Alan Gray

Alan Gray (born York, 23 December 1855; died Cambridge, 27 September 1935) was a British organist and composer.

Gray was born in York. He went to St Peter's School in York and Trinity College, Cambridge. From 1883 to 1893 he was Director of Music at Wellington College, Berkshire. In 1893, when Stanford left the post of organist at Trinity College, Alan went back there to become organist, and stayed there until 1930.

From 1922-1923 he was president of the Royal College of Organists ..

Gray wrote several cantatas as well as chamber music and organ music, but he is mainly remembered for his church music, including an Evening Service in F minor (Magnificat and Nunc dimittis). He also composed several descants to various hymn tunes, several of them are still sung today. He did a lot of work as editor of the Purcell Society.

Alan Gray was a very tall man: 2 metres (nearly 6ft 7in) .

References

• The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie; 1980; ISBN 1 56159174 2, vol 7