James Kendrick Pyne

Dr. James Kendrick Pyne (1852 - September 3, 1938) was an English organist and composer.

Coming from a musical family, his father, also James Kendrick Pyne (1810-1893) was organist at Bath Abbey for 53 years and his grandfather, also James Kendrick Pyne (1788-1857) was a tenor ["Charles Edward Horn's Memoirs of His Father and Himself", Charles Edward Horn (Author), Michael Kassler (Editor), pg. 44, 2003] . His great uncle George Pyne was an alto singer, and George Pyne's daughters Susan and Louisa Pyne were both accomplished singers. At the age of 12 his father sent him to study with Samuel Sebastian Wesley organist at Winchester and later Gloucester Cathedral.

Pyne's first position was organist at Chichester Cathedral. In 1875 Pyne went to the United States to become organist at St. Mark's, Philadelphia. A year later Pyne returned to England to Manchester where he would become a leading figure in the musical life of the city. He took over the organist position at Manchester Cathedral and later became organist for the City Corporation. In 1893 he was appointed professor of the organ at the Royal Manchester College of Music and became Dean of the Faculty of Music in 1901. He retired from work at the Cathedral in 1908 but continued work at the College until 1926 when he retired to Essex where he died in Ilford in 1938 ["Obituaries, Dr. J. K. Pyne, Distinguished Organist", "The Times", September 5, 1938, pg. 14]

Works

*"Personal recollections of Samuel Sebastian Wesley", "English Church Music"

References