Thomas Attwood Walmisley (1814-1956)
was born in Westminster, London, England. He first studied music with his father, Thomas Forbes Walmisley, organist of Croydon
Parish Church, and Thomas Attwood, organist and composer at St Paul’s Cathedral, and his godfather. Thomas Walmisley
became organist at St John’s and Trinity Colleges in Cambridge at the age of 19. He had a Sunday schedule that consisted
of eight services (four morning, two afternoon and one evening) in four locations in Cambridge. He received his Mus Bac in 1838,
his MA in 1841, and his Mus Doc in 1848. In one of his lectures, he predicted the ultimate supremacy of the music of J S Bach at a time
when his music was relatively unknown in England. It would appear that Frederic Fertel added the registration and manual changes,
which in my opinion are unnecessary.
His death at age 42 was due in part to overindulgence of alcohol. C V Stanford
commented that “Walmisley … was a victim of four o’clock dinners in Hall, and long symposiums in the Combination Room
after; and being a somewhat lonely bachelor, the excellent port of the College cellars was, at times, more his master than his
servant.” Walmisley is remembered primarily for his choral music as well as for a few organ works and his edition of
Attwood’s Cathedral Music. Easy.
