Samuel Sebastian Wesley: A Life

shedding much new light on rather more familiar territory. * Brio, 40 no 2, 63-64. *
....here we have a book that is not merely an assembly of previously known information, but a new insight, using previously unused sources. * Church Music Quarterly *
The author's natural fluid writing style is a delight and at one level this is almost like reading a novel. * Church Music Quarterly *
Those who love nineteenth-century church music and want to become better acquainted with Wesley will willingly pay the high price for this exceptional book. * Church Music Quarterly *
'Without doubt it is the definitive biography, written in a very readable style, with perceptive and scholarly analyses of the works incorporated into a chronological account of Wesley's life. * The Elgar Society Journal, 13 no 6 *
... a facinating yet magisterial and well rounded portrait of the composer.
.... a compassionate and fair minded appraisal of this complex character and his many-faceted contributions to Victorian musical life.
his analyses are never less than perceptive, and always make their point in a clear and straightforward manner. * Music & Letters, 86 *
Peter Horton's comprehensive, rounded and well written study, far from a fusty antiquarian exercise, engages admirably with Wesley's ambitious character. * The Musical Times *
For me, the great value of Horton's book lies in its embrace of wider horizons, above all the recognition of Wesley's overwhelming admiration for German music. * The Musical Times *
... the scholarship is of the highest quality throughout. * The Organ, 82 no 328 *
I would recommend this study to all major libraries and individuals particularly interested in 19th [century] English church and cathedral music'. [sic] * The Organ, 82 no 328 *
Peter Horton is the leading S.S. Wesley scholar, and this fine book is the result of many years' work. * BIOS Journal, 28 *
Peter Horton's fine, measured prose. * BIOS Journal, 28 *
...this is crucial reading for all organists and choir directors. * BIOS Journal, 28 *
Rarely does one pick up a musicological/biographical study such as this and find oneself drawn in at every level so putting it down becomes as hard as shutting the latest novel by one's favourite author. * Organists' Review, 91 no 357 *
It is a richly-embroidered canvas, hugely rewarding to read, scrupulously researched, with large and useful appendices, immaculately produced by OUP A definitive study if ever there were one. * Organists' Review, 91 no 357 *
... in Horton's lively narrative the ups and downs of Wesley's life unfold like a soap opera, revealing tensions beneath the calm surfaces of life in England's cathedral closes. * The Times Higher Education Supplement *
Horton's advocacy establishes Wesley as a composer of striking originality and ability in a sea of mediocrity and insularity. He played a major role in rescuing English cathedral music from years of neglect and abuse. * The Times Higher Education Supplement *
Judiciously argued, perceptive in understanding, and lucid in expression, it is a fitting tribute to one of England's greatest musicians. * Music and Letters *