Alexander Schreiner

Alexander Schreiner (July 31, 1901 – September 15, 1987) was one of the most noted organists of the Salt Lake Tabernacle. He also wrote the music to several LDS hymns, several of which are in the current edition of the hymn book of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Early life

Alexander Ferdinand Schreiner [ [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=ancestorsearchresults.asp FamilySearch.org - Search ] ] was born on July 31, 1901 in Nuremberg, Germany. [Jenson, Andrew. "Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia. (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Memorial Association on the Deseret News Press, 1936) Vol. 4, p. 164] His parents were Johann Christian Schreiner and his wife who had been born Margarethe Schwemmer. Johann and Margarethe joined the church in 1903 and the local congregation held meetings in his family's home. Schreiner performed in public first at age five, and after he was baptized at age eight was almost immediately appointed as a Sunday School organist. In 1912 Schreiner moved with his family to Salt Lake City. [ [http://www.ohscatalog.com/kenudyalschr.html Kenneth Udy: Alexander Schreiner - The California Years ] ] Among his early instructors on the organ was John J. McClellan.

Schriener first performed on an organ professionally during the fall of 1917 at the American Theater of Salt Lake City. [Bergholt. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 9] In 1920, just after graduating from high school, he took a job as a theater organist at the Rialto Theatre in Butte, Montana. [Berghout. "Alexander Screiner". p. 9-10] Schreiner first performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle at age 20. That same year he left on a mission to California. He served as a missionary under Joseph W. McMurrin. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 10] In early 1924, he was presiding over the Los Angeles Conference which had 35 missionaries.

Education as an organist

In 1924, just after returning from his mission, Schreiner was appointed an assistant organist of the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 15] Six months later Schreiner took a leave of absence from this appointment to go to Paris to further his musical studies. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner." p. 16] In Paris with Henri Libert, Charles Marie Widor and Louis Vierne. In Paris, Schreiner would associate with other Utahns at the home of James L. Barker. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 27]

Family

Schreiner married Margaret Lyman the daughter of Richard R. Lyman and Amy Brown Lyman. This was in 1927. [ [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=ancestorsearchresults.asp FamilySearch.org - Search ] ] [LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Vol 4, p. 165] They went to high school together, but did not really start dating until they were both studying in Paris. [Berghout, Daniel Frederick. "Alexander Schreiner: Mormon Tabernacle Organist". (Provo: BYU Studies, 2001) p. 25]

California career

After his studies in France, Schreiner returned to his position as organist in Salt Lake City. He filled this position from July 1926 to January 1927. After this he went to southern California to earn enough money to pay off his debts and be in a position to marry Margaret Lyman. In southern California he served as organist at Grauman's Metropolitian Theatre. The following June he returned to Salt Lake City and he and Margaret married. He and his bride then returned to southern California. During this time period Schreiner also worked as an organist at the Barker Brother's Department Store. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 41-47.]

In August 1928 Schreiner returned to Salt Lake City, where he resumed his position as Tabernacle Organist and also served as the chief organist at the Capitol Theatre. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 47]

In 1929 Scheiner returned to southern California in an attempt to overcome his influenza. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 53] He was appointed chief organist of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 53] Schreiner returned to Salt Lake and the tabernacle in the summer of 1930 but in September 1930 he began a term as the organist of the University of California at Los Angeles. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 58] Through 1939 Schreiner retained this position at UCLA and would return to the Tabernacle for summers. He also was a member of the Music Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this point. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 62-68] Schriener was also director of music for the Jewish Wilshire Boulevard Temple during this time. By 1930 Schreiner's reputation as an organist was great enough he was recruited on occasion to inaugurate new organs. [ [http://www.atos.org/Pages/Journal/PlummerAud/PlummedAud.html American Theatre Organ Society ] ]

Despite his major commitments to music Schriener did also serve in other ways. He was a member of the High Council of the Hollywood Stake. Some of his children followed him into music, one beginning to serve as a Sunday School organist at age seven.

In September 1936 Schreiner was made the stake music director of the Hollywood Stake. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 71]

Return to Salt Lake

In the summer of 1937 Schreiner took up the position of organist at the LDS Chapel in Washington DC which had been vacant since the death the previous March of his one time fellow Salt Lake Tabernacle Organist, Edward P. Kimball. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 68]

In the summer of 1938 Schreiner met with President Heber J. Grant and they decided he should return to Salt Lake City on a permanent basis as soon as possible. Schreiner had already signed another one year contract with UCLA, but that would be his last year with that institution. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 72]

From that time until 1977 Schreiner was closely involved with the Tabernacle Choir both at home and abroad. In the late 1940s Schreiner was involved in a major rebuild of the Tabernacle Organ. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 101-122]

Concert Tours

Beginning in 1943 Schreiner performed several concert tours. Initially his touring was managed by Bernard LaBerge. He eventually performed in at least 44 states in the United States. [Berghout. "Alexander Schreiner". p. 197-212.]

Death

Schreiner died in September 1987. [ [http://elliottrl.tripod.com/schreiner.html Pipe Organs of Temple Square - Alexander Schreiner Centennial ] ]

Writings

Besides his many hymns, Schriener wrote a book entitled "Organ Voluntaries".

Schriener wrote the music to the following hymns in the 1985 English edition of the Latter-day Saint hymnal:
*Truth Eternal (#4)
*Lead Me Into Life Eternal (#45)
*Thy Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls (#157)
*While of These Emblems We Partake (Aeolian) (#174)
*God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son (#187)
*In Memory of the Crucified (#190)
*Lord, Accept into thy Kingdom (#236)
*Behold Thy Sons and Daughters Lord (#238)
*Holy Temples on Mount Zion (#289)

Some of his writings refer specifically to his association with the Tabernacle organ such as the following:
*Schreiner, Alexander. Alexander Schreiner Reminisces (Salt Lake City, 1984).
*Schreiner, Alexander. "100 Years of Organs in the Mormon Tabernacle." The Diapason (November 1967)
*Schreiner, Alexander. "The Tabernacle Organ in Salt Lake City." Organ Institute Quarterly, Vol. 7, No. 1 (1957) [ [http://elliottrl.tripod.com/tab/bibliog.html Pipe Organs of Temple Square - Tabernacle Organ Bibliography ] ]

Music collections

Christmas with The Mormon Tablernacle Organ and Chimes (Sony Special Products) [ [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,380655,00.html Alexander Schreiner : Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Organ & Chimes (Sony Special Products) - Listen, Review and Buy at ARTISTdirect ] ]

References

*Cornwall, J. Spencer. "Stories of our Mormon Hymns" ISBN 0877472475
*Jenson, Andrew. "Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Memorial Association, 1936) Vol 4. "ISBN 1-58958-031-1"
*Berghout, Daniel Frederick. "Alexander Schreiner: Mormon Tabernacle Organist". Provo: BYU Studies, 2001. ISBN 0842524924

Notes

External links

*http://elliottrl.tripod.com/schreiner.html