Joseph Richard Massey (July 1827 – 14 February 1900), referred to in his lifetime as Joseph Massey sen., was an Australian musician and founder of a family of musicians, best known as church organists.

History

Massey was born in London, a son of Sarah Massey and Joseph Massey, a cabinetmaker, who emigrated to Sydney as free-settlers on the ship Richard Reynolds, arriving 14 August 1833 with their children Elizabeth, Sarah, James, Bass, and Joseph, the subject of this article.[1]

He was engaged in business as a tailor in Mudgee, New South Wales around the year 1875, and while in that town was choirmaster of the Wesleyan church and conductor of the town's philharmonic society. The family left for Sydney for the sons' musical careers.[2]

He became conductor of Sydney's first philharmonic society[3] and the Sydney Choral Society, which met at the Sydney School of Arts,[lower-alpha 1] and produced the well-known oratorios Messiah and Judas Maccabaeus and others.[5] He was choir master at St John's Anglican Cathedral in Parramatta.[6] In later years he played double bass with an orchestra at St Thomas's Church, North Sydney, where his son Joseph Massey jun. was organist.[5]

He died at his residence, 347 Bourke Street, Darlinghurst, and his remains were interred at the Waverley Cemetery. Four sons and two grandsons, Harold and Hilton, were present at the funeral.[5]

Family

Massey married Mary Patrick (c. 1835–1898) in Sydney on 21 June 1853.[7] They had one daughter and four sons,[5] all musicians:

  • Joseph Massey jun. (1855 – 30 May 1943)[7] was organist at Mudgee before moving to Sydney, where he was a foundation member of the Sydney College of Music[8] and organist for St Thomas's Church, North Sydney for 23 years,[9] then 22 years at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. He retired in 1923.[10] John Antill wrote Elegy on a theme by former cathedral organist Joseph Massey in 1966. He married Eliza Jane Gresty (died February 1922) on 20 March 1879. Their children include:
  • Ronald, Trevor and Leonard enlisted with the 1st AIF in 1915.[11] Leonard was killed at Gallipoli.[12] Trevor Marsh Massey (born c. May 1897) was wounded 1917 and (seriously) in 1918; discharged 1919. Ronald Edward Massey (c. July 1889 – 17 February 1968) was promoted lieutenant, awarded MM.
  • Victor Roy Massey ( – ) was music master at Scots College in 1943 and organist and choirmaster at All Saints Church, Woollahra from 1920,[8] was organist at St Mark's Church, Darling Point, but dismissed in 1944.[13] He was also a composer[14] and author of the Austral method of chanting.[15]
  • Arthur Massey (1861 – 10 August 1950) was musical director of St John's Church, Glebe, St Clement's Church, Mosman and St Peter's Church, Neutral Bay.[16] He married Mary Magdalene "May" Bernasconi on 31 December 1881.[17]
  • Noel Massey was organist at St Luke's Church, Concord and the Congregational Church, Manly in 1936.[18]
  • Edward John Massey (1866–1941), "by far the most accomplished of these talented brothers",[19] was organist at All Saints Cathedral in Goulburn, then exchanged it for the Woollahra Presbyterian Church in 1895 in order to be closer to his teaching commitments in Sydney.[20] He was organist at Hoskins Memorial Church, Lithgow in 1928–1930.[21][22] and St John's church, Mudgee from 1935.
  • James Massey left for Gisborne, New Zealand.[16] His membership in the family has been overlooked or discounted in many reports. It is likely he is the Alfred James Massey (c.1869 – 15 August 1949)[23] who was music teacher and organist of St Andrew's Church, Gisborne,[24] and captain of Gisborne Cricket Club in 1900.
  • Thomas Henry Massey (1871 – 15 November 1946) was a musician and published composer.[25][26] At age 18 he conducted a choir of 50 voices in Sydney and later toured New Zealand with an opera company. In 1894 he accepted a position with the Presbyterian church at Woollahra,[27] but the following year exchanged it for All Saints Cathedral at Goulburn with his brother Edward.[20] He was organist of All Saints' Cathedral, Bathurst 1898–1908[28] He had a month as Sydney's City Organist in March 1901.[29] He was organist of the Presbyterian Church and St Paul's Church in Lismore, besides conducting the Lismore Philharmonic Society and several of the town's choirs in the town 1910–1919.[30] He succeeded Edward King as organist and choirmaster at Christ Church cathedral, Newcastle in 1919, serving until November 1946.[31] Massey married Hester "Tess" Edmunds on 1 February 1899.[32] They had five daughters.[33]
  • Muriel May Massey (1885–1964) married Robert Forbes-Young (died 1952) on 18 April 1911.[34]

