George Job Elvey (1816-1893)

TRANSCRIPTION

                              March 25, 1893¹

 Dear Walter Page
            Bring your copy of
The Messiah² with you we
may run short of copies.
            You will find no difficulty⁴
in finding your way to our
house.
             In haste³
I am
       yours truly
             G. J. Elvey

NOTES:
1) Saturday

2) Obviously, Elvey's reminder for Page to bring his own score of Messiah indicates they were preparing for a performance (probably) of the Easter section, or even a smaller section like the Hallelujah Chorus. The lack of further evidence at this time opens the door to speculation: Was it a performance for Palm Sunday, the very next day (March 26)? If not Palm Sunday, then perhaps for Easter a week hence (April 2). Where? At St. George's Chapel or another church? Either way it sounds as though the choir would be full. Apparently, the number of singers was uncertain and that if there were a full complement, there would not be enough copies of the music. This situation frequently occurs in volunteer choirs during festive/holy occasions when choirs briefly swell in size.

3) Why "...In haste..."? He may have simply been running late for the theater, but since it was Saturday, and as a organist/choirmaster, was he frantically preparing for a rehearsal for the next day (Palm Sunday)?

4) Since Elvey rather matter-of-factly tells Page that he will have "...no difficulty" finding his way to Elvey's house, was there a rehearsal, like a sectional rehearsal, scheduled in Elvey's home?                  

ABOUT  THE   COMPOSER

Sir George Job Elvey was born in Canterbury, England in March 27, 1916. He sang as a chorister at the Canterbury Cathedral and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. From 1835 until 1882 Elvey served as organist and choir master of the boys at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. He earned from Oxford University his Mus. Bac in 1838 and a Mus. Doc in 1840. In 1871, he was knighted. A visitor to this museum has supplied this anecdote from The Musical Times (May 1909) p. 312: "A Windsor correspondent calls attention to the fact that the late Sir Geo. Elvey was knighted when he was fifty-five years of age, and that the Roman numerals not only give this but also his name - LV." (Thanks to F.A., London) Elvey died in Windlesham, Surrey, on December 9, 1893.

Works: Most of Elvey's works were oratorios, services, anthems, songs and hymn tunes. Two of his hymn tunes that are still popular in church hymnals are:

"DIADEMATA" (Usually set to Bridges' text, "Crown Him with Many Crowns")

"ST. GEORGE'S WINDSOR" (Usually set to Alford's text, "Come, Ye Thankful People Come")

An advertisement in The Musical Times, No. 640, Vol.37, June 1, 1896, p. 431 indicates that Elvey's compositions were still popular three years after his death (published by Novello, Ewer and Co.):

 "Posthumous Works of Sir George J. Elvey:

• The Eyes of All Wait on Thee- Easy anthem for harvest;

• Teach Me, O Lord- Anthem for Sexagesima or General use;

• Whom Have I in Heaven but Thee?- Short anthem for general use;

• They that Go Down to the Sea in Ships - Anthem;

• Shall I, Wasting in Despair? - A four-part song (S.A.T.B.), The words written by G. Wither (1588-1667)"

REV. 08/24/2006

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