March 2006
George (‘Daddy’) Harrison 1878—1970	Show Menu

Ann Coulter

I first heard of George Harrison in the mid-fifties when I was a student in Coláiste Moibhí. At that stage I knew of the nickname given to him by generations of students in the Church of Ireland Training College. ‘Daddy’ Harrison was known and loved by a devoted group of admirers and is still remembered with great affection.

The Harrison family had arrived in Dublin from Wigan in 1829. George’s grandfather moved to Dublin to manage an engineering works. The business was based in Sackville Place. George’s brothers continued in that tradition. All members of the family were involved in music but George was the only one to make a career of it. George’s father was an amateur organist. One brother, Richard, was a fine tenor singer who had trained in Germany and also played the piano. Another, Tom, was the organist in North Strand Parish Church and St Mary’s Chapel of Ease (known as the Black Church). A third brother, William, was an electrical engineer and he played the violin. He owned a Joseph Guarneri (1680-1730) fiddle. George was a first-class musician. Early in his career he won the Coulson Scholarship in the Royal Irish Academy of Music. While there he studied for a time under Esposito and he delighted in introducing his students to Esposito’s compositions.

George Harrison was organist in the Black Church for a short time while he was also deputy organist in St Patrick’s Cathedral. He moved to St Aidan’s and from there to St George’s Parish Church, Hardwicke Place, where he remained as organist until his death in 1970, creating a record of 75 years’ service. During this time he trained the choir and they performed many oratorio, including one work by Mendelssohn, now rarely heard — Athalie. He gave numerous recitals, he was always in great demand as an accompanist and he was renowned for the brilliancy of his extemporising. He was an exceptional and gifted player of the organ works of Bach, Mendelssohn, Guilmant and Rinck. He was music master in Mountjoy School and in King’s Hospital school. He was also President of the Leinster Society of Organists and Choir Masters.

In 1911 George Harrison was appointed to teach instrumental music in the Church of Ireland Training College, and held the position for 53 years. He served under four principals — Rev H Kingsmill-Moore, Dr E C Hodges, Dr G O Simms and Canon R J Ross (who was also an accomplished organist). In a career which spanned six decades in the college he taught and encouraged the students, many of whom were to provide the music in country parishes where they were teaching. In those long gone days it was considered the norm for a teacher to be the regular organist and to train the choir — without pay. ‘Daddy’ Harrison treated everyone with great dignity and courtesy, never addressing a student by Christian name. During his years in the college there were many recipients of the George Harrison Organ medal, awarded to the best student-organist of the year. These were — and are — greatly treasured. George Harrison was a member of the Masonic Order and occasionally he escorted small groups of students from the Training College in Kildare Street to the Masonic Hall in Molesworth Street to see and play the organs there. He was given permission to use one of the organs in Molesworth Street for teaching the students during the college’s move to Rathmines. A visit to St George’s Church was another annual treat. To watch that small, dapper, elderly gentleman move fingers and feet over the keys of that pneumatic organ with such speed and accuracy was moving and memorable. One student in particular gave him immense satisfaction, when she competed at Feis level and was awarded a medal. Her name? Phyllis Reid (née Somers), now the organist in Donadea Church, Co Kildare.

It was my pleasure to meet George, only child of Daddy Harrison, ten years ago. He supplied me with much of the above information. On my final visit to him, I asked the question ‘Why the nickname Daddy?’ With a smile he told me ‘Because of me! Father was a devoted and proud dad, he talked of his small son so frequently that the students nicknamed him Daddy and it stuck!’

‘IN PLACES WHERE THEY SING…’

Kildare Cathedral Choir launches CD

On 29 January 2006, the choir of St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare launched its first CD. The date was that of both the Cathedral’s patronal festival and also the farewell service of the Dean, Very Revd Robert Townley, who was due to retire.

The CD features a wide selection of music to suit all tastes, and is sure to be extremely popular. Included are psalms and anthems such as Bach’s Jesu joy of man’s desiring in a special performance with solo violin (Constance Gardiner). Also featured are arrangements of traditional Irish tunes by past and present choir directors: Mark Armstrong’s Ag Criost an Siol and O comfort my people by Derek Verso, who was also responsible for the overall music direction of the CD.

What makes this CD unique is the inclusion of extracts from a 15th century setting of Matins for the Feast of St Brigid. This is the earliest setting known to exist and is in Trinity College Library, Dublin. Research of these medieval manuscripts was undertaken by Dr Ann Buckley, NUI Maynooth to whom the choir is indebted for permission to use her unpublished edition.

The CD is available at €15 from Cathedral Choir CD, St Brigid’s Cathedral, Co Kildare or call 04697 30149 or 087 0515859.

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