John Troutbeck

John Troutbeck was born at Blencowe in Cumberland on November 12, 1832. Educated at Rugby School and Oxford, he entered Anglican ministry and served as vicar of Dacre before becoming a minor canon and precentor at Manchester Cathedral. In 1869 he became a minor canon of Westminster Abbey, where he later served as precentor and as a chaplain in ordinary to Queen Victoria. He helped plan major royal and special services, including the Queen's Golden Jubilee service in 1887.

Troutbeck combined liturgical work with editing and translation. With Abbey organist Frederick Bridge he edited the Westminster Abbey Hymn Book. For the publisher Novello he produced English versions of major Continental choral works, including music by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, Gounod, Mozart, and Wagner. His work helped English choirs perform repertory that had previously circulated chiefly in German or other European languages.

His 1874 English translation and adaptation of Bach's Christmas Oratorio included the stanza now beginning Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light. That stanza was drawn from Johann Rist's German Christmas hymn and later entered English-language hymnals independently of the complete oratorio. Troutbeck died on October 11, 1899, and was buried in the East Cloister of Westminster Abbey.