Edmund Thomas Chipp

Edmund Thomas Chipp (25 December 1823 – 17 December 1886) was an English organist and composer. His compositions were principally church organ music and oratorios.

Chipp was born in London on Christmas Day, 25 December 1823. He was the eldest son of musician (Thomas) Paul Chipp(1793–1870) harpist, principal drummer of his day and chorister of the Chapel Royal, Whitehall. He was educated in the Chapel Royal as a chorister, and later became a member of William IV's and then Queen Victoria's private band. He was a Chorister of the Chapel Royal under William Hawes from the age of seven until he was 17. On 28 June 1838 Chipp sang at the coronation of Queen Victoria.

Chipp studied the organ under George Cooper (organist at St Pauls Cathedral and St. James's Palace d.1838), and violin. He became a Member of the Society of British Musicians in 1842 and of the Royal Society of Musicians in 1848. He was violinist in Her Majesty's Private Band from 1844, and a violinist in the Philharmonic and other orchestras.

In 1859 he obtained a music degree at Cambridge University and became Doctor of Music in 1861, the first to obtain this degree under the professorship of William Sterndale Bennett.

He died whilst on convalescent holiday in Nice, France on 17 December 1886. On Christmas Eve 1886 he was buried in Highgate Cemetery, North London, in the Chipp family plot, West side, grave 3184.

The Musical Times of 1 February 1887 stated: "In our last issue it was our painful duty to record the loss which the musical world sustained by the death of Dr E.T. Chipp," followed by his biography over two pages.This included reference to his work in demonstrating organs: "Mr Chipp's skill as an organist was by no means confined to his church duties; he was often called upon to display the resources of new organs. On these occasions he frequently performed the whole of his programme from memory."

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