Walter Greatorex
Encyclopedia
Walter Greatorex was an English composer
and musician
. He is probably best remembered for his hymn tune
Woodlands which has been used with hymns such as Henry Montagu Butler
's Lift Up Your Hearts!
and Timothy Dudley-Smith
's Tell Out, my Soul
.
, Nottinghamshire
, the son of a bank manager, from 1888 to 1893 Greatorex was a boy chorister at King's College, Cambridge
. He was then educated at Derby School
and St John's College, Cambridge
. Lift up your hearts to his music became the school hymn of Derby School.
. In 1911, he became Director of Music at Gresham's School
, Holt
, succeeding his fellow Old Derbeian Geoffrey Shaw, and remained at Gresham's for the rest of his working life, until he retired in 1949.
In 1919 he composed his most famous work, his hymn tune Woodlands, used for the hymn Lift up Your Hearts and for the Magnificat
paraphrase Tell out My Soul. During his long career he also composed other hymns and organ music. Greatorex was known at Gresham's as 'Gog' or 'Greatoxe', and among those he taught at the school were Benjamin Britten
(a boarder from 1928-1930), Sir Lennox Berkeley
and W. H. Auden
. Auden wrote of him that Albert Schweitzer
played the organ no better than Walter Greatorex.
In July 1949, Greatorex retired to Bournemouth
, where he lived in an hotel for a few months until his death in December of the same year.
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 musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is probably best remembered for his hymn tune
Hymn tune
A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm , and no refrain or chorus....
Woodlands which has been used with hymns such as Henry Montagu Butler
Henry Montagu Butler
Henry Montagu Butler was an English academic.He was the son of a previous Headmaster of Harrow School, George Butler and his wife Sarah Maria née Gray. Educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge, he married Georgina Elliot in 1861...
's Lift Up Your Hearts!
Lift Up Your Hearts!
Lift up your hearts! is an English hymn written in 1881 by H. Montagu Butler. The words echo the English translation of the Sursum corda, a part of the communion liturgy in Christian churches.-Music:...
and Timothy Dudley-Smith
Timothy Dudley-Smith
Timothy Dudley-Smith OBE is an English hymnwriter and a retired bishop of the Church of England.Born in Manchester, England, he was educated at Tonbridge School and Pembroke College, Cambridge. He was ordained deacon in 1950 and priest in 1951. He served as Archdeacon of Norwich 1973-81 and ...
's Tell Out, my Soul
Tell Out, my Soul
"Tell Out, my Soul" is a Christian hymn paraphrasing the Magnificat written by Timothy Dudley-Smith in 1962. In its early days it was paired to a tune by Michael Baughen and published, for instance, in "Youth Praise", published by CPAS, 1966...
.
Education
Born in MansfieldMansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, the son of a bank manager, from 1888 to 1893 Greatorex was a boy chorister at King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
. He was then educated at Derby School
Derby School
Derby School was a school in Derby in the English Midlands from 1160 to 1989. It had an almost continuous history of education of over eight centuries. For most of that time it was a grammar school for boys. The school became co-educational and comprehensive in 1974 and was closed in 1989...
and St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. Lift up your hearts to his music became the school hymn of Derby School.
Career
In 1900, he was appointed an assistant music master at Uppingham SchoolUppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
. In 1911, he became Director of Music at Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
, Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
, succeeding his fellow Old Derbeian Geoffrey Shaw, and remained at Gresham's for the rest of his working life, until he retired in 1949.
In 1919 he composed his most famous work, his hymn tune Woodlands, used for the hymn Lift up Your Hearts and for the Magnificat
Magnificat
The Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
paraphrase Tell out My Soul. During his long career he also composed other hymns and organ music. Greatorex was known at Gresham's as 'Gog' or 'Greatoxe', and among those he taught at the school were Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
(a boarder from 1928-1930), Sir Lennox Berkeley
Lennox Berkeley
Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
and W. H. Auden
W. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
. Auden wrote of him that Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
played the organ no better than Walter Greatorex.
In July 1949, Greatorex retired to Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, where he lived in an hotel for a few months until his death in December of the same year.