S. Drummond Wolff
Encyclopedia
Stanley Drummond Wolff was an English organist
, choir
master, composer
, and music educator who was primarily active in North America. His compositional output primarily consists of anthem
s for choir and works for solo organ. In the 1980s he completed and published four volumes of hymn
s. Many of his compositions have been published by Concordia Publishing House
and MorningStar Music Publishers.
, Wolff became a choir soloist at the Savoy Chapel
when he was 6 years old. By age 13 he was playing the organ for church services at St Matthew's Oakley Square in London where he held the position of assistant organist. He entered the Royal College of Music
(RCM) in 1933 where he was a Kent Scholar. He earned a Bachelor of Music
from the RCM in 1937. His teachers at the school included Sir Walter Alcock
(organ), Dr. Ernest Bullock
(organ), and Charles Herbert Kitson
(music composition). While studying at the RCM he won the Royal College of Organists
's Limpus Prize.
After graduating from the RCM, the London County Council
appointed Wolff as a senior instructor in music. He also served as the director and conductor of both London's chapter of the Gilbert and Sullivan
society and the Clapham Operatic and Orchestral Society. From 1938-1946 he served as the organist and Master of the Music for St Martin-in-the-Fields
. During World War II he played actively with the Band of the Grenadier Guards.
(UT) where he taught alongside Ernest MacMillan
and Healey Willan
through 1956. Among his notable pupils were F. R. C. Clarke
and James Gayfer
.
From 1946-1952 Wolff served as the organist and choirmaster at the Metropolitan United Church
(MUC) in Toronto. He composed several anthems for the MUC's choir, 12 of which were published together under the title Metropolitan Series of Choral Music in 1946. He also published two solo organ works around this time: Prelude on Greensleeves (1946) and Festival Fanfare (1950). In 1951 he co-founded the Orpheus Choir of Toronto with John Cozens
. From 1952-1956 he was organist and conductor of The Cathedral Singers at the Christ Church Cathedral
in Montreal. He also served as the director of the Bank of Montreal Choral Society and appeared as a guest conductor with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
.
After a brief return to the United Kingdom in 1957-1958, Wolff became the organist at the Bermuda Cathedral in 1959. He remained there for roughly three years, during which time he founded and conducted the Bermuda Choral Society and hosted radio programs of classical music for Bermuda Radio
. In 1962 he joined the music faculty of the College of Marin
in Kentfield, California
where he taught for the next 10 years.
where he taught music and occasionally worked as a conductor and organist through 1981. From 1981-1994 he lived and worked in Seattle, Washington in the United States. He afterwords lived in retirement in San Diego, California where he died at the age of 88 in 2004.
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
master, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and music educator who was primarily active in North America. His compositional output primarily consists of anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
s for choir and works for solo organ. In the 1980s he completed and published four volumes of hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s. Many of his compositions have been published by Concordia Publishing House
Concordia Publishing House
Concordia Publishing House , founded in 1869, is the official publishing arm of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Headquartered in St Louis, Missouri at 3558 S. Jefferson St. Louis, MO, CPH publishes the Synod's official magazine, The Lutheran Witness and the Synod's hymnals, including...
and MorningStar Music Publishers.
Early life, career, and education in England
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wolff became a choir soloist at the Savoy Chapel
Savoy Chapel
The Savoy Chapel or the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy is a chapel off the Strand, London, dedicated to St John the Baptist. It was originally built in the medieval era off the main church of the Savoy Palace...
when he was 6 years old. By age 13 he was playing the organ for church services at St Matthew's Oakley Square in London where he held the position of assistant organist. He entered the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
(RCM) in 1933 where he was a Kent Scholar. He earned a Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
from the RCM in 1937. His teachers at the school included Sir Walter Alcock
Walter Alcock
Sir Walter Galpin Alcock was an English organist and composer born at Edenbridge, Kent.He studied at the Royal College of Music under Sir Arthur Sullivan and Sir John Stainer....
(organ), Dr. Ernest Bullock
Ernest Bullock
Sir Ernest Bullock was an English organist, composer, and educator.-Education:...
(organ), and Charles Herbert Kitson
Charles Herbert Kitson
Charles Herbert Kitson was an English organist, teacher, and music educator, author of several books on harmony and counterpoint. He was born in Leyburn, Yorkshire, and attended school in Ripon. Intending originally to take holy orders, he took his BA and MA at Cambridge, where he was organ...
