale in 1895, eventually rising to a full professorship in 1907. He also directed the Battell Chapel choir. He retired in 1939; Charles Kullman was among the performers at the musical service in held for his retirement. Among his students were Edward Shippen Barnes (who dedicated his 2nd Organ Symphony to Jepson), Seth Bingham (who dedicated his ''Counter-Theme'' from 6 Pieces Op. 9 to Jepson, and who Jepson hired briefly at Yale), Edwin Arthur Kraft, Virginia Carrington-Thomas, and Frederick Kinsley. Jepson died August 23, 1952, in

Noank, Connecticut Noank ( ) is a village in the town of Groton, Connecticut. This dense community of historic homes and local businesses sits on a small, steep peninsula at the mouth of the Mystic River (Connecticut), Mystic River and has a long tradition of fishi ...

. He was succeeded by Luther Noss as University Organist. Yale's Harry B. Jepson Memorial Scholarship is named after him, and he oversaw the design and construction of the renowned Newberry Memorial Organ in Yale's Woolsey Hall, as well as its 1915-1917 and 1929 renovations.

Selected compositions

* ''Ballade'' for organ (), dedicated to Florence Annette Wells, New Haven area organist and 1900 Yale graduate. * ''Veni, Sancte Spiritus'', anthem for chorus and organ. * ''Masquerade'', for organ, dedicated to

Lynnwood Farnam Lynnwood Farnam (January 13, 1885 – November 23, 1930) was a Canadian organist who became the preeminent organist in North America in the 1920s until his death. He was influential in promoting the music of Bach, and also championed French organ ...

* ''Pastel'', for organ, dedicated to Miles Farrow, organist of

Cathedral of St. John the Divine The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (sometimes referred to as St. John's and also nicknamed St. John the Unfinished) is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in the Morningside Heights neighborhoo ...

in New York City. * ''Toccata'', dedicated to Hugo Goodwin * ''Pantomime'', dedicated to Pauline Voorhees * ''L'Heure exquise'', dedicated to Ruth Muzzy, likely a former student * ''Sonata in G-Minor'', for organ, dedicated to Arthur Hyde, organist of St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City. * ''Battell Chapel'', hymn, text by William Gaskell.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jepson, Harry Benjamin American classical organists 1870 births 1952 deaths Yale University alumni Yale University faculty American male classical organists People from New Haven, Connecticut Hillhouse High School alumni