Harry Rowe Shelley (June 8, 1858 – September 12, 1947) was an American composer, organist (church and concert), and professor of music. Born 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 ...

, Shelley studied with Gustave J. Stoeckel at

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

, Dudley Buck, Max (Wilhelm Carl) Vogrich, and

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

in New York, and completed his musical education in London and Paris. According to his ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' obituary, Shelley "penned church music that won him wide popularity. For 60 years a host of English-speaking peoples throughout the world sang his hymns." Shelley attended

Hopkins Grammar School Hopkins School is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational, day school for grades 7–12 located in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1660, Edward Hopkins, seven-time governor of the Connecticut Colony, bequeathed a portion of his estate to found ...

, and at fourteen played the organ at Center Church on the Green in New Haven. Although he entered Yale, he did not complete his freshman year. Shelley was organist at the Church of the Pilgrims during the ministry of

Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the Abolitionism, abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery ...

and played at his funeral. Shelley died at age 89 in

Short Beach Short Beach is a beach neighborhood situated in Branford, Connecticut, United States. It is the westernmost of Branford's seven neighborhoods, the others being: The Hill, The Center, Pine Orchard, Stony Creek, Indian Neck, and Brushy Hill ...

, Connecticut. Shelley taught at the American Institute of Applied Music, where his students included composers Mabel Madison Watson and Gertrude Hoag Wilson, among others.

Positions held

* 1878–1881 – Organist, Church of the Pilgrims, Brooklyn * 1881–1887 – Organist, Plymouth Church (same) * 1887–1899 – Organist, Church of the Pilgrims * 1899–1914 – Organist, Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, New York City, which later became Park Avenue Baptist and eventually

Riverside Church Riverside Church is an interdenominational church in the Morningside Heights, Manhattan, Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The church is associated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the Un ...

* 1915–1936 – Organist, Central Congregational Church, Brooklyn * Faculty member, American Institute of Applied Music

Selected compositions

Among his works are two symphonies; a

symphonic poem A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source. The German term ( ...

: ''The Crusaders''; a suite for orchestra: ''Souvenir de Baden-Baden''; sacred

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

s: ''Vexilla Regis'' (1893);''The Inheritance Divine'' (1895); ''Death and Life'' (1898); a

violin concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

; an opera: ''Leila'' (manuscript); anthems: " The King of Love My Shepherd Is" (1886); "Hark!, Hark, My Soul" (1887); an arrangement for

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and wrote the popular novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (185 ...

's poem "Still, Still with Thee" (1930); and other songs and organ pieces. He also composed the ''Santa Claus Overture''; and ''Lochinvar's Ride'' (1915).

Honors

* 1898 – Elected to membership in the

National Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqua ...

Contemporary recordings

* Shelley, Harry Rowe. "Santa Claus Overture, a lyrical intermezzo", on ''Those Fabulous Americans'', The Symphony Orchestra of America; Matthew B. Phillips, conductor.

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. In May 2024, Albany Records wa ...

(Troy 103), 1993. Compact disc.

References

* ''

Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language '' Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and th ...

'' (Grove II), 6: 1920 American Supplement, 361. * ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', obituary, September 13, 1947, 11.

External links

*
Some biographical information

Free Harry Rowe Shelley sheet music
from the Ball State University Digital Media Repository {{DEFAULTSORT:Shelley, Harry Rowe 1858 births 1947 deaths American classical composers American opera composers American male opera composers Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Hopkins School alumni Yale College alumni American classical organists American male classical organists