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Eric H. Thiman (Composer, Arranger)

Born: September 12, 1900 - Ashford, Kent, England
Died: February 13, 1975 - London, England

The English composer and organist, Eric Harding Thiman, had music training with private teachers and was largely self-taught. He he gained a FRCO (Fellow of the Royal College of Organists) in 1921 and became MusD (London) in 1927.

From 1930 Eric Thiman was Professor of Harmony at the Royal Academy of Music, and from 1956 to 1962, Dean of the Faculty of Music at London University. He was conductor of the Elysian Concert Society and Purley Choral Society, and since 1957 (or 1958) had been organist and choirmaster at the City Temple in London, a Congregational Church where he achieved renown as an improviser of great skill. A keen advocate of congregational singing, he contributed an article on his methods to W. T. Whiteley’s Congregational Hymn-singing in England, and was chairman of the music committee of Congregational Praise.

A prolific composer of small-scale works, Eric Thiman wrote much educational music for piano and other instruments, as well as accessible music for church choirs (cantatas, anthems and services.), some of which is still performed. He is best remembered for his short passion cantata, The Last Supper (1930) which sets texts from the gospels of Matthew and John and hymns by St Thomas Aquinas, Charles Wesley and Johannes Franck. It remains one of the rivals to Stainer's The Crucifixion in the repertoire of less ambitious choirs and choral societies. His music shows great melodic fluency.