Frederick Ouseley

Full biography Frederick Ouseley

Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley (1825-1889) was an English composer , organist, and priest of the Anglican church. He was born into an upper-class family, and showed an early aptitude for music. He was composing by the age of seven, and went on to study music at Oxford University, where he became deeply interested in plainsong and other early forms of church music.

As a composer, Ouseley wrote relatively little, but his works have endured and are still regularly performed today. Many of his compositions are choral works, including several anthems and services for the Anglican church. He was also interested in early music, and wrote several works in medieval styles, including a mass in the Dorian mode and a cantata based on the legend of St. George.

In addition to his work as a composer, Ouseley was an accomplished organist and conductor. He held several prestigious positions in the English church, including organist at St. Michael's College in Tenbury and professor of music at Oxford University. He was also a respected musicologist and scholar, publishing several works on early church music and collecting and editing many ancient plainsong chants.

Overall, Frederick Ouseley was a significant figure in English church music of the 19th century. His compositions, while relatively few, are still regarded as some of the best examples of traditional church music from that era, and his work as a musicologist helped to preserve and popularize early forms of church music for future generations.