Robert Ambrose (composer)
Robert Steele Ambrose (March 7, 1824 – March 31, 1908) was a British-Canadian organist and composer. He was notable for his evangelical music compositions.
Life
Ambrose was born on March 7, 1824, to Charles Ambrose and Sophia Stoneham in Chelmsford, England. Robert's father was the organist at Chelmsford Cathedral, where Robert most likely received his early musical training. The family emigrated to Upper Canada in 1837, where Charles purchased a farm. However, lacking the experience to do work on the land, Charles moved to Hamilton, Ontario, in 1845, leaving Robert to work the land himself. Robert made it clear that he did not like farming as it damaged his hands, interfering with his musical abilities.[1]
In 1847, the young Ambrose left the farm to join his brother in
Ambrose was also an accomplished composer. In 1876, Ambrose's composition "
By the time of his death on March 31, 1908, Ambrose had composed 80 songs, 14 part-songs and 25 instrumental pieces. His son Paul Ambrose was a notable organist, teacher, and composer.[4]
References
- ^ ISBN 0-8020-3998-7. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
- ^ "Ambrose, Robert". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. University of Toronto Press. 1992. Archived from the original on March 5, 2004. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
- ^ a b "One Sweetly Solemn Thought". Clifford Ford Publications. 2004. Archived from the original on January 20, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
- ^ "Robert Steele Ambrose". Library and Archives Canada. October 28, 2000. Archived from the original on April 9, 2005. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
External links
- One Sweetly Solemn Thought at University of Toronto Canadian Sheet Music Collection