Warren, Samuel P. (Samuel Prowse), 1841-1915

Samuel Prowse Warren was born in Montreal on Feb. 18, 1841, the son of organ builder Samuel Russell Warren (1809-1882). At the age of 12, he had shown enough musical ability to give his first organ recital at St. Stephen's Chapel in Quebec and to be appointed as organist at the American Presbyterian Church, a position that he held until he went to Berlin at age 20 to study organ and theory with Karl August Haupt, piano with Gustav Schumann, and instrumentation with Wilhelm Wieprecht. After returning to Montreal, he moved to New York, where he gave his first public recital in Jan. 1866. In New York he was organist at All Souls Unitarian Church (1866-1868), Grace Episcopal Church (1868-1874 and 1876-1894), and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (1874-1876). While at Grace Church, Warren took an active part in the musical life of New York City, especially in the realm of organ and both sacred and secular vocal music. He established a weekly series of organ recitals and was organist for Leopold Damrosch's Oratorio Society from 1874 to 1879. He conducted the New York Vocal Union from 1880-1888. In 1895 Warren accepted a position as organist at the First Presbyterian Church in East Orange, New Jersey, and one year later participated in the founding of the American Guild of Organists, becoming an honorary president of the Guild in 1902. He died in East Orange on Oct. 7, 1915.

Biographical Note

Samuel Prowse Warren was born in Montreal, Quebec on February 18, 1841, the son of organ builder Samuel Russell Warren (1809-1882). At the age of 12, he had shown enough musical ability to give his first organ recital at St. Stephen's Chapel in Quebec and to be appointed as organist at the American Presbyterian Church, a position that he held until he went to Berlin at age 20 to study organ and theory with Karl August Haupt, piano with Gustav Schumann, and instrumentation with Wilhelm Wieprecht. After returning to Montreal, he moved to New York, where he gave his first public recital in January 1866. Later that year he was appointed organist of All Souls Unitarian Church, a position he held until April 1868. He played at Grace Episcopal Church from 1868 to 1874 and at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church from 1874 to 1876. He returned to Grace Church in 1876 and remained at this position until 1894. While at Grace Church, Warren took an active part in the musical life of New York City, especially in the realm of organ and both sacred and secular vocal music. He established a weekly series of organ recitals and was organist for Leopold Damrosch's Oratorio Society from 1874 to 1879. He conducted the New York Vocal Union from 1880-1888. In 1895 Warren accepted a position as organist at the First Presbyterian Church in East Orange, New Jersey, and one year later participated in the founding of the American Guild of Organists, becoming an honorary president of the Guild in 1902. He died in East Orange on October 7, 1915.