| Additional comments: Comment made by Paul Edwards, Oct. 17, 2022
Reference The Cathedral Psalter Chants, 1875 (Novello), Chant No. 230 in F minor by POLAND. I notice that this does not feature in your index of Composers, but I am almost positive that this was a real name of a real person ! I have done a great deal of searching, and have found one very interesting thing. In the 1851 Census for London, John Foster (1827-1915) who is well-known as a chant composer (several of his being in the above chant book) was visiting the household of the Poland family in Clarendon Terrace, Kensington. I am sure this cannot be a coincidence. Surely, one of the Poland gentlemen must be the composer of the chant. Incidentally, I have used it occasionally at various churches over many years for the Nunc Dimittis at Evensong. The most likely candidates are the two sons, who were a similar age to John Foster, namely Julius Poland (1824-1899) and Harry B Poland (1829-1928). The former was at various times a clerk and an accountant. The latter was a barrister in criminal law. Try as I might, I can find no musical or church reference which would provide the missing link. There was another brother, William Henry Poland (1820-1850) but I do not know what his profession was. They were baptized at the London church of St Clement Danes. Another curious coincidence is that in the 1861 Census, when the same Poland family were living in the Bloomsbury area of West Central London, their next-door neighbour was a Professor of Music married to a Professor of Singing. |
| M/m | Fingerprint |
| m | -2 -2 -1 -2 0 2 1 -1 -2 (5) |
| M | -2 -1 -2 -2 0 2 2 -2 -2 (2) |