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See on internet THE LIFE OF REV. SIR F. A. G. OUSELEY, BART. M.A., Mus.D., ETC. ETC.
http://www.archive.org/stream/lifeofrevsirfago00joyciala/lifeofrevsirfago00joyciala_djvu.txt - 522k -
for the full text of a book about the life of this composer by his doughter.
Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley (1825-1889) was born into a family that had social standing, wealth, and privilege. It was almost unthinkable that an heir to a baronetcy would consider music a career; and yet that is the path Sir Frederick followed. Following completion of a BA degree from Oxford and ordination into the Church of England, Sir Frederick became assistant curate of St. Barnabas' Church, Pimlico. There he began a lifelong pattern of seemingly boundless generosity in the cause of church music by presenting the church an organ and contributing towards the cost of the choir. Unfortunately, St. Barnabas became embroiled in controversy. The sensitive Ouseley was ill-equipped for such events and he left St. Barnabas, but not without providing for the care and training of the boy choristers of the disbanded choir school.
While away in Europe Ouseley began to consider just what he was going to do with the rest of his life and what was to be done with the boy choristers his associates were training. Through a series of letters Shaw traces the germination of the idea to build his own church and college to train the boy choristers to form a "model choir." Upon his return to England, Ouseley bought land just outside of Tenbury and erected a parish church and college buildings. St. Michael's College was consecrated 29 September 1856.
During his years as Warden of St. Michael's College and Vicar of St. Michael's Parish Church continued his lifelong accumulation of antiquarian music and books and thus amassed one of the most extraordinary collections of Reformation and Tudor music. Some of these works found their way into musical collections Ouseley edited. He also composed a large body of now mostly forgotten anthems and canticle settings, some of which were included in collections of contemporary works Ouseley edited. As Precentor of Hereford Cathedral and Professor of Music at Oxford Sir Frederick's influence was far-reaching.
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