Joseph Harris (organist)

Joseph Harris (1743–1814) was a composer and organist based in Ludlow and then Birmingham.[1]

Sketch of Joseph Harris.

Life

He was born in Bristol, son of John and Mary Harris, on 8 September 1743 and baptised in St. Nicholas Church on 8 October 1743.[2]

He matriculated at Magdalen College, Oxford on 16 March 1773, and graduated B.Mus. 24 March 1779, whilst organist at Ludlow Parish Church. He compiled a personal manuscript copy of Handel's Messiah in 1766.[3]

He was known as a virtuoso keyboardist, performing at concerts throughout the region before gaining the position of organist at St Martin's in Birmingham in 1771.[4] One of his pupils was Anne Boulton, daughter of Birmingham industrialist Matthew Boulton.[5]

He married his cousin Ann Harris (1747-1767) on 12 January 1767 at Ludlow, but she died later in the same year. He married again on 22 October 1771, to Anne Silvester (1748 - 1812) in Birmingham, with whom he had 11 children.[6]

He died either in Liverpool[1] or at Eccleston Hill Lodge Lodge (although this source incorrectly calls it Ecclusham Lodge near Wrexham).[7] The Chester Courant of 1 November 1814 records his death at Eccleston Lodge.

Appointments
Cultural offices
Preceded by
David Valentine		 Organist of St Laurence Church, Ludlow
1764-1771		 Succeeded by
Miles Coyle
Preceded by
Richard Hobbs		 Organist of St Martin in the Bull Ring
1771-1802		 Succeeded by
unknown

Compositions

He wrote:

  • Eight Songs 1771
  • Six piano quartets 1774
  • A further collection of songs.

References
  1. A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers & and Other Stage Personnel in London: 1660-1800. Philip H. Highfill, Kalman A. Burnim, Edward A. Langhans, SIU Press, 1982
  2. Geni.com profile
  3. Joseph Harris, Birmingham organist (1744–1814), and his Messiah manuscript. Early Music Magazine, 2011
  4. Aris’s Birmingham Gazette, no. 1535 (22 April 1771), p. 3, col. 2.
  5. Music in Eighteenth Century Birmingham, by Martin Perkins, April 2015
  6. Geni.com profile
  7. The monthly magazine, Vol 39, no. 3 (no. 267) of 1 April 1815
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