(music composition). While studying at the RCM he won the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
's Limpus Prize.
After graduating from the RCM, the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
appointed Wolff as a senior instructor in music. He also served as the director and conductor of both London's chapter of the Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
society and the Clapham Operatic and Orchestral Society. From 1938-1946 he served as the organist and Master of the Music for St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
. During World War II he played actively with the Band of the Grenadier Guards.
Career in North America
Towards the end of World War II, Wolff was the conductor of the Canadian Military Headquarters Choir for their performances in Europe. This connection led to his appointment to the organ and music theory faculty at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto in 1946. He left there in 1948 to join the faculty at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(UT) where he taught alongside Ernest MacMillan
Ernest MacMillan
Sir Ernest Alexander Campbell MacMillan, CC was an internationally renowned Canadian orchestral conductor and composer, and Canada's only "Musical Knight". He is widely regarded as being Canada's pre-eminent musician, from the 1920s through the 1950s...
and Healey Willan
Healey Willan
Healey Willan, was an Anglo-Canadian organist and composer. He composed more than 800 works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, a concerto, and pieces for band, orchestra, organ, and piano...
through 1956. Among his notable pupils were F. R. C. Clarke
F. R. C. Clarke
Frederick Robert Charles Clarke, known largely by his initials F. R. C. Clarke was a Canadian musician and composer who spent most of his musical career in Kingston, Ontario, Canada....
and James Gayfer
James Gayfer
James McDonald Gayfer was a Canadian bandmaster, clarinetist, composer, conductor, organist, military officer, and music educator. His compositional output encompasses several orchestral works, including two symphonies, numerous works for band and solo piano, a modest amount of chamber music, and...
.
From 1946-1952 Wolff served as the organist and choirmaster at the Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church is a large neo-Gothic church in downtown Toronto, Canada. It is one of the largest and most prominent churches of the United Church of Canada. It is located on Queen Street East at the corner of Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.-History:The congregation,...
(MUC) in Toronto. He composed several anthems for the MUC's choir, 12 of which were published together under the title Metropolitan Series of Choral Music in 1946. He also published two solo organ works around this time: Prelude on Greensleeves (1946) and Festival Fanfare (1950). In 1951 he co-founded the Orpheus Choir of Toronto with John Cozens
John Cozens (musician)
John Cozens was a Canadian arts administrator, arranger, choir conductor, and tenor of English birth. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1950.-Early life and education:...
. From 1952-1956 he was organist and conductor of The Cathedral Singers at the Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal)
Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican Gothic Revival cathedral in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. It is located at 635 Saint Catherine Street West, between Union Avenue and University Street. It is situated on top of the Promenades Cathédrale underground...
in Montreal. He also served as the director of the Bank of Montreal Choral Society and appeared as a guest conductor with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
.
After a brief return to the United Kingdom in 1957-1958, Wolff became the organist at the Bermuda Cathedral in 1959. He remained there for roughly three years, during which time he founded and conducted the Bermuda Choral Society and hosted radio programs of classical music for Bermuda Radio
Bermuda Radio
Bermuda Radio is a radio station in Bermuda working under the Government of Bermuda.- Services :Its service provided by the government of Bermuda to assist mariners in and around Bermuda with weather information, government immigration and customs formalities, and practical advice, including search...
. In 1962 he joined the music faculty of the College of Marin
College of Marin
The College of Marin is a community college in Marin County, California, U.S., with two campuses, one in Kentfield, and the second in Novato. It is the only institution operated by the Marin Community College District. Its chief executive officer is currently Superintendent/President David Wain...
in Kentfield, California
Kentfield, California
Kentfield is a census-designated place in Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Kentfield is located on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad southwest of downtown San Rafael, at an elevation of 115 feet . The population was 6,485 at the 2010 census...
where he taught for the next 10 years.
Later life and career
In 1972 Wolff moved back to his native country, settling in EastbourneEastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
where he taught music and occasionally worked as a conductor and organist through 1981. From 1981-1994 he lived and worked in Seattle, Washington in the United States. He afterwords lived in retirement in San Diego, California where he died at the age of 88 in 2004.