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Samuel Wesley
- Birth: August 14, 1810, London, England
- Death: April 19, 1876, Gloucester, England
Samuel Sebastian Wesley, born in London in 1810, was the grandson of Charles Wesley, who, with his brother John formed the Methodist Church, and the son of Samuel Wesley. He was considered one of the most significant musicians of the 19th Century English church. Receiving his music training from his father, he became a chorister at Chapel Royal at age 10 and at age 16 began playing organ there. He also served other parishes, including Exeter, Leeds, Winchester, Gloucester and Hereford. It is said that his fingers and feet moved so swiftly as he played the organ that people would crowd around him just to watch. In 1839 he received both his Bachelor of Music degree and a Doctorate of music degree from Oxford. He became a professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music in 1850.
Wesley started to compose religious music when he was 16. In all, he wrote 38 anthems and many hymns. He compiled 130 of his hymns into the 733 hymn collection he published, entitled The European Psalmist, 1870. Wesley is better known for his larger pieces, hymnals today have few of his hymns. He was important in improving conditions, salaries and status of church music and musicians. He also was instrumental in improving organ building, advocating the use of the full pedal board on English organs.
He had one vice, fishing. This was so important to him that it dictated where he would agree to play the organ. On one occasion, he sent his assistant to play in his place, with instructions to say that he was unavoidably detained.
Page numbers in Trinity Hymnal (1990) and The Worshiping Church (1990)
| Title | Trinity | Worshiping |
|---|---|---|
| Hallelujah! Raise, O Raise | 54 | |
| Hail to the Lord's Annointed | 311 | |
| The Church's One Foundation | 347 | 689 |