Best, W(illiam) T(homas)

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Best, W(illiam) T(homas)

Best, W(illiam) T(homas), eminent English organist; b. Carlisle, Aug. 13, 1826; d. Liverpool, May 10, 1897. He studied organ in Liverpool, and held various posts as a church organist in Liverpool and London. At his numerous concerts he introduced arrangements of symphonic works, thus enabling his audiences to hear classical works in a musicianly manner at a time when orch. concerts were scarce. His own works, popular in type, though classical in form, included sonatas, preludes, fugues, concert studies, etc. for organ. He publ. Handel Album (20 vols.), Arrangements from the Scores of the Great Masters (5 vols.), Modern School for the Organ (1853), The Art of Organ Playing (1870), etc.

Bibliography

J. Mewburn Levien, Impressions of W.T. B. (London, 1942).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire