Reay, Samuel

1822-

English organist and composer; born at Hexham, England; was a choir-boy in Durham Cathedral, and pupil of Henshaw, the organist, afterward studying under J. Stimpson at Newcastle, succeeding him as organist of St. Andrew's. About 1864 he became organist and song-schoolmaster at the parish church of Newark-on-Trent, and also conductor of the Newton Philharmonic Society. In 1871 he received from Oxford the degree of Bachelor of Music. He has composed church-music as follows: Morning and evening services in F; anthems, hymns, madrigals, and numerous part-songs. He has edited, with Gauntlett and Bridge, the collection, Tunes, New and Old, and also Songs and Ballads of Northern England, by Stokes. In 1879 he performed in London an English stagesetting of Bach's two cantatas, Coffee, and Peasants. This was their initial performance in England.