Charles John Stanley (1712 – 1786) was an English
composer and organist. He was born in London on 17
January 1712. At about the age of two, he had the
misfortune to fall on a marble hearth with a china
basin in his hand, an accident which left him almost
blind.
He began studying music at the age of seven. Under the
guidance of Maurice Greene, composer and organist at
St. Paul's Cathedral, he studied "with great diligence,
and a success that was astonishing" (Burney). At the
age of ni...(+)
Charles John Stanley (1712 – 1786) was an English
composer and organist. He was born in London on 17
January 1712. At about the age of two, he had the
misfortune to fall on a marble hearth with a china
basin in his hand, an accident which left him almost
blind.
He began studying music at the age of seven. Under the
guidance of Maurice Greene, composer and organist at
St. Paul's Cathedral, he studied "with great diligence,
and a success that was astonishing" (Burney). At the
age of nine he played the organ, probably as an
occasional deputy, at All Hallows Bread Street. The
organist died on 23 September 1723 and exactly one
month later eleven-year-old Stanley was appointed
organist to the church at a salary of £20 per
annum.
When he was fourteen "in preference to a great number
of candidates" (Burney) he was chosen as organist at St
Andrew's, Holborn and at the age of seventeen became
the youngest person ever to obtain the Bachelor of
Music degree (B.Mus.) at Oxford University.
In 1779 Stanley succeeded William Boyce as Master of
the King's Band of musicians. In this capacity he
composed many New Year and Birthday odes to the King
but unfortunately this music has not survived.
Stanley's last work was probably an ode written for the
King's birthday (4 June 1786). Stanley never heard its
performance as he died at his home in Hatton Garden on
19 May 1786 aged 74. Stanley's works include the opera
Teraminta, the dramatic cantata The Choice of Hercules,
twelve other cantatas with texts by John Hawkins, the
oratorios Jephtha, The Fall of Egypt and Zimri, and
instrumental music, notably three volumes of
voluntaries for organ (1748, 1752, and 1754). Nearly
all of the voluntaries feature a short, slow
introduction followed by either a solo-stop movement
(such as the so-called trumpet voluntaries) or a fugue.
Some of the former have been arranged in modern times
for string chamber orchestra and trumpet.
Although originally created for Orchestra, I created
this arrangement for Wind Ensemble (Bb Trumpet,
Trombone, French Horn, F Tuba, Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet
& Bassoon).
SHEET MUSIC