| Biography | Quentin (Stuart Morvaren) Maclean. Organist, composer, teacher, b London 14 May 1896, d Toronto 9 Jul 1962. He studied 1904-7 in England under Harold Osmund, F.G. Shuttleworth, and Sir Richard Terry; 1907-9 in Vienna under Hermann Graedener; and 1912-14 in Leipzig under Karl Straube (organ) and Max Reger (composition). During World War I he was interned at Ruhleben (near Berlin), where he met Ernest MacMillan. In 1919 he served as assistant organist to Terry at Westminster Cathedral, then toured British theatres with the newsman Lowell Thomas, providing background music for the lecture-film With Allenby in Palestine. From 1921 to 1939 he was theatre organist at many English cinemas and in 1925 he began to broadcast regularly on BBC radio, his performances encompassing the British premiere of Hindemith's Organ Concerto in 1934, his own Organ Concerto in 1935, the inauguration of the BBC theatre organ in 1936, and hundreds of light-music programs and recitals. He emigrated to Canada in 1939 and continued his theatre organ career at Shea's Hippodrome (eight years) and Victoria Theatre (two years) in Toronto. During the years 1940-62 he was organist-choirmaster at Holy Rosary Church and taught at theTCM and St Michael's College, University of Toronto. He was heard regularly on CBC radio, giving recitals and providing background music for plays and poetry readings and music for children's programs. Through his broadcasts he became one of the best-known organists in Canada.
Maclean's works include concertos for organ (two), harpsichord, piano, electric organ (two), harp, and violin; a dozen pieces for orchestra (including Babbling, Parade of the Sunbeams, and Rondelet, published by Keith Prowse, and Algonquin Legend, 1942, manuscript); a setting of the Stabat Mater; 10 masses, a cantata, and numerous choral pieces; about 50 songs; 21 piano pieces; eight organ works; and a string quartet, three trios, and a violin-piano duo. Maclean was noted for the diversity of his musical interests, as well as for his taste, technical skill, and exceptional musical memory. He achieved wide popular success as a theatre organist, while maintaining high standards in the composition and performance of serious music, secular and liturgical. His compositions are traditional in style, often with a modal tonality.
Maclean's large music library and the manuscripts of many of his compositions have been deposited at the National Library of Canada. |