John Varley Roberts (25 September 1841 – 9 February 1920) was an English choirmaster, organist, and composer. He spent most of his career at Magdalen College, Oxford.
Life Family and early years John Varley Roberts was born on 25 September 1841 at Stanningley, near Leeds, the fourth son of Joseph Varley Roberts (1800–1881), and his wife Elizabeth. Foster, J., Alumni Oxonienses (Oxford: Parker, 1888)</ref> John Varley was baptised on 2 January 1842 at St Wilfred's, Calverley. He had at least seven siblings: Sarah Ann, Esther, Charlotte Elizabeth, Joseph, James, Frances Eliza and Charles Hartley Roberts. James Varley Roberts, of Poplar House, Stanningley, died 28 January 1915. Charlotte Elizabeth (born 27 March 1828) lived at the same house with James and his wife Elizabeth (died 9 June 1938) and her husband Mathew Ross a bricklayer. until her death on 1 February 1907. Ross died 31 December 1881. Foster's Alumni Oxonienses (Oxford: Parker, 1888) says that John Varley was the fourth son, though I have only been able to find evidence of three male offspring. Charles was the only child not to survive into adulthood. Joseph is described as a clothier, or maker and finisher of woollen cloth, the trade for which the Leeds district was famous until the middle of the twentieth century. The children were involved in what was in this period a family business, usually run from home with the offspring working either as spinners (the two young men, Joseph Varley junior and James) or as weavers or burlers (the young women).1851 Census Class: HO107; Piece: 2315; Folio: 4; Page: 1; GSU roll: 87534–87535.
By 1851, Joseph Varley Roberts was described as a farmer, with seven acres of land to his name. All but two of the children were still living at home. Three (two of the boys and one of the girls) had by this time become school teachers. One was still a "woollen cloth manufacturer". The family's local church was St Thomas's, Stanningley, to which John Varley Roberts later donated (and designed) the pipe organ – still in existence – in 1906.National Pipe Organ Register, entry N02644. He studied "the piano and musical theory under Bird, also taking lessons from Whitley, a bandmaster, and John Burton, brother of the organist of the town". I take John Burton to be the brother of Robert Senior Burton, organist of Leeds Parish Church.
Leeds and Halifax At the age of 12, John Varley Roberts was appointed organist of nearby St John's, Farsley. He then went to study at the recently opened York and Ripon Diocesan Training College for Masters.1861 Census Piece: 3550; Folio: 5; Page: 3; GSU roll: 543150. In 1862, he became organist of St Bartholomew's, Armley. Varley Roberts was not the organist at St Bartholomew's Church that we know today, complete with its world-famous Schulze organ, but the predecessor building and instrument, though he would have been there when the plans for the new building, though not the organ, were well advanced. By this time, Roberts wished to marry Elizabeth Yates Jane Maning, daughter of the Vicar of Farsley. The Reverend Maning strongly disapproved, however. For a time, her father may have sent her away in an attempt to cool Roberts’ ardour and break up the relationship,1861 Census: Class: RG 9; Piece: 423; Folio: 50; Page: 18; GSU roll: 542635. but the couple later eloped together. They were married in May 1866 at Ilkley Parish Church by licence, with no member of her family signing the register.West Yorkshire Archive Service; Wakefield, Yorkshire, England; Yorkshire Parish Records of Ilkley, All Saints 2. Elizabeth Varley Roberts died in July 1917.Magdalen College Papers, PR/2/12, pp. 146–147; MC: P96/N1/4. Their one child, Gertrude, was born in 1868. Varley Roberts gave his father's Rank or Profession as 'Gentleman' in the Marriage Register, though whether a 'Farmer of Seven Acres', formerly a Clothier, could really pass as a Gentleman in mid-nineteenth-century terms is a moot point.
Roberts moved to Halifax Parish Church in 1868. By 1871 at the latest he was living with his wife and daughter in the newly fashionable area of North Park at 86 King Cross Street, in a house large enough to require the services of a live-in servant, and was describing himself in that year's census as 'Professor of Music'.1871 Census Class: RG10; Piece: 4394; Folio: 11; Page: 15; GSU roll: 848094. The family were still resident there ten years later. Interestingly, his next door neighbour in 1881, Thomas L Booth, also described himself as a 'Professor of Music'.1871 Census: Class: RG11; Piece: 4402; Folio: 10; Page: 13; GSU roll: 1342052.
Oxford In 1871, having matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford,Varley Roberts matriculated from Christ Church on 7 March 1871 aged 29 years. He was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Music (BMus) on 8 July 1871 and the degree of Doctor of Music (DMus) from Magdalen College on 29 June 1876. Details are taken from Joseph Foster's Alumni Oxonienses (Oxford: Parker, 1888). he was awarded the external degree of BMus from the University (the usual way to gain a music degree at that time). He graduated DMus (Oxon) five years later (the minimum period allowed after receiving the Bachelor's degree) in 1876,At Oxford, candidates for the BMus were required to compose a piece of music and then submit to the examiners a certificate stating that they had been involved in the study or practice of music for seven years. They did not have to be matriculated members of the University in order to do this. They only had to matriculate in order to proceed to the degree. Therefore, candidates whose work was of the required standard appear to have matriculated after passing the examination. This would explain the often short time between a candidate's matriculation and graduation. The requirements for a candidate for the DMus were similar: a composition plus a certificate stating that the candidate had been engaged in the study or practice of music for five years since graduating BMus. the same year that he became a Fellow (honorary) of the College (later the Royal College) of Organists – the highest honour and qualification for an organist, then as now. The DMus was conferred upon him after a performance by the Halifax Parish Church choir of his cantata Jonah, with text by the Vicar of Hipperholme and Headmaster of Heath Grammar School, the Reverend Thomas Cox.Abdy Williams, C. F., A Short Historical Account of the Degrees in Music at Oxford and Cambridge: With a Chronological List of Graduates in that Faculty from the Year 1463, Cambridge University Press, 2009, p. 105. Cox was also Lecturer at Halifax Parish Church, having been appointed by Archdeacon Musgrave in 1871. Sydney Morton was the bass soloist in the title role at the first performance with the Parish Church Choir. Morton was a Worsted Goods Manufacturer in Halifax.Sidney or Sydney Morton was a Worsted Goods Manufacturer in Halifax. Born locally in 1851, he was the son of William and Esther. His father was a cabinet-maker, originally from Stainland. In April 1881, he was living in Lister Lane, Halifax. Sydney married Sarah Jane Wade in Halifax, in 1881. They had one daughter, Hilda. They were living in 1891 at 7 Bond Street, Halifax; in 1911 at 4 Savile Road, Halifax; and latterly, they were at Ogden. Morton died on 24 November 1918. I am grateful to Mr David Glover for supplying me with this information.
On 9 November 1882,Magdalen College Archives PR/2/7, p. 32; Magdalen College Archives PR/2/7, p. 28, 21 Oct 1882. on the recommendation of Sir FAG Ouseley, Dr Purey-Cust, Dean of York, and Sir George J Elvey, late Organist of St. George's Chapel, Windsor, Roberts was elected organist and informator choristarum at Magdalen College, Oxford, in succession to Sir Walter Parratt (an exact contemporary of Varley Roberts, born in Huddersfield). He held this post for thirty-seven years, resigning with effect from 31 December 1918.Extract from Magdalen College Minute book reference CMM/1/7; Archive papers MC: P96/N1/5. In 1885, Roberts became a Freemason. He was initiated in Apollo University Lodge No.357. He became a familiar if "incongruous" figure in Oxford musical life, and on 22 February 1916 was awarded the degree of Master of Arts for his services to the university.Magdalen College Archives PR/2/12, p. 278, Undated, but March 1916: report of Dr. Roberts getting an honorary MA. The cutting reports: Ever since 1882, when Roberts came from Halifax to succeed Sir Walter Parratt at Magdalen, his doings and his sayings have enlivened the talk of every Common Room in Oxford. His robust presence and hearty Yorkshire speech, splendidly oblivious of academic standards, his retorts to presumption, whether found in an august member of Convocation or in the youngest choral scholar, his geniality and kindliness, have all contributed to give him a far bigger place in the life of the University than that of a skilful practitioner in music. Doctors of Music are on the outskirts of University life: it was time for the University to show that it had taken Dr. Roberts to its heart. Members of the College had previously shown their gratitude to the Doctor, as PR/2/12 p. 266 shows: 29 Jul 1905: Cutting from the Oxford Times reporting on a presentation to Dr. Roberts of a silver salver, "a cheque for a handsome amount", and an illuminated address. A typed copy of the address was pasted in by this page: Dear Doctor Roberts, We the undersigned are only a few out of the many friends whom you can number in the College, but having been more particularly connected with the College Choir, with the Foundation of which the Chapel and its services are so integral and important a part in or with yourself personally, have had the privilege of watching with special closeness the unstinted and unflagging skill and resource which you have, for a period now not far off a quarter of a century, devoted yourself to the service and the services of the College. We believe that you have never been more energetic, never more successful in your discharge of your duties than you are today. We hope that your powers may be continued to you and to the College in their plenitude, for a number of years to come. In the meantime we ask you to accept this address and the little gift which accompany it as some recognition and record by the way, of work in the past and in the present for which we feel equal admiration and gratitude, and to believe us to be in attachment and affection at all times... Roberts had been granted the privileges of an MA of the University from 1883 (CMM1/6 11 June 1883). During his time in Oxford, he was also organist of St Giles Church (1885–1893), founding Conductor of the University Glee and Madrigal Society (1885–93) and director of the Oxford Choral and Philharmonic Society. He led (until he became too infirm in old age) the May Morning singing from Magdalen Tower, a tradition going back over 500 years and which continues to this day. Varley Roberts’ directing of the singing is immortalised in a painting by Holman Hunt, though, characteristically, the choirmaster complained that he had not been given a more prominent position in the picture. Magdalen College Archives PR/2/7, p. 285; PR/2/9, p. 105