Thomas Wingham (5 January 1846 – 24 March 1893) was an English composer, known as a teacher and for his time at Brompton Oratory.

Life

Thomas Wingham was born in London on 5 January 1846 and became organist of St Michael's Mission Church, Southwark, London in 1856. In 1863 he began to study at Wylde's London Academy and was appointed organist of All Saints' Paddington, London in 1864. In 1867 he entered the Royal Academy of Music, London, studying under William Sterndale Bennett for theory and Harold Thomas for piano. Further appointments included a piano professorship at the Royal Academy in 1871, a professorship at the Guildhall School of Music, London, and musical director at the Oratory, Brompton, London, in 1882 (Wingham had converted to the Catholic Church in the 1870s). He commissioned the Mass in G, Op.46 from Charles Villiers Stanford, who dedicated the score upon publication in 1892 to Wingham "in sincere regard", although the first performance did not take place until 26 May 1893 at the Brompton Oratory following Wingham's death: he died in London on 24 March 1893. An early highlight of his career was the performance of his large-scale Mass Regina Coeli in Antwerp Cathedral in 1876. Reviewing the vocal score published by Novello, Ewer & Co. in 1878, The Musical Times judged it as Several of Wingham's large-scale works were heard at the Crystal Palace, London. The first performance there of his Concert Overture No.4 led The Musical Times to describe Wingham as Substantial orchestral scores by Wingham were programmed at the Brighton Festival in 1879 and the Leeds Festival in 1880: assessing the Concert Overture No.5, The Musical Times noted that The same journal reported of Wingham's Concert Overture No.6 that In 1885 Wingham secured a prestigious first performance of his Serenade in E flat under the auspices of the Philharmonic Society, London, a rendition again reviewed by The Musical Times which described him as After his death, very little of Wingham's music was ever heard again, although Dan Godfrey later played the Symphony No.2 twice at Bournemouth (in 1902 and 1908). An obituary by his friend Louis N. Parker (1852-1944) was published in The Musical Times: Following his death, the following letter appeared in The Musical Times:

Works

Opera

Orchestral

Instrumental soloist and orchestra

Choral and vocal

Chamber music

Scores and manuscripts

Concert Overture No.1 and Symphony No.2 were published as piano duets by Lamborn Cock, London, together with a piano solo arrangement of the Elegy on the death of Sterndale Bennett. Novello, Ewer & Co., London, published the Serenade in E flat as a piano duet. Alfred Hays, London (for Lamborn Cock, London), published a reduction of the Concert Capriccio. Novello, Ewer & Co., London, issued vocal scores of the Mass Regina Coeli and the Te Deum. The autograph full score of Concert Overture No.4 (XX(175475.1)), together with autograph orchestral parts of Symphony No.1 (XX(175469.1)), the Elegy on the death of Sterndale Bennett (XX(175471.1)), Symphony in D, Op.4 (XX(175472.1)), the Andante and Allegro Capriccioso for piano and orchestra (XX(175473.1)), Concert Overture No.4 (XX(175476.1)), Concert Overture No.6 (XX(175477.1)) and Concerto Overture No.1 (XX(175478.1)/ XX(175479.1)) are held by the Library of the Royal Academy of Music, London.