Robert Prescott Stewart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Prescott Stewart
Sir Robert Prescott Stewart
Born	16 December 1825 Dublin
Died	24 March 1894 (age 68) Dublin
Occupation	Composer and organist

Sir Robert Prescott Stewart (born December 16, 1825 – died March 24, 1894) was a very important Irish musician. He was a talented composer, organist, conductor, and teacher. Many people consider him one of the most influential classical musicians in Ireland during the 1800s.

About Robert Prescott Stewart

Stewart was born in Dublin, Ireland. His family had moved to Ireland from Scotland in 1780. He showed a great talent for music from a young age. His mother, who was also a musician, helped him a lot.

He didn't go to a music college at first. Instead, he learned a lot about church music when he joined the choir school at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin in 1833. There, he was taught by Rev. John Finlayson and Richard William Beaty.

Stewart's Musical Career

In 1844, when he was just 19, Stewart became the organist at Christ Church Cathedral. He held this important job for the rest of his life. He also worked as an organist at St. Patrick's Cathedral from 1852 to 1861.

Stewart was also a conductor. In 1846, he became the leader of the University of Dublin Choral Society. He conducted this group for many years.

Becoming a Professor

In 1851, Stewart earned two music degrees at the same time from Trinity College, Dublin. These were Bachelor of Music and Doctor of Music. In 1862, he became a Professor of Music at Trinity College, a position he held until he died.

From 1869, he also taught at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He taught piano, organ, and music theory there. He even taught chamber music, which is music for small groups of instruments.

Other Achievements

Stewart helped start the Dublin Glee and Madrigal Union in 1865. He also conducted the Philharmonic Society in Dublin and the Belfast Philharmonic Society.

For all his amazing work in music, he was made a knight in 1872 at Dublin Castle. This meant he could use "Sir" before his name. He passed away in Dublin at the age of 68.

Famous Students

Many famous musicians and writers learned from Sir Robert Prescott Stewart. Some of his well-known students included Charles Villiers Stanford, who became a very important composer, and the famous writer John Millington Synge.

Stewart's Music

It's hard to imagine how Stewart found time to compose music with all his other jobs! But he wrote a lot of pieces. He focused on vocal music, like large cantatas (long pieces for singers and orchestra), smaller glees (songs for several voices), and many organ pieces.

Major Works

Some of his biggest works include:

• A Winter Night's Wake (1858)
• The Eve of St John (1860)
• The Ode to Shakespeare (1870) for the Birmingham Festival
• An Orchestral Fantasia (1872) for the Boston Peace Festival
• The Tercentenary Ode (1892) for the 300th anniversary of Trinity College, Dublin

Stewart was very strict about his own music. He even destroyed some of his pieces, like the Ode to Shakespeare.

Organ Performances

Stewart was also known internationally for his amazing organ playing. He was especially good at extemporising, which means making up music on the spot. He played at famous events like the London Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in 1851. He also traveled to music festivals in England and even to Germany for festivals honoring composers like Beethoven, Schumann, and Wagner.

Music's Legacy

For many years, people thought Stewart's music was not very exciting. Some even said it lacked a "creative spark." Because of this, much of his music was forgotten.

However, in recent years, people have become interested in his music again, especially his church music. His pieces are now often performed in Irish cathedrals. Experts today see him as a talented composer who made a big difference to music in Ireland and to church music in general during the 1800s.

Recordings

Thanks to this renewed interest, some of Sir Robert Prescott Stewart's music has been recorded on CDs since the 1990s. This helps new audiences discover his wonderful compositions.