MARCHANT, Sir Stanley Robert

1883 - 1949

Stanley Robert Marchant was born at Kilburn, London on 15 May 1883, son of Frank Maisey Marchant (1858-10 April 1925), a cashier, and his wife Emily Louisa née Wilkins (29 February 1860-7 October 1945), who married at Kensington, London in 1878. In 1899, young Stanley was the organist of Kemsing Parish Church, Sevenoaks moving to Christ Church, Newgate Street, London in 1903 and then to St Peter's, Eaton Square in 1913. In 1911, a 27-year-old professor of music, living at 7 Hereford Road, Acton, London with his parents, 53-year-old Frank and 51-year-old Emily and two siblings, 20-year-old Horace and 15-year-old Lilian of six children. He won a Goss Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where he took prizes in composition and organ playing and took his D. Mus at Oxford in 1914 serving as Acting Bandmaster in East Surrey Regiment, London Regiment during the First World War. An English organist, teacher, and composer, associated with St Paul's Cathedral, where he was second assistant from 1903 and organist from 1927, until he became principal of the Royal Academy of Music in 1936, his best-known composition is 'The Souls of the Righteous'. He conducted the reopening ceremony and the thanksgiving service for the silver jubilee of King George V, composing for each occasion a Te Deum. Elected King Edward VII Professor of Music at University of London in 1937 and knighted in 1943 and elected chairman of the council of the Royal School of Church Music in 1947. In addition to anthems, canticles, and other liturgical music he composed secular choral pieces, organ works and songs. He married at Croydon, Surrey in 1915, Hilda Constance Holyman (8 October 1888-3 June 1974) and in 1939, was principal of the Royal Academy of Music, living at 76 Holland Park, Kensington, London with his wife and son Robert Hugh (28 April 1916-21 April 2000), a student of music, they also had a daughter. A member of the Ipswich Art Club in 1948 and exhibited from White Cottage, Blythburgh, Suffolk, two watercolours 'The Blyth from Church Farm' and 'Evening on the Blyth'. Stanley Robert Marchant was of White Cottage, Blythburgh when he died at their London home at 54 York Terrace, N.W.1, on 28 February 1949. His wife died at their Blythburgh home on 3 June 1974, aged 65.

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Works by This Artist