Short Name: | James Turle |
Full Name: | Turle, James, 1802-1882 |
Birth Year: | 1802 |
Death Year: | 1882 |
TURLE, JAMES (1802–1882), organist and composer, son of James Turle, an amateur 'cello-player, was born at Taunton, Somerset, on 5 March 1802. From July 1810 to December 1813 he was a chorister at Wells Cathedral under Dodd Perkins, the organist. At the age of eleven he came to London, and was articled to John Jeremiah Goss, but he was largely self-taught. He had an excellent voice and frequently sang in public. John Goss [q. v.], his master's nephew, was his fellow student, and thus the future organists of St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey were pupils together. Turle was organist of Christ Church, Surrey (Blackfriars Road), 1819–1829, and of St. James's, Bermondsey, 1829–31. His connection with Westminster Abbey began in 1817, when he was only fifteen. He was at first pupil of and assistant to G. E. Williams, and subsequently deputy to Thomas Greatorex [q. v.], Williams's successor as organist of the abbey. On the death of Greatorex on 18 July 1831, Turle was appointed organist and master of the choristers, an office which he held for a period of fifty-one years. Turle played at several of the great musical festivals, e.g. Birmingham and Norwich, under Mendelssohn and Spohr, but all his interests were centred in Westminster Abbey. His playing at the Handel festival in 1834 attracted special attention. At his own request the dean and chapter relieved him of the active duties of his post on 26 Sept. 1875, when his service in D was sung, and Dr. (now Professor Sir John Frederick) Bridge, the present organist, became permanent deputy-organist. Turle continued to hold the titular appointment till his death, which took place at his house in the Cloisters on 28 June 1882. The dean offered a burial-place within the precincts of the abbey, but he was interred by his own express wish beside his wife in Norwood cemetery. A memorial window, in which are portraits of Turle and his wife, was placed in the north aisle of the abbey by one of his sons, and a memorial tablet has been affixed to the wall of the west cloister. Turle married, in 1823, Mary, daughter of Andrew Honey, of the exchequer office. She died in 1869, leaving nine children. Henry Frederic Turle [q. v.] was his fourth son. His younger brother Robert was for many years organist of Armagh Cathedral.
Turle was an able organist of the old school, which treated the organ as essentially a legato instrument. He favoured full ‘rolling’ chords, which had a remarkable effect on the vast reverberating space of the abbey. He had a large hand, and his ‘peculiar grip’ of the instrument was a noticeable feature of his playing. His accompaniments were largely traditional of all that was best in his distinguished predecessors, and he greatly excelled in his extemporaneous introductions to the anthems. Like Goss, he possessed great facility in reading from a ‘figured bass.’ Of the many choristers who passed through his hands, one of the most distinguished is Mr. Edward Lloyd, the eminent tenor singer.
His compositions include services, anthems, chants, and hymn-tunes. Several glees remain in manuscript. In conjunction with Professor Edward Taylor [q. v.] he edited ‘The People's Music Book’ (1844), and ‘Psalms and Hymns’ (S. P. C. K. 1862). His hymn-tunes were collected by his daughter, Miss S. A. Turle, and published in one volume (1885). One of these, ‘Westminster,’ formerly named ‘Birmingham,’ has become widely known, and is very characteristic of its composer.
