Charles A.E. Harriss

Charles Albert Edward Harriss (16 or 17 December 1862 – 31 July 1929) was an English then Canadian composer, impresario, educator, organist-choirmaster and conductor. Early life and education Harriss was born in London, England, around midnight between 16 and 17 December 1862. He was the son of Edwin Harriss, organist and choir conductor. He studied at St. Michael's College, Tenbury, with Sir Frederick Ouseley. Upon graduation, his first job was that of choir master at St. John's church in Wrexham, Wales. Career At the age of 18 Harriss was appointed organist in a church in Welshpool, Wales. Through his teacher Ouseley's connections in Canada, and after a direct petition from Agnes Macdonald, wife of the Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John Macdonald, Harriss was invited to audition for the job of organist at St. Alban the Martyr in Ottawa, Canada. After moving there in 1882, he became the organist at Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal (1883–1886). In 1886 Harriss succeeded his own father as organist in St. James the Apostle church, also in Montreal. Harriss composed a number of hymns and other choral works. His most famous composition is his opera Torquil, conceived firstly in 1896 as a piano-vocal score subtitled "a Scandinavian dramatic legend", on a text by Edward Oxenford. Even though structurally operatic, the composer warned in the score that it "may be sung by choral societies but must be given without custome or action". Torquil was premiered on 22 May 1900 at Massey Hall, Toronto, by the Boston Festival Orchestra with Harriss conducting.