- Franz Xaver Witt
Franz Xaver Witt (b. Walderbach, Bavaria
1834-02-09 ; died Landshut1888-12-02 ) was aCatholic priest, church musician, and composer. He was one of the leaders in the reform of Catholic church music in the second half of the 1800s.Williamson, John, 2004, "The Cambridge Companion to Bruckner", Cambridge University Press, p 57 & 267, ISBN 0521008786.]Witt was born in
Walderbach ,Bavaria on1834-02-09 . His father was a school teacher. Witt was taught piano and singing from a young age.He studied theology and science at the
seminary inRegensburg . He sang in the seminary's choir, which was under the direction ofJoseph Schrems . [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Francis_Xavier_Witt Catholic Encyclopedia] ] He was ordained as a priest in 1856 and taughtGregorian chant at the seminary at Regensburg. In 1867 was appointed inspector of the seminary of St. Emmeram.Randel, Don Michael, 1996, "The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music", Harvard University Press, p. 991, ISBN 0674372999.] In 1868 Witt founded theCaecilia Society in order to revive the use ofGregorian chant and polyphony, and to promote the composition of new liturgical music in an older style in Catholic churches.Ogasapian, John, and Orr, N. Lee, 2007, "Music of the Gilded Age", Greenwood Press, p.85, ISBN 0313335524.]Pope Pius IX recognized the society in 1870.Westermeyer, Paul, 2005, "Let the People Sing: Hymn Tunes in Perspective", GIA Publications, p. 227, ISBN 1579993532.]References
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