--en.wikisource.org/
Tunes by James Turle (56) | As | Instances | Incipit |
---|---|---|---|
WINCHESTER NEW | J. Turle (Arranger) | 1 | 51566 54334 32554 |
WESTMINSTER (Turle) | James Turle (Composer) | 84 | 35511 76553 71255 |
WESLEY (Turle) | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 33346 72113 17217 |
[Chant] (Turle 51233) | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 51233 33343 21365 |
[Chant] (Turle 34326) | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 34326 25545 56714 |
[We praise Thee, O God] (Turle) | Turle (Composer) | 3 | 53421 65432 1 |
WAREHAM (Knapp) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Harmonizer) | 4 | 11765 12171 23217 |
WARDEN | J. Turle (1802-1882) (Composer) | 2 | 35314 31235 14232 |
TUNE 584 | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Composer) | 3 | 54434 32115 54533 |
[Chant] (Turle 14365) | J. Turle (Composer) | 4 | 14365 11321 |
ST. PETER'S, WESTMINSTER | James Turle (Composer) | 13 | 11123 43234 55665 |
SICILIAN MARINERS | James Turle (Composer) | 3 | 56543 45654 35567 |
[Chant] (Purcell 1111123) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Arranger) | 9 | 11111 23217 22234 |
SANDRINGHAM (Turle) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Composer) | 3 | 32143 65511 76657 |
[Praise ye the Lord] (Turle) | J. Turle, 1802 - 1882 (Composer) | 3 | |
[Chant] (Purcell 11123) | J. Turle (Adapter) | 4 | 11123 21723 47117 |
BOWEN | J. Turle (Adapter) | 4 | 17121 74332 32317 |
[O Lord, thou hast searched me] (Turle) | J. Turle, 1802 - 1882 (Composer) | 3 | |
[O come, let us sing to God] | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Composer) | 6 | 12235 23432 23345 |
[Chant] (Elvey 32143) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Composer) | 1 | 32143 21171 |
NUNC DIMITTIS (THE SONG OF SIMEON) | J. Turle, 1802-1882 (Composer) | 2 | 34326 25545 56714 |
Chant (Turle 11271) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Composer) | 16 | 11271 11232 55645 |
MARRIAGE CHORALE | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 32313 53144 32233 |
LOSTWITHIEL | James Turle (Composer) | 8 | 55555 55566 6217 |
[Chant] (Turle 56172) | James Turle (Composer) | 2 | 56172 37217 |
[Chant] (Turle 56712) | James Turle, 1802-82 (Composer) | 3 | 56712 31221 |
[Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant] (Turle) | J. Turle (Composer) | 3 | 33321 71234 25443 |
[Lord, make me to know mine end] (Purcell) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Arranger) | 2 | 34455 66771 12271 |
LLANDINAM | James Turle, 1802-82 (Composer) | 2 | 35713 56172 1 |
[Chant] (Turle 32167) | J. Turle (Composer) | 6 | 32167 11432 |
IRELAND | James Turle (1802-1882) (Harmonizer) | 2 | 51324 32177 17654 |
[Chant] (Turle 15653) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Composer) | 9 | 15653 43234 46712 |
[Chant] (Turle 55671) | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 55671 36543 |
[Have mercy on me, O God] | J. Turle (Adapter) | 3 | 21233 24171 |
HADDO (Turle) | James Turle (Composer) | 2 | 11716 53322 67554 |
[Chant] (Turle 11233) | James Turle, 1802-82 (Composer) | 7 | 11233 54221 |
[Chant] (Turle 55543) | James Turle, 1802-82 (Composer) | 4 | 55543 65432 33333 |
[Chant] (Turle 11113) | James Turle (1802-1882) (Composer) | 3 | 11113 67117 54347 |
[Gloria sea á Tí, Oh Señor] | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 11111 111 |
[Chant] (Turle 1111117) | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 11111 171 |
[Chant] (Turle 77777) | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 77777 771 |
[Chant] (Turle 35515) | James Turle (1802-1882) (Composer) | 18 | 35515 11321 76651 |
ARMAGH (Turle) | James Turle (Composer) | 24 | 53421 16511 63566 |
FESTIVAL (Turle) | J. Turle (Composer) | 2 | 55112 24355 54322 |
ENDSLEIGH | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Arranger) | 11 | 32112 23117 62171 |
[I lift up my eyes to the hills] | James Turle (Composer) | 7 | 12435 63553 |
[Chant] (Turle 17653) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Arranger) | 2 | 17653 54217 1 |
CLOISTERS (Turle) | James Turle (1802-1882) (Composer) | 5 | 56171 423 |
[Chant] (Turle 51234) | James Turle, 1802-1882 (Composer) | 3 | 51234 55511 71765 |
[Blessed be the Lord God of Israel] (Turle) | James Turle (Composer) | 3 | 12435 63543 |
BETHSAIDA (Turle) | James Turle (Composer) | 2 | 32311 23423 51767 |
BENEDICITE (Turle) | James Turle 1802-1882 (Composer) | 6 | 12132 75434 43217 |
BARNBY'S HYMNARY, TUNE 537 | James Turle (1802-1882) (Composer) | 2 | 15763 56551 11112 |
ATONEMENT (Bohemian Brethren) | J. Turle, 1802-82 (Arranger) | 1 | 11114 32132 17111 |
ST. JOHN'S WESTMINSTER | James Turle (Composer) | 34 | 17123 44332 5545 |
ABBEY (Turle) | James Turle (Composer) | 3 | 32436 57117 35437 |