Joseph Massey sen.
Joseph Richard Massey, referred to in his lifetime as Joseph Massey sen., was an Australian musician and founder of a family of musicians, best known as church organists.
History
Massey was born in London, a son of Sarah Massey and Joseph Massey, a cabinetmaker, who emigrated to Sydney as free-settlers on the ship Richard Reynolds, arriving 14 August 1833 with their children Elizabeth, Sarah, James, Bass, and Joseph, the subject of this article.He was engaged in business as a tailor in Mudgee, New South Wales around the year 1875, and while in that town was choirmaster of the Wesleyan church and conductor of the town's philharmonic society. The family left for Sydney for the sons' musical careers.
He became conductor of Sydney's first philharmonic society and the Sydney Choral Society, which met at the Sydney School of Arts, and produced the well-known oratorios Messiah and Judas Maccabaeus and others.
He was choir master at St John's Anglican Cathedral in Parramatta.
In later years he played double bass with an orchestra at St Thomas's Church, North Sydney, where his son Joseph Massey jun. was organist.
He died at his residence, 347 Bourke Street, Darlinghurst, and his remains were interred at the Waverley Cemetery. Four sons and two grandsons, Harold and Hilton, were present at the funeral.
Family
Massey married Mary Patrick in Sydney on 21 June 1853. They had one daughter and four sons, all musicians:- Joseph Massey jun. was organist at Mudgee before moving to Sydney, where he was a foundation member of the Sydney College of Music and organist for St Thomas's Church, North Sydney for 23 years, then 22 years at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. He retired in 1923. John Antill wrote Elegy on a theme by former cathedral organist Joseph Massey in 1966. He married Eliza Jane Gresty on 20 March 1879. Their children include:
- Arthur Massey was musical director of St John's Church, Glebe, St Clement's Church, Mosman and St Peter's Church, Neutral Bay. He married Mary Magdalene "May" Bernasconi on 31 December 1881.
- Edward John Massey, "by far the most accomplished of these talented brothers", was organist at All Saints Cathedral in Goulburn, then exchanged it for the Woollahra Presbyterian Church in 1895 in order to be closer to his teaching commitments in Sydney. He was organist at Hoskins Memorial Church, Lithgow in 1928–1930. and St John's church, Mudgee from 1935.
- James Massey left for Gisborne, New Zealand. His membership in the family has been overlooked or discounted in many reports. He was music teacher and organist of St Andrew's Church, Gisborne, and captain of Gisborne Cricket Club in 1900.
- Thomas Henry Massey was a musician and published composer. At age 18 he conducted a choir of 50 voices in Sydney and later toured New Zealand with an opera company. In 1894 he accepted a position with the Presbyterian church at Woollahra, but the following year exchanged it for All Saints Cathedral at Goulburn with his brother Edward. He was organist of All Saints' Cathedral, Bathurst 1898–1908 He had a month as Sydney's City Organist, succeeding Auguste Wiegand in March 1901. He was organist of the Presbyterian Church and St Paul's Church in Lismore, besides conducting the Lismore Philharmonic Society and several of the town's choirs in the town 1910–1919. He succeeded Edward King as organist and choirmaster at Christ Church cathedral, Newcastle in 1919, serving until November 1946. Massey married Hester "Tess" Edmunds on 1 February 1899. They had five daughters.
- Muriel May Massey married Robert Forbes-Young on 18 April 1911.