To some of us the musical outlook this month resembles a stricken battle-field. At the season when peace, joy and hope should reign our harps are tuned to notes of sadness. None of the losses it is our mournful duty to record affects us more severely than that of Frederick George Edwards, who was Editor of the Musical Times from April, 1897, up to the time of his death. He was seized with illness on November 18, and he paid his last visit to our office on that day. Pleurisy and pneumonia supervened, and on Sunday, November 28, heart failure carried him away in the presence of his wife, son, and daughter. He died at his residence, Canfield, Potters Bar, Middlesex.
The funeral took place at Potters Bar Cemetery on December 2, and was attended by many relatives and friends. Wreaths were sent by the Royal Academy of Music, the Association of North London Presbyterian Choirs, Sir George Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Davies, and other musicians and personal friends. The Rev. Arthur Outram, Vicar of Christ Church, Little Heath, and the Rev. Dr. Monro Gibson conducted the service, which was held at the family residence. Sir Walter Parratt played In Memoriam music during evensong at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on the day of the funeral, and memorial hymns were sung on the Sunday following, in many churches and chapels. At Christ Church, Westminster Bridge Road, one of Mr. Edwards's tunes was sung to the hymn, 'I will lay me down in peace,' the whole congregation standing.
Mr. Edwards came of an Essex family, and he was born in London on October 11, 1853. He was first educated at a Brixton Hill boarding-school and afterwards at Dedham Grammar School, and (in 1868) at King's College, London. In 1869 he entered a business house in the City of London. This afforded him an experience of orderly methods that was of great value to him in after life. Even while at school he had acquired some skill in organ-playing, and he now took lessons from Mr. William Beavan, of St. Mary's Church, Kilburn, and later from Mr. Henry Frost, organist of the Chapel Royal, Savoy. The young organist was soon able to deputise and even to give recitals, and in 1873 he played in Exeter Hall. In 1872 the Rev. Newman Hall invited Mr. Edwards to play the organ and train the choir in connection with some special services given in St. James's Hall. On July 20, 1873, as his very interesting diary records, he was invited to play at the Rev. Newman Hall's then famous Surrey Chapel (in Blackfriars Road), and on September 20 he was appointed organist. The singing in this circular chapel (long ago disused as a place of worship) was chiefly congregational, and as there were often between two and three thousand persons present the effect was inspiring.
The success of his work at Surrey Chapel, and the vista of teaching engagements it opened up, led Mr. Edwards, in 1875, to resolve to abandon business and to qualify himself more seriously for the profession by entering the Royal Academy of Music. At this institution, which has trained so many well-known British musicians, he studied organ-playing under Dr. Steggall and passed through the regular curriculum.
In July, 1876, Mr. Edwards migrated with the Surrey Chapel congregation to the newly-built Christ Church, Westminster Bridge Road. A fine organ by Lewis was erected in the new edifice, and was a luxury much appreciated by Mr. Edwards and many well-known solo players of the day.
On one occasion the late Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone attended a service. A few days later, at one of his celebrated breakfast parties, the Rev. Newman Hall being on one side and Dean Church on the other, the great statesman spoke with high approval of the organ accompaniments, and added that he thought organists were often prone to display themselves and their instruments rather than to assist the devotion of worshippers. The Rev. Newman Hall at once wrote down this testimony, and asked Mr. Gladstone to sign it, because such an opinion would greatly encourage his young organist. Mr. Gladstone expressed his surprise at the youthfulness of the player and granted the request, and the document is now amongst the numerous valuable autographs cherished by the family. The following is the text:
MEM.-The Rt. Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., having attended worship at Christ Church, Westminster Road, on Sunday evening, June 2, 1878, expressed his approbation of the practical nature of the performance of the organist-who seemed anxious to promote the efficiency of the worship, and not to exhibit his instrument or himself. (Signed) W. E. GLADSTONE. June 13, 1878.