Sir Charles Villiers Stanford

Born on September 30, 1852 in Dublin, Ireland

Died on March 29, 1924

Nationality: British

Period/Style: Romantic/Early Modern

About the composer:

Stanford was one of the most influential composers in England during the second half of the 19^th Century and early in the 20^th Century.  He wrote music in almost every form, including seven symphonies, ten operas, a great deal of chamber music, a set of Irish Rhapsodies, music for piano and for organ, and over 30 large compositions for choir.  His many sacred choral works continue to be the foundation of the Anglican Church tradition. Stanford enrolled at Cambridge University, one of the oldest and finest Universities in the world, at the age of 18, where he quickly established a reputation as a very gifted and serious student.  He was appointed organist of Trinity College in Cambridge while he was still an undergraduate, which was a very unusual occurrence. After graduation he went to Germany to study composition in Leipzig and Berlin.  In 1883 he became a Professor of Composition at the Royal College of Music, one of the most prestigious music schools to this day, and he held that post until 1923.  He was also appointed as Professor of Music at Cambridge. Many of his students went on to become famous composers, including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, George Butterworth and Percy Grainger.

About the music:

Stanford’s choral music was written with the large, reverberant cathedrals of Europe in mind.  The harmonies are rich, the melodies are clearly heard, and there is a certain grandeur you can sense when listening to this music.  It’s not difficult to imagine yourself in Westminster Abbey as you hear the blending of voices, accompanied by a pipe organ that sounds like an orchestra.

Suggested activities:

Find out when Cambridge University and the Royal College of Music were founded.

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Discover how this composer came to be known as ‘Sir’ Charles Stanford.