Ewing, Alexander

Composer

b Old Machar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 1830, d Taunton, Som 1895. Marischal Coll, Aberdeen, where he began a legal training which he never completed. He travelled to Heidelberg to study music, became skilled on the piano, ’cello and cornet, and on his return took a leading part in the musical life of his home city without ever becoming fully professional. He was particularly committed to the Haydn Society and the Harmonic Choir. But the Crimean War then intervened, and he enlisted, was sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), became a Lt-Colonel and was involved in army activity also in China from 1860 to 1862. He married Juliana Horatia Gatty, a then celebrated children’s author, in 1867. Stationed at Fredericton in New Brunswick, Canada, 1867–69, in addition to commanding a regiment he conducted its choral society, joined the cathedral choir and became assistant to the organist. 10 years in S Australia were to follow before he retired to Taunton in 1889. He composed at least 5 anthems, with madrigals and part-songs, but the popular hymn tune which bears his name appears to be the only one he wrote. Interest in his other work revived in 1954, when a number of mss of his work were acquired by the National Library of Scotland. No.971.