John Varley Roberts and Religious Musical Life in Nineteenth-Century Britain

David Baker chronicles the extraordinary life and achievements of John Varley Roberts (1841-1920), a working-class Yorkshireman who became a popular composer and one of Victorian England's most celebrated choral trainers as well as Organist of Magdalen College, Oxford.

Roberts’ influence was considerable and enduring at a time when church music was undergoing a significant transformation in Britain. Roberts influenced generations of choristers, musicians, and choir directors, sitting alongsi...