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Edmund Chipp

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Edmund Chipp

Edmund Thomas Chipp (December 25, 1823 – December 17, 1886) was a popular English composer and musician, mostly in demand for his skills as an organist. His repertoire of compositions was varied in style, but he was known principally for church organ music and oratorios. Chipp was the eldest son of the noted musician (Thomas) Paul Chipp[1](1793–1870) harpist, principal drummer of his day and chorister of the Chapel Royal, Whitehall. Edmund was educated[2] in the Chapel Royal as a chorister, and later became a member of William IV's and then Queen Victoria's private band. He became a friend to Felix Mendelssohn and assisted in transcribing and collating his unpublished works (see below).

Chipp became a Member of the Society of British Musicians in 1842 and of the Royal Society of Musicians in 1848.


Birth, death, and family

Chipp was born in London on Christmas Day, December 25, 1823, and died whilst on holiday in Nice, France on December 17, 1886. His body was brought back and on Christmas Eve he was buried in Highgate Cemetery, North London, in the Chipp family plot. It had been hoped that the holiday with his wife would help him recover from his ailment, but to no avail.

Career

Chipp was a Chorister of the Chapel Royal under William Hawes from the age of seven until he was 17. On 28 June 1838 Chipp sang at the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.

Chipp studied the organ under the Senior Cooper,[who?] and violin under W. Thomas,[who?] J.B. Nadaud[who?] and Auguste Tolbecque.

Chipp was violinist in Her Majesty's Private Band from 1844, and a prominent violinist in the first Philharmonic and other orchestras.

Positions held as Chief Organist

  • Percy Chapel[3] Tottenham Court Road, London
  • Chipp was organist at the Italian Opera House circa 1843-45.[2]
  • Albany Chapel (built in 1837), Frederick Street, Regent’s Park, London, 1843-46
  • St. John’s Chapel, Downside Hill, Hampstead, London 1846-46
  • St. Olave’s, Southwark, London 1847 succeeding "The Father of Church Music" [4] Dr. Henry John Gauntlett (1805-1876). Chipp resigned in 1852 upon being appointed organist at St Mary-at-Hill.
  • Sole organist and composer for The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival in 1849.
  • St Mary-at-Hill, Eastcheap, London, 1852-56
  • The Royal Panopticon of Science and Art, Leicester Square, London, 1855;
  • Holy Trinity, Paddington, London 1856-62; (An early English church, now demolished, but on the site bordered by Bishops Bridge Road, Westbourne Terrace and Gloucester Terrace, W2)
  • St. George’s, Belfast, 1862-66
  • Ulster Hall, Belfast, 1862-66
  • Kinnaird Hall, Dundee, Scotland, February 1866
  • St. Paul’s, Edinburgh, Scotland 1866
  • Ely Cathedral,1866 Chief Organist and Magister Chorustarum, held until his death in 1886.

His skills at the organ were such that he was often called upon to demonstrate the merits of both newly designed and historic organs of note to show their capabilities. Chipp was very well connected with the principal manufacturers of organs and with music publishers, as well as fellow musicians. He was popular man noted for his sense of humour. Once when presented with a note from the Queen saying that she found the music he was currently playing discordant and unpleasant, he replied with the message that her "ears were out of tune!".[citation needed] Such casual communication is indicative of his close relationship with the British royal family.

Press

Obituaries

The Musical Times of February 1, 1887[5] stated:

"In our last issue it was our painful duty to record the loss which the musical world sustained by the death of Dr E.T. Chipp." followed by his biography over two pages. Extracts of interest include a reference to his work in demonstrating organs:

Mr Chipp's skill as an organist was by no means confined to his church duties; he was often called upon to display the resources of new organs. On these occasions he frequently performed the whole of his programme from memory. The writer of these notes (Musical Times) has more than once known him thus to play all six of Mendelssohn's grand Organ Sonatas during a single recital

Modern references

The conductor and organist Jonathan Rennert states: [6]

Edmund Chipp was the organist at one of my two City of London churches, St Mary-at-Hill... He is remembered for having played all Mendelssohn's six sonatas to the composer from memory, and for his virtuosity, particularly in the (then-new) pedal department. His organ music often features fast passagework and prominent melody-lines played by the feet. The Procession March includes a particularly naughty pedal-tune towards the end!

