William Thomas Best
William Thomas Best (born August 13, 1826 in Carlisle , † May 10, 1897 in Liverpool ) was an English organist .
The son of a solicitor had organ lessons with the organist of the cathedral in his hometown and then worked as an organist a. a. at the Pembroke Chapel in Liverpool (1840), with the Liverpool Philharmonic Society (1848) and in London at the Panoptikum in Leicester Square and the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (1854-55).
On his return to Liverpool, he became famous for his weekly organist concerts at St George's Hall , performing a wide range of organ works from Bach to contemporary composers. In addition, he was the solo organist at the annual Handel Festival in the Crystal Palace , the large organ of which he inaugurated in 1871. In 1890 he gave concerts in the city hall of Sydney / Australia . In 1894 he retired for health reasons. Best was in contact with the younger English composer and organist William Faulkes , whom he influenced.
Best's own works were published under the title Organ Pieces for Church Use . In his memory, a bust created by Conrad Dressler was placed on the organ of St George's Hall .
Web links
- Works by and about William Thomas Best in the catalog of the German National Library
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Best, William Thomas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English organist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 13, 1826 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Carlisle |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 10, 1897 |
| Place of death | Liverpool |