There is no reason to believe the English organist Roy Massey is a relation.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Charles S. Packer, composer of The Crown of Thorns oratorio, was accompanist.[4] This is one of the few articles that credit Massey with five sons: Joseph, Arthur, Edward, James and Thomas.
  1. ↑ "Shipping Intelligence". The Sydney Herald. Vol. III, no. 188. New South Wales, Australia. 15 August 1833. p. 2. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ "A Former Mudgeeite". Mudgee Guardian and North-western Representative. Vol. XIII, no. 808. New South Wales, Australia. 23 February 1900. p. 7. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "60 Years an Organist". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 21, 297. New South Wales, Australia. 6 January 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "Music". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. Vol. LXIX, no. 2068. New South Wales, Australia. 24 February 1900. p. 438. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The Late Mr Joseph Massey, Sen". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 19, 323. New South Wales, Australia. 16 February 1900. p. 8. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "Joseph Massey Recital". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30, 830. New South Wales, Australia. 24 October 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 9 May 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. 1 2 Dr Graeme Skinner. "AustralHarmony, A biographical register of Australian colonial musical personnel". University of Sydney. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Death of Mr Joseph Massey". The Newcastle Sun. No. 7940. New South Wales, Australia. 2 June 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Mrs Joseph Massey". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 254. New South Wales, Australia. 27 February 1922. p. 10. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "Cathedral Organist". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 534. New South Wales, Australia. 20 January 1923. p. 12. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "Men & Women". The Sun (Sydney). No. 1576. New South Wales, Australia. 16 July 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ↑ "A Fighting Family". The Northern Star. Vol. 42. New South Wales, Australia. 24 January 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ "Warm Tributes to Organist". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 33, 107. New South Wales, Australia. 3 February 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ↑ "New Oratorio". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 29, 591. New South Wales, Australia. 5 November 1932. p. 14. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ↑ "Church Music". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30, 609. New South Wales, Australia. 10 February 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. 1 2 "Music and Drama". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 28, 496. New South Wales, Australia. 4 May 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ↑ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 14, 601. New South Wales, Australia. 12 January 1885. p. 1. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ "Organ Recital". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30, 604. New South Wales, Australia. 4 February 1936. p. 6. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ↑ "St John's Church, Mudgee". Mudgee Guardian and North-western Representative. New South Wales, Australia. 21 March 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. 1 2 "Cathedral Organist". Goulburn Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 20 March 1895. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ↑ "Organ Recital". Lithgow Mercury. New South Wales, Australia. 24 December 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ↑ "Weekly Organ Recital". Lithgow Mercury. New South Wales, Australia. 1 May 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ↑ "Deaths". Gisborne Herald. Vol. LXXVI, no. 23, 025. 16 August 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via PapersPast.
  24. ↑ "Advertising". Poverty Bay Herald. 8 February 1895. p. 1.
  25. ↑ "Mr Massey Dead; Organist For 60 Years". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 21, 878. New South Wales, Australia. 16 November 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 9 May 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ↑ "Newcastle Composers". The Newcastle Sun. No. 6079. New South Wales, Australia. 9 June 1937. p. 2. Retrieved 9 May 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ↑ "The Victorian Deficit". The Evening News (Sydney). No. 8448. New South Wales, Australia. 30 June 1894. p. 6. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. ↑ "Personal". The National Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 1 December 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  29. ↑ "Local Brevities". Mudgee Guardian and North-western Representative. Vol. XIII, no. 913. New South Wales, Australia. 14 March 1901. p. 13. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  30. ↑ "Presentation". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 14, 100. New South Wales, Australia. 17 January 1920. p. 8. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  31. ↑ "Cathedral Has Noble Organ". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 21, 902. New South Wales, Australia. 14 December 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ↑ "Family Notices". The Maitland Daily Mercury. Vol. 7128, no. 1587. New South Wales, Australia. 4 February 1899. p. 1. Retrieved 11 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  33. ↑ "Mr. Massey Dead; Organist For 60 Years". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 21, 878. New South Wales, Australia. 16 November 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  34. ↑ "Family Notices". The Daily Telegraph. No. 9972. New South Wales, Australia. 13 May 1911. p. 12. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
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