Sir Charles Villiers Stanford was a successful composer of the nineteenth century. The Irish musician is known for many choral works including anthems, motets, and services as well as operas, chamber music, organ music, and piano music, with a similar sound to earlier composer Felix Mendelssohn. Stanford lived from 1852 to 1924 and is still well known today because of his compositions and especially in his sacred works.

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford was born in Dublin, Ireland on September 30, 1852. His father, John Stanford was a Protestant lawyer and both he and his wife, Mary Stanford, were musicians. Stanford's father sang bass as well as played the cello, while his mother played piano. As a boy, Stanford studied classics at a private school in Dublin. His parents encouraged his musical abilities and at a young age, Stanford studied with many musicians. He learned to play violin under the instruction of R.M. Levy as well as played piano with many instructors including three students of Ignaz Moscheles. Stanford also studied composition and organ with Robert Stewart. At age seven, he played a concert for a selective audience, playing classical works by Mendelssohn, Bach, …show more content…
Sadly, many of Stanford’s students became casualties of the war. His income declined on due to the reduction of students at the academy. Following the war, Stanford turned over the majority of his directing job to Adrian Boult but continued giving lectures at the university. On March 5, 1921, Charles Stanford made his final public appearance conducting the Royal Choral Society in his new cantata at the Abbey Gate. Then, in September 1922, Stanford completed his sixth Irish Rhapsody which was his final composition. Two weeks after celebrating his 70th birthday, Charles Stanford suffered a stroke and was unable to recover. On March 29, 1924 he died in his home in