- William Thomas Best
William Thomas Best (
August 13 ,1826 -May 10 ,1897 ), was an Englishorganist .The son of a
solicitor , he was born atCarlisle . Having decided on a musical career, he became a pupil of thecathedral organist. He became particularly skilled in the interpretation of Bach's music. His successive appointments were to Pembroke chapel,Liverpool , 1840; to a church for the blind, 1847, and the Liverpool Philharmonic Society, 1848. For a short time (1854-1855) he was in London at thePanopticon inLeicester Square , the church ofSt Martin-in-the-Fields , and Lincoln's Inn chapel.In 1855 he returned to Liverpool as organist of St George's Hall, where his performances rapidly became famous throughout England. Ill-health compelled him at last to retire in 1894. He was engaged as solo organist at all the
Handel festivals atthe Crystal Palace , and also as organist at theRoyal Albert Hall , where he inaugurated the great organ in 1871. He had been in the receipt of a civil list pension of £100 a year since 1880, and in 1890 went toAustralia to give organ recitals in the town hall ofSydney . Best died in Liverpool.His command over all the resources of his own instrument was masterly; his series of Saturday recitals at St George's Hall, carried on for many years, included the whole field of organ music, and of music that could be arranged for the organ, ancient and modern; and his performances of Bach's organ works were particularly fine. His own compositions for the organ, notably "Organ Pieces for Church Use", have a strong and marked individuality. Unlike many soloists, he was an all-round musician. His bust, by
Conrad Dressler , was placed on the platform in front of the Liverpool organ, as a memorial of his long series of performances there.References
*1911
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