George Job Elvey

Sir George Job Elvey (1816–1893) was an English organist and composer.

He was born at Canterbury on 29 March 1816, was a son of John Elvey. For several generations, his family had been connected with the musical life of the cathedral city. At an early age, he was admitted as a chorister of Canterbury Cathedral, under Highmore Skeats, his brother, Stephen Elvey, being then master of the boys.

In 1830, Stephen Elvey having been appointed organist of New College, Oxford, George went to reside with him, and completed his musical education under his brother's guidance. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Cipriani Potter and Dr Crotch.

Before he was seventeen, he had become a very expert organist and took temporary duty at Christ Church, Magdalen, and New College. In 1834, he gained the Gresham gold medal for his anthem, 'Bow down Thine ear, Lord.' In 1835, he succeeded Skeats as organist of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Among his earliest pupils were Prince George, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, for whose confirmation he composed his well-known anthem, 'Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?'

He matriculated from New College on 17 May 1838 and graduated Mus. Bac. on 2 June following, his exercise being an oratorio, 'The Resurrection and Ascension,' afterwards performed by the Sacred Harmonic Society at Exeter Hall (12 November 1838), and subsequently at Boston, United States of America, and at Glasgow. On 2 July 1840, by a special dispensation of the chancellor of the university, Elvey graduated Mus. Doc. two years earlier than was allowed by the statutes. His exercise on this occasion was the anthem, 'The ways of Zion do mourn.' Two anthems, with orchestral accompaniments, 'The Lord is King,' and 'Sing, Heavens,' were written respectively for the Gloucester festival of 1853 and the Worcester festival of 1857.

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