Joseph Barnby

BARNBY, (Sir) Joseph. b. York, 12 August 1838; d. London, 28 January 1896. He was a chorister at York Minster and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music. After being organist of Mitcham Parish Church, he was successively organist of St Michael’s, Queenhithe (1858); St James-the-Less, Westminster; St Andrew’s, Wells Street (1863-71); and St Anne’s, Soho (1871-86). He became Precentor of Eton College (1875-92) and Principal of the Guildhall School of Music (1892-96). Barnby’s earliest hymn tunes were written for use at St James-the-Less, and his first published tunes appeared in the SPCK collection, Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship (1863 edition), whose musical editor was James...