Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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STEVENS STEWART 695
Of somewhat delicate health, the strain of public
playing slowly undermined his constitution,
and finally compelled him in 1S93 to abandon
an American tour and return to Loudon, where,
after a lingering illness, he died at the early age
of forty-two on Sept. 10, 1904.
Stern was twice married : firstly, in 1891, to
Nettie Carpenter, a violinist of some distinction
and secondly, in 1898, to Suzanne Adams, the
accomplished operatic singer.
In his early years Leo Stern played upon a
violoncello by Guidantus, later on the ' General
Kyde ' Stradivari (an instrument of large
proportions), and finally on the 'Baudiot'
Stradivari. w. w. c.
STEVENS, Richard John Samuel, born in
London, March 27, 1757, was educated in St.
Paul's Cathedral choir under William Savage.
He distinguished himself as a glee composer,
and obtained prizes from the Catch Club for his
glees, 'See, what horrid tempests rise,' 1782,
and 'It was a lover and his lass,' 1786. He
was appointed organist of the Temple Church,
1786, organist of the Charter House, 1796
(retaining his appointment at the Temple), and
on March 17, 1801, was elected Professor of
Music in Gresham College. He published three
sets of glees, three harpsichord sonatas (op. 1),
and songs. Nine glees and a catch by him are
included in Warren's collections. Among his
best glees may be mentioned 'Ye spotted
snakes,' 'Blow, blow, thou winter wind,'
'Crabbed age and youth,' 'Sigh no more, ladies,'
'The cloud-capt towers,' 'From Oberon in fairy
land,' all of which still retain their popularity
with lovers of that class of composition. He
edited Sacred Music ' for one, two, three and
four voices, from the works of the most esteemed
composers, Italian and English,' an excellent
collection in 3 vols. fol. He died Sept. 23,
1837. [He left a valuable collection of music
to the Royal^Academy of Music] w. h. h.
STEVENSON, Sir John Andrew, Knight,
Mus.D., son of John Stevenson, a violinist in
the State Band in Dublin, was born in Dublin
aboutl762. In 1771 he was admitted a chorister
of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and in
1775-80 was in the choir of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
He became a vicar-choral of St. Patrick's
in 1783 and of Christ Church in 1800. He
composed new music to O'Keefi'e's farces, The
'
Son-in-Law' (1781), 'The Dead Alive' (1781),
and 'The Agreeable Surprise' (1782), to enable
them to be performed in Dublin, and also composed
for the Irish stage some of the music of
'
The Contract,' 1782 ;
'
Love in a blaze,' 1799
The Patriot, '1810; 'The Burning of Moscow,
'
and 'Bedouins,' 1801. He obtained his
honorary Mus.D. degree at Dublin in 1791 ,
and
his knighthood from the Lord-Lieutenant (Lord
Hardwicke) in 1803. [In 1814 he was appointed
the first organist and musical director
at the Castle Chapel.] He composed some
Services and Anthems (a collection of which he
published, with his portrait prefixed, in 1825),
'
Thanksgiving ' (Dublin Musical Festival, Sept.
1831), an oratorio, and numerous glees, duets,
canzonets, songs, etc. But the work by which
he is best known is the symphonies and accompaniments
to the collection of Irish Melodies,
the words for v,'hich were written by Thomas
Moore. He died at Headfort House, while on
a visit to his daughter, the Marchioness of
Headfort, Sept. 14, 1833. [A monument
was erected to his memory in St. Patrick's
Cathedral. A biographical sketch, by John
Bumpus, appeared in 1893.] w. h. h. ; additions
and corrections by w. H. G. f.
STEWART, Neil. One of the early Edinburgh
music- publishers. In 1759 he was at
the sign of the Violin and German Flute ' ' in
the Exchange, but before 1761 he had removed
to a shop, opposite the Head ' of Blackfriar's
Wynd,' which had probably been Bremner's
'
place of business. He again removed to the
Exchange, and then to Miln's Square (now
demolished), facing the Tron Church. Afterwards
the business was in Parliament Square,
and finally in South Bridge Street. The stockin-trade
and plates were sold ofi' by auction in
1805. Originally founded by the elder Neil
Stewart, the business afterwards developed into
a partnership as ' Neil Stewart & Company,
and finally belonged to NeU and Malcolm
Stewart, the two sons.
The Stewart publications comprise a gi-eat
bulk of important works of Scottish music, and
includerepublicationsofM 'Gibbon; collectionsof
reels and country dances ; marches and minuets
M'Glashan's works ; Scots Songs ; and great
quantities of interesting music sheets, f. k.
STEWART, Sir Robert Prescott, Knight,
Mus.D., son of Charles Frederick Stewai-t, librarian
of the King's Inns,- Dublin, was born in
Dublin, Dec. 16, 1825. He was educated as a
chorister of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin,
of which he was appointed organist in 1844,
in which year he was also appointed organist
of Trinity College, Dublin. In 1846 he became
conductor of the University of Dublin Choral
Society, the members of which defrayed the
expenses of the performance of his music for
degrees of Mus.B. and Mus.D. which took
place in 1851, besides presenting him with his
graduate's robes and a jewelled b^ton. In
1862 he became a vicar-choral of St. Patrick's
Cathedral, and in 1861 was appointed Professor
of Music in the University of Dublin. For
the great Peace Festival held at Boston in
America, in 1872, he composed a fantasia on
Irish airs for orchestra, organ, and chorus, but
declined the invitation to represent Ireland
there. On this occasion he received knighthood
from the Lord-Lieutenant (Earl Spencer)
[and became Professor of Theory in the Royal
Irish Academy of Music], In 1873 he was