Trumpet Tune (Stanley)

John Stanley was born in London in January 1712. At about two years of age, he fell on a marble hearth with a china basin in his hand, an accident which left him almost blind.He began studying music at the age of seven. Under the guidance of Maurice Greene, composer and organist at St. Paul's Cathedral, he studied "with great diligence, and a success that was astonishing". At the age of eleven Stanley was appointed organist to the church All Hallows Bread Street at a salary of £20 per annum and by the age of seventeen became the youngest person ever to obtain the Bachelor of Music degree (B.Mus.) at the University of Oxford. Stanley was also an outstanding violinist.Though virtually blind, Stanley had a remarkable memory, which helped him direct many of Handel's oratorios and to enjoy music-making and card games with his many friends. If he had to accompany a new oratorio he would ask his sister-in-law to play it through just once–enough to commit it to memory. Contrary to what you may think, trumpet tunes like this were not originally written for the trumpet, but for the “trumpet” set of pipes on the organ. These brassy reed pipes were used for joyful, rhythmic tunes. This piece has become a standard at weddings, and it is usually played right before the beginning of the ceremony and has even been used in several Royal weddings.

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