Henry Lahee

Life

Born: April 1826

Died: 29 April 1912

Biography

Henry Lahee was born in Chelsea, London, and studied under John Goss and William Sterndale Bennett. He held organist positions at several churches, including Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, and was well known as a professor, writer, and composer. His works include the Metrical Psalter (with William Irons), Famous Singers of Today and Yesterday, and One Hundred Hymn Tunes. He composed cantatas, songs, instrumental works, a number of hymns, anthems and part-songs. His part-songs were very popular, winning prizes in various competitions: ‘Now the bright morning star’ (Bristol 1869); ‘Hark, how the birds’ (Bristol, 1869); ‘Hence, loathed Melancholy’ (Manchester, 1878); ‘Away to the hunt’ (Glasgow, 1879); ‘Love in my bosom’ (London Madrigal Society, 1880); and ‘Ah! woe is me’ (London Madrigal Society, 1884). Of his other part-songs, ‘The Unfaithful Shepherdess,’ ‘Love me little, love me long,’ and ‘Bells,’ were especially popular throughout the country. His cantata ‘The Building of the Ship’ (1869), written for John Curwen, was performed on a large scale in the Hanover Square Rooms, became very popular.

View the Wikipedia article on Henry Lahee.

List of choral works

Sacred works

• Come, let us join our cheerful songs
• Now on the first day of the week

Secular works

Partsongs for Mixed Voices

Ah! woe is me All ye woods The Bells Go, when the morning shineth Hark how the birds

Hence, loathed melancholy Higher, higher will we climb Labour Love me little, love me long Never say fail!

The New Year The Spring Sweet content The Thresher The unfaithful shepherdess

Waiting for the May When Twilight’s parting flush

Glees for Male Voices

• Shepherds, rise! and shake off sleep

Click here to search for this composer on CPDL

External links

• Grove(1900)
• Works by Henry Lahee in the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)