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Writer's pictureMichael Burns

Herbert Kennedy Andrews: Comber Composer

Sir William Henry Harris (Seated- left) with Sir Hugh Percy Allen (Seated- Middle) & Dr Herbert Kennedy Andrews (standing- right). This photo is entitled ‘Three organists in the New College Garden: Andrews, Allen & Harris’ from the J. W. Thomas Collection. It was taken in c.1938 possibly when Andrews was appointed as organist to New College. Courtesy of the Oxfordshire History Centre

Herbert Kennedy Andrews was born in Comber at Carnesure on the 10th August 1904 to Arthur McDonald Andrews & Sarah Black.

Andrews birth entry- August 1904

Whilst born in Comber, Andrews spent most of his life in England beginning with his schooling in Bedford, before going on to study music at New College, Oxford and the Royal College of Music.


Most of his career, while not composing was dedicated to teaching and he went on to teach at both his Alma mater’s, becoming a fellow in 1944 at New College and shortly before his death at Balliol College. He was also organist at New College for nearly 20 years (1938-1956) and before that was organist at Beverly Minster (1934-38), one of the largest parish churches in the UK located in East Riding, Yorkshire and constructed in 1225 [images below].



While his own compositions are prolific, taken with his teaching career, we can only theorise as to his full contributions to the sphere of classical music. Andrews was an external examiner for Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-2016), composer, conductor and Master of the Queens Music (2004-2014). Sir Davies remarked in a 2008 interview for Tempo (Vol: 64; October 2010, p. 13) that he often clashed with one of his lecturers, Humphrey Procter-Gregg who tried to stop his graduation “fortunately there was an external examiner there, Dr Andrews from Oxford, who insisted that I got an honours degree”.



On the 10th October 1965, Trinity College, Oxford held an inauguration and dedication service for a new Harrison & Harrison organ in their chapel. Andrews had been a consultant on the project, but unfortunately passed away whilst playing during the service. As the Belfast Telegraph reported the following day;

A doctor in the congregation last night climbed the narrow iron staircase to the organ 30ft above the floor of the chapel and found him dead”.

Andrew’s papers are held in the Royal College of Music & Oxford University and includes many works, mainly music scores. His obituary published in the ‘Musical Times’ states that Andrews ‘elegant, lucid prose’ and ‘command of counterpoint, and a certain kind of perfectionism in his nature caused him to be likened to R. O. Morris’ (Musical Times; Vol: 106, No: 1474; December 1965). He had two longer form works, An Introduction to the techniques of the Palestrina (1958) and his last and longest work published posthumously, The technique of Byrd’s vocal polyphony (London; 1966). This is a work which examines the techniques and music of William Byrd (1540-1623) a composer of the English Renaissance.

“Music, the most nearly universal of the arts, which knows no national boundaries is also the most sensitive to its immediate surroundings. The composer must be indebted to his past… yet the vital part of his music must draw its inspiration from the society in which he lives”

While Andrews was talking about Byrd and the Renaissance which was happening around him as he composed. Perhaps the same can be said of Andrews own works, composed mainly in Yorkshire and Oxford but perhaps with some tone or note or inspiration borrowed from his time in Northern Ireland. For all we know he could have first heard music from his beloved organ in St Mary’s or the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian, he was after all an Andrews of Comber.


Whatever the origins of his passion, his music remains, although largely forgotten, it still provides a testament to his enduring love of organ music. A selection of his compositions can be heard below via Spotify.



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