James Higgs (1829 – 26 April 1902) was an English organist and teacher, and the uncle of Henry Marcellus Higgs.

Life and career

James Higgs was born in

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, which today also gives its name to the (much larger) London Borough of Lambeth. Lambeth itself was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey. It is situated 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Charin ...

in 1829. He studied under his father, an amateur of ability. He succeeded the late Dr. Wylde as organist of Eaton Chapel in 1844 and in the following year, on the secession of his brother Marcellus Higgs, he became organist of St. Benet and St.Peter, Paul's Wharf. His successive organ appointments were St. Mark's, Kennington, 1852–64, St.Michael's, Stockwell, 1864-7 and for twenty-eight years of St. Andrews, Holborn, 1867 to 1895, when he retired from playing in public. In 1864 he was among the first twenty-one member 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 ...

. Some years later, in 1867, he was appointed as examiner for the

and from then on he frequently acted as examiner. Even later, in 1874, he graduated Mus. Bac. Oxon from

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

. His well-deserved doctor's degree was conferred upon him by the Archbishop of Canterbury. As original member of the Musical Association, he succeeded the late

Charles Kensington Salaman Charles Kensington Salaman (3 March 1814 – 23 June 1901) was a British Jewish composer, pianist, and writer. He was the composer of more than one hundred settings of Hebrew texts for the West London Synagogue, as well as numerous songs in En ...

as Hon.Secretary in 1877, and held the post for six years. He read two instructive papers before the Association - on 'Bach's Art of Fugue', in 1877, and 'Samuel Wesley : his life, times, and influence on music', in 1894. He was the author of two useful primers - Fugue, and Modulation. In collaboration with Sir Frederic Bridge he edited 'Bach's Organ Music', and he was the editor of a collection of two-part Solfeggi in Novello's Primer Series. In 1883 he was appointed as one of the Directors of

Trinity College, London Trinity College London (TCL) is an examination board based in London, United Kingdom which offers graded and diploma qualifications across a range of disciplines in the performing arts and English language learning and teaching. Trinity College ...

and Professor of Harmony at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

. In 1900 he received the appointment of Dean of the Faculty of Music at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. Higgs died in London on 26 April 1902.Obituary, ''Musical Times'', No 71, June 1 1902, p 402
/ref> In the ''Musical Times'', the uncredited obituary concluded with the following. "Dr. Higgs will be long remembered for his thoroughness as a teacher and for his kindly nature - qualities possessed by him in no small degree, and to which the present writer, one of his old pupils, bears full and grateful testimony".

Appointments

*Organist of

St Peter's Church, Eaton Square St. Peter's Church, Eaton Square, is a Church of England parish church at the east end of Eaton Square, Belgravia, London. It is a neoclassical building designed by the architect Henry Hakewill with a hexastyle portico with Ionic columns and ...

1843 *Organist of

St Benet's, Paul's Wharf The Church of St Benet Paul's Wharf is a Welsh Anglican church in the City of London, England. Since 1556, it has also been the official church of the College of Arms in which many officers of arms have been buried. In 1666 it was destroyed in t ...

1844 – 1852 *Organist of

St Mark's Church, Kennington St Mark's Church, Kennington, is an Anglican church (building), church on Kennington Park Road in Kennington, London, United Kingdom, near Oval tube station. The church is a Commissioners' church, receiving a grant from the Church Building Comm ...

1852 – 1864 *Organist of St. Michael's Church, Stockwell 1864 - 1867 *Organist of

St Andrew's, Holborn The Church of St Andrew, Holborn, is a Church of England church on the northwestern edge of the City of London, on Holborn within the Ward of Farringdon Without. History Roman and medieval Roman pottery was found on the site during 2001/02 exc ...

1867 – 1895

Publications

*Editor of a collection of two-part Solfeggi, Novello Primer Series. *Joint editor of the organ works of J.S. Bach with Sir Frederick Bridge.The Organ Works of J.S. Bach, 19 volumes. Novello and Co.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgs, James 1829 births 1902 deaths English classical organists Alumni of New College, Oxford Academics of the Royal College of Music 19th-century English male musicians 19th-century British classical musicians English male classical organists 19th-century English organists