Walton, J G

This item is active and ready to use

Walton, J G

Watercolour portrait of J G Walton

from John Sowden's notebooks:

"Mr Walton was born at Clitheroe, Lancashire in 1821 where the Walton family had been established for generations. He was educated at Waddington grammar school and at the age of 11 he taught a Sunday school class for farmers’ boys.

He came to Bradford in 1832 and joined the Parish Church Sunday School. In 1833 he was a apprenticed to Mr Henry Laycock, draper, and afterwards entered the employment of Mr Peter Russell, draper. In 1842 he represented Mr EJ Mitchell at Genoa and other continental centres and in 1845 took a post with Messrs Russell, Douglas & Co, merchants. For a short period he was with Messrs John Holdsworth & Co in 1857, but returned to Law, Russell and co-in 1863 and remained with them ever since. He joined the Church Choral Society in Bradford in 1844 and became secretary in 1846. Mr Walton was one of the founders and a member of the first committee.

The society was drawn from the choirs and members of the Bradford churches and met in the old Church Institute, Hall Ings. Mr Walton was superintendent of the Parish Church Sunday School. In 1853 he was appointed choirmaster at the Parish Church and held the office for 10 years. It was a matter of pride to him that he trained the first surpliced choir of boys who sang in the church.

It was however in connection with the Bradford Festival Choral Society that Mr Walton figured most prominently. When the Society was formed in 1856 he was elected the first treasurer. In 1873 he was chosen as vice president and kept the position until failing health compelled him to retire. In 1865 Mr Walton went to Saint Jude's Church to organise a choir for a late service on Sunday evenings at 8 o'clock, at which the seats were all free, and after some controversy(?) for about a year all the seats were made free, the second service being discontinued. Mr Walton then took charge of the regular choir and continued to work for 22 years. In 1867 he was appointed secretary of the West Yorkshire Plainsong union. For 10 years there were some notable choir gatherings in Leeds Barnsley and Wakefield. Among his choristers was his nephew, Mr John Coates, a Yorkshire singer who has since much celebrity in the musical world. In 1887 Mr Walton joined the choir at Saint Mary Magdalene's Church.

In 1872 he published the well-known tune ‘St Catherine’, arranged from an old English melody. It was one of a number with which his name was associated, but ‘St Catherine’ was the most popular.

‘The Book of Communion Music’ in which it first appeared has gone through 13 editions. The embodiment of geniality and good nature, Mr Walton enjoyed a large measure of personal popularity, in the Festival Choral Society merged into (?) affection. (?) almost to the last he was spoken of with pride as the ‘Grand Old Man’ of music in Bradford. Mr Walton in 1851 married Miss Coates, the daughter of the late Mr John Coates and had no issue. He died in 1905."

Year

1897

Creator

Sowden

Image filename

sowden-169