Charles William Hempel

Life

Born: 28 August 1777

Died: 14 March 1855

Biography

Charles William Hempel was born in Chelsea in 1777: his early musical education was under a relative, the organist and composer Augustus F. C. Kollmann.

Hempel was elected organist of St. Mary's Church, Truro in May 1804, and held the post for forty years: the church was later incorporated into Truro Cathedral, consecrated in 1877. He published a set of Psalms from the New Version for the use of the Congregation of St. Mary's in 1804, and Sacred Melodies for the same congregation in 1812.

A Morning and an Evening Service, twenty Original Melodies, and two Anthems was dedicated to George Pelham, bishop of Lincoln: the Dictionary of National Biography dates the publication of this work to 1820, although it was reviewed in the Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review in the third quarter of 1821.

Publications in 1822 include an Introduction to the Pianoforte for the use of his pupils, and The Commercial Tourist, or Gentleman Traveller, a satirical poem in four cantos, which was illustrated by J. R. Cruikshank, and in 1832 went to a third edition.

In later life Hempel moved to Exeter, where he remarried: he died in London. His eldest son, Charles Frederick Hempel, was also a composer and organist.

View the Wikipedia article on Charles William Hempel.

List of choral works

• I strive each action to approve
• Just judge of heav'n, against my foes
• The Lord for ever lives, who has
• Sing to the Lord a new-made song
• Thou turnest man, O Lord, to dust
• Thy dreadful anger, Lord, restrain

 
Click here to search for this composer on CPDL

Publications

• Psalms from the New Version, 1804
• Sacred Melodies, [c1812]
• A Morning and an Evening Service, London: [1821]
• Introduction to the Pianoforte, 1822

External links

• Dictionary of National Biography article on Charles William Hempel
• Review from Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review of Hempel's A Morning and an Evening Service