User:Luke.staisiunas/Clarence Eddy

= Clarence Eddy = Hiram Clarence Eddy (23 June 1851 - 10 January 1937) was a United States organist and composer.

Early Life
Hiram Clarence Eddy was born in Greenfield Massachusetts on June 23, 1851. From a young age, he displayed musical aptitude, first beginning on the harmonica. At age 11, he moved onto organ and piano, studying with Ms. Laura J. Billings, and J. Gilbert Wilkinson, respectively. His first of many organist positions was at the Greenfield Unitarian Church, at age 12. At 16, he was sent to study with Dudley Buck at Harvard.

Studies in Europe
In the summer of 1871, Eddy left to go to Berlin for a period of more than two years. In Berlin, he studied with Carl August Haupt, and Carl Albert Löschorn. En Route to Berlin, Eddy visited England and France, making important connections with distinguished organists such as Alexandre Guilmant, Chalres-Marie Widor, Camille Saint-Saëns, César Franck, W.T. Best, and others.

Arriving in fall 1971, he began studies in organ and theory with Haupt, studying piano with Löschhorn. Reportedly practicing from six to ten hours a day, he had lessons weekly, and also participated in chamber music activities, in addition to concertizing. One 1873 review spoke highly of Eddy’s performance, stating that “all the excellent qualities of the master showed themselves in the playing of the pupil. Massive technique, clearness and certainty, energy in taking the tones and a wonderfully lovely legato.”

Further concerts allowed Eddy to secure the funds necessary to repay the loan which was taken out to enable his European trip. Finally, in the spring of 1874, he returned to the United States after an extensive trip through Holland, Belgium, France, and London.

Eddy in Chicago
Returning to the United States with a letter of recommendation from Haupt, Eddy presided over the position at Frist Congregational Church in Chicago. Playing much of the music he learned in Europe, he was received with much praise. In 1879, he received the position of organist at First Presbyterian Church, staying there for 17 years. In 1876, Eddy spent one week in Philadelphia playing recitals three times a day at the Centennial Exposition.

During his time in Chicago, he became involved with the Hershey School of Music. Founded in 1875 by Sarah Hershey, Eddy was general director from early on. In 1876, the Hershey Music Hall was completed, giving the school the facilities it needed. A three-manual Johnson organ (built to Eddy’s specifications) was installed for teaching and concert purposes. Inaugural concerts were performed on January 23 and 25 of 1877. Continuing to tour and perform extensively, Eddy remained part of the Chicago music scene, including designing and dedicating the Roosevelt organ in the Auditorium Theatre. In 1879, he had married Sarah Hershey, but by the mid 1880s, eddy had given up his directorship of the school to pursue his touring career, and by 1905 the marriage had ended. Clarence Eddy left Chicago in 1895, spending the rest of his life touring, teaching, and concertizing, dedicating over 1000 organs in his career. However, he later wrote organ method books, and teaching remained part of his career despite no longer being associated with the Hershey school.

The 100  Recitals
Between 1877 and 1879, Eddy gave over 100 recitals, all with different programs on Sunday afternoons at the Hershey Music Hall. Each recital featured a variety of works, ranging from Bach, to contemporary organ works of the day, and transcriptions. Each recital also had two pieces of non-organ music, typically a vocalist, or chamber music. Every program also included a piece of Bach.

Later Life
Eddy moved around between various cites, including New York and Paris. Continuing to concertize up until his death, he also recorded player organ rolls for the Aeolian Company. He died on January 10, 1937 from heart and kidney complications. He is interred in his hometown of Greenfield Massachusetts.