John Jebb (priest) facts for kids
John Jebb (born September 21, 1805, in Dublin, Ireland – died January 8, 1886, in Peterstow, England) was an important Anglo-Irish Anglican priest. He was also a talented writer who focused on church music. He helped bring back and improve church singing, especially the tradition of choirs.
John Jebb's Life Story
John Jebb grew up in a well-known family. His father, Richard Jebb, was a judge in Ireland. His uncle, John Jebb, was a bishop. John went to school at Winchester College and then Trinity College, Dublin. He finished his studies in 1829.
After college, John Jebb became a priest. He worked in different churches. He was a prebendary at Limerick Cathedral starting in 1832. Later, in 1843, he became the rector of Peterstow in Herefordshire, England. He also became a prebendary and then a canon at Hereford Cathedral.
In 1831, John Jebb married Frances Bourke. She was the daughter of General Sir Richard Bourke. Sadly, Frances passed away in 1866.
His Work with Church Music
John Jebb was a top expert on Anglican church music. He played a big part in bringing back and improving choir singing in England. In 1841, a vicar named Walter Hook wanted to bring back choir services at Leeds Parish Church. He asked his friend Jebb for advice.
Jebb believed that in churches with choirs, the singing should sound perfect. He thought the choir should lead the music. He did not want the sound to be "marred by the roar of the congregation." He convinced Hook to use the cathedral style of service in Leeds. This meant the choir would lead the singing, rather than just helping the congregation.
Jebb first shared his ideas in a book called Three Lectures on the Cathedral Service in 1841. He wrote a more detailed book in 1843. It was called The Choral Service of the United Church of England and Ireland. This book looked into why church music and services were not as good as they could be in cathedrals.
John Jebb also paid for the building of a new rectory in Peterstow. The church there, St Peter's, was also restored in the 1860s. A famous architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, helped with the design. The church reopened on July 2, 1866.
John Jebb's Writings
John Jebb wrote several important books about church music and services:
- Three Lectures on the Cathedral Service of the Church of England (Leeds, 1841)
- The Choral Service of the United Church of England and Ireland, being an Inquiry into the Liturgical System of the Cathedral and Collegiate Foundations of the Anglican Communion (London, 1843)
- The Choral Responses and Litanies of the United Church of England and Ireland (London, 1847)
Images for kids
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Memorial in Hereford Cathedral
