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An Edition of the Cathedral Works ofSir John Andrew Stevenson

This thesis presents a critical edition of the Anglican cathedral works of Irish-born 
composer Sir John Andrew Stevenson (1761-1833). It evaluates his contribution to that 
repertoire and the inclusion of his works in the programmes of various cathedrals 
throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom. Consideration will also be paid to Stevenson’s 
place alongside his contemporaries and to the popularity of his works throughout the 
nineteenth century. Various criticisms of the composer’s works will be explored. 
The first chapter of the thesis outlines Stevenson’s biography, focusing on him as 
composer both of secular and sacred music. The second chapter looks at conditions in the 
Dublin cathedrals c.1800. Chapter three focuses on external influences on Stevenson’s 
compositional style, including the music of Haydn; it also appraises Stevenson’s legacy and 
establishes him as a prolific composer whose contribution to the repertoire of Irish 
cathedral music was of notable importance. 
A number of primary sources exist for Stevenson’s cathedral works. These are 
considered in the second part of the thesis, which also describes the process of editing and 
dating the compositions following analyses of primary sources with textual commentaries. 
The third part of the thesis presents a critical edition of all of Stevenson’s cathedral works. 
The rationale behind the preparation of this edition stems from the paucity of critical 
editions of Irish cathedral music in general. To date the following remain the only exercises 
in critical editions of the works of Irish cathedral composers: Barra Boydell’s editions of 
selected anthems from the repertoire of Christ Church Cathedral Dublin (1998), Gillen and 
Johnstone’s A Historical Anthology of Irish Church Music (2001); Douglas Gunn’s 
editions of individual cathedral works by Thomas Carter (c.1740-1804), Daniel 
Roseingrave (1650-1727) 
, Ralph Roseingrave (c.1695-1747) and Richard Woodward 
(1743-1777); and various unpublished editions prepared as MA theses, including those 
studies by Carol Cunningham (1997), Eithne Donnelly (1998), Elaine Sherwin (2000) 
and Nicola Horn (2004). As an initial step, the number and titles of the anthems.