Henry Hiles

Henry Hiles (1826–1904) was an English organist, composer, conductor, teacher, editor, and writer on music. Born at Shrewsbury on December 31, 1826, he received early musical instruction from his elder brother John Hiles. He began professional church work while still young, serving as organist at Bury and later at Bishopwearmouth before years of travel prompted by ill health.

After returning to England, Hiles held organ appointments in London and Manchester, including work at St. Michael’s, Wood Street, the Manchester Blind Asylum, Bowdon, and St. Paul’s, Hulme. He earned the Bachelor of Music degree from Oxford in 1862 and the Doctor of Music in 1867. His career then increasingly combined composition with teaching, criticism, and institutional music making.

Hiles lectured in harmony and composition at Owens College and later Victoria University, and in the 1890s taught at the Royal Manchester College of Music. He conducted musical societies, edited the Quarterly Musical Review, and wrote pedagogical books on harmony, counterpoint, singing, and musical grammar. His larger compositions included cantatas, oratorios, church music, part-songs, organ music, and other works.

In hymnody Hiles is chiefly remembered for tunes such as ST. LEONARD, dated 1867, as well as SWEDEN and other melodies. ST. LEONARD became especially associated with Adelaide Anne Procter’s evening hymn and circulated extensively in English-language hymnals. Hiles died at Worthing on October 20, 1904.