Chipp compositions were included in the 2007 Historic Organ Sound Archive Project [HOSA] and National Pipe Organ Register

Connection with Mendelssohn and other contemporaries

In late 1844 and 1845 Felix Mendelssohn composed his 6 Organ Sonatas, Op. 65. Chipp is recorded, in his obituary in the Musical Times as having been known for playing all of these 6 sonatas from memory.[5][7] Chipp is credited with having been the first person to play Mendelssohn's organ works to the public in performance. This was the demonstrative recital Chipp was commissioned for at Walker's organ factory in April, 1846.[7] It was many years years before Mendelssohn's organ sonatas became popular in Britain.[8]

A fellow colleague of Chipp's, and his predecessor as organist at St Olaves, Dr Henry John Gauntlett was admired by Mendelssohn, who wrote of him

His literary attainments, his knowledge of the history of music, his acquaintance with acoustical law, his marvelous memory, his philosophical turn of mind as well as practical experience- these render him one of the most remarkable professors of the age.[9]

Dr Gauntlett had designed a new grand organ for St Olaves, which was built between 1844 and 1846.[10] Shortly after the installation was perfected to fit the acoustics of the Church in March 1846, Chipp was formally invited to complement it by taking up the position of organist, which he naturally accepted, giving notice to St John's Church in Hampstead. Another friend of Chipp was Vincent Novello, who published some of his compositions.[11] It was this connection that led to the commissioning of some-as yet untitled- organ pieces from Mendelssohn as revealed by copies of letters between the parties.[citation needed] Mendelssohn wrote in a letter dated May 26 1845 "Perhaps some of my English friends and brother organ players would look them over for me, besides the usual corrections of the proofs. Perhaps Mr. Gauntlett would do it?" Gauntlett however did not correct the proofs, but Novello, the publisher of Chipp's music did, shown by the annotations on the original.[12]

Mendelssohn's "Six Grand Sonatas for the Organ" (Opus 65) were published by Coventry and Hollier of 71 Dean Street, Soho Square, London in July 1845, priced £1. 1s. 0d and available to their subscribers (of whom there were about 180).[8] Chipp swiftly learned the scores by heart and their first public performance was probably just a few months later at Walker's organ factory in April 1846.[13]

Chipp was asked to play the third sonata to Mendelssohn on the organ at the Hanover Square Rooms, and then this testimonial received from him (the original draft being retrieved by Sir George Grove whilst researching Mendelssohn's life in Europe):

I have heard Mr. Edmund Chipp perform on the organ and the manner in which he played one of the most difficult of my Organ Sonatas has given me a very high opinion of his talents and his skill as a musician and as a performer. -London, 7th Mai, 1847. FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY[7]

On 13 December 1848 Chipp again performed all six of the Mendelssohn sonatas from memory, at a recital at the William Hill organ factory.[8]This was a feat he was well known for as it is mentioned in several of his obituaries.

Between 1850 and 1855 Chipp went on to personally collate and transcribe the full scores of all Mendelssohn's unpublished works. This was a monumental labour of love and done in his own leisure time whilst he was at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle as a member of Her Majesty's Private Band.[5]


Compositions

(alphabetically listed)

  • Andante Varied[14]
  • Austrian Hymn
  • Four Pieces 1: “O Sanctissima” with two variations and finale; 2: Andante con moto; 3: Intermezzo; 4: Fugue in A minor
  • God Preserve the Emperor, written for The Birmingham Festival, 1849
  • Job
  • Naomi
  • Twenty-four Sketches (Op. 11) (1: Andante Religioso; 2: In Memoriam M.F.G.C; 3: Con moto; 4: Adagio ma non troppo; 5: Con moto molto tranquillo; 6: Andante tranquillo; 7: Andante e molto Sostenuto; 8: Con moto ma non troppo presto; 9: Con moto molto tranquillo; 10: Canzonet; 11: Lento; 12: Pastorale; 13: In Memoriam F.M.B.; 14: Larghetto; 15: Moderato e Tranquillo; 16: Andante con Moto; 17: Moderato e Sostenuto; 18: Andante ma non troppo; 19: In Memoriam M.F.G.C.; 20: Grazioso; 21: Andante Maestoso e con energetico; 22: Moderato e legato; 23: Andante e Sostenuto; 24: Ave Maria)
  • Variations on “God Preserve the Emperor” (Op. 2)
  • Variations on “The Harmonious Blacksmith” (Op. 1)

References

  1. ^ Stephen, 1887, page 259
  2. ^ a b Stephen, 1887, page 258
  3. ^ "Access to Archives". Records of the Percy Chapel, Charlotte Street, St Pancras. The National Archives. 1776–1808. Retrieved 10 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  4. ^ Henry John Gauntlett, 1805-1876
  5. ^ a b c The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, February 1st 1887, pages 100-101
  6. ^ St Albans Organ Festival performers
  7. ^ a b c Edwards, 1901, 796
  8. ^ a b c Scholes, 1947, page 596
  9. ^ http://www.pdmusic.org/biographies/Gauntlett%20Henry%20John%20Gauntlett.pdf
  10. ^ "Organs and Organists of St Olave's. Tooley Street, Southwark" p.2"
  11. ^ http://www.allegro.co.uk/ave-maria-p-88930.html
  12. ^ Edwards (1895), 3
  13. ^ Edwards (1895), 5
  14. ^ http://www.allegro.co.uk/ave-maria-p-88930.html

Sources


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