Kitson, Charles Herbert

Arranger & Composer

b Leyburn, N Yorks 1874, d Kensington, W London 1944. Ripon Sch, Yorks, and Selwyn Coll Cambridge (organ scholar, divinity prize, MA). He studied music further at Oxford, and not pursuing his original aim of ordination, he became a music teacher at Haileybury Coll 1897–98 and St Edmund’s Sch Canterbury 1898–1901. He then moved to Leicester to be organist of the church of St John the Baptist, until 1913 when he was appointed to a similar post at Christ Ch Cathedral, Dublin. Remaining there up to 1920, he was concurrently Prof of Music at University Coll Dublin 1915–20 and the Royal Irish Academy of Music 1918–20. On returning to England he remained a non-resident Prof for Trinity Coll Dublin while teaching at the RCM and Trinity Coll, London, until retirement in 1935. He co-edited the 1919 Irish Church Hymnal 3rd Edn, wrote music text-books, and composed church and organ and other church music. His work has a predominantly academic flavour. 9 of his tunes feature in the current Irish Church Hymnal 5th Edn (2000). Nos.289*, 366*, 958*=968*.