W. R. Pybus

William Richard Pybus (9 October 1848 – 11 November 1917) was a South Australian organist, pianist and music teacher.

Pybus was born in Hindley Street, Adelaide, the eldest son of ironfounder William Pybus ( –1885) and Sarah Pybus née Cox (–1915) on 1848. William sen. emigrated on the Orissa with his father, also named William Pybus ( –1854), mother Ann Pybus ( –1871), sisters Ann Matilda, Elizabeth and Jane (c. 1833 – 19 January 1883), and brothers Robert James (married 9 October 1849), Charles (killed himself 6 September 1893), and Henry (drowned 25 March 1879), arriving in March 1840.

He commenced his musical studies at eight years of age, and was a solo chorister at St. Andrew's Church, Walkerville and Trinity Church, Adelaide. He sang at the first Handel festival held in the colony, around 1858. He received piano lessons from a lady teacher at the Walkerville day school, then from Richard Baxter White RAM (1839–1872), a son of George White of White's Rooms fame. From the age of 10 years he took the organ for occasional services, and was early recognised as one of Adelaide's leading pianists and accompanists.

He had been working at his father's foundry on North Terrace, but left the business around 1869. Subsequently, he studied music at the Adelaide University.

In 1873 he was appointed organist, ahead of George Oughton, at the Kent Town Wesleyan Methodist Church, where, a fine new Hill organ had just been installed, and served there for 14 years.

He started teaching piano, organ, and singing in 1875. He gained a high reputation as a teacher, and many students achieved a degree of recognition.

For 14 years he was organist with the Methodist Church in Adelaide, and for two and a half years with the Tynte Street, North Adelaide, Baptist Church.

He succeeded James Shakespeare as pianist to the old Philharmonic Society, under conductor E. L Spiller, which gave way to the Adelaide Amateur Musical Union under Oughton, and Pybus was appointed pianist. He formally opened the Adelaide Town Hall organ for the Musical Union with a choral performance on 2 October 1877. David Lee, later Melbourne City Organist, played the solo pieces. In 1879 Pybus succeeded Oughton as conductor of the Musical Union, which disbanded in 1881, and Pybus was appointed conductor of its successor, the re-formed Philharmonic Society. While conductor he produced several oratorios and cantatas.

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