Nicholl, Horace Wadham

1848-

Born in Birmingham, England, which for many years has been famous as a musical center. His father was a learned contrapuntist of the Albrechtsberger School and gave to his talented son the solid principles of harmony and musical rhetoric, upon which he has built his great works. Later he studied under Samuel Price, the organist. Nicholl held several positions as organist in the vicinity of Birmingham, at Dudley, then at Stoke-on-Trent, when he crossed the ocean to become organist of St. Paul's Cathedral at Pittsburg. Later he was organist at the Third Presbyterian Church. He was also a teacher in the Female College and gave recitals in Pittsburg, Indianapolis and elsewhere. He went to live in New York in 1878, where he was organist of St. Mark's. He became editor of the organ department of Freund's Music Trades* Review and his Church Articles were widely read. He was married to Cornelia Mather, an author, at Trenton, in 1889. From 1888 to 1895 he was with B. Boekelman as professor of harmony and ensemble-playing at Miss Porter's School at Farmington, Conn. He contributed to the Musical Courier and wrote analyses of symphonies for the American Musician and the Art Journal. When Rubinstein visited this country in 1872 he recognized Nicholl's talent and advised him to go to Leipsic where his work would e appreciated. Anton Seidl added his urging to that of Rubinstein's and Nicholl has lived much abroad of late years, making Berlin and Leipsic his places of residence though he spent the year of 1903 in London. He is well known by his organ works, which are distinctly modern, among them twelve symphonic preludes and fugues, a symphonic poem, Life, in six movements. A cycle of four oratorios, Adam, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are in manuscript; a setting of the Golden Legend and much else, besides numerous piano-pieces, songs, anthems, and some chamber-music