Alfred Hollins

Alfred Hollins (11 September 1865 – 17 May 1942) was an English organist, composer and teacher, who was noted as a recitalist in Scotland.

Early life and education Hollins was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and was blind from birth. His mother died while he was young, and little is known about his father. After his mother's death, Hollins was sent to live with his aunt, who gave him his first piano lesson. Hollins is said to have had perfect pitch. At the Wilberforce Institution for the Blind in York, which he attended from the age of nine, his musical interests were fostered by the head of music there, William Barnby, brother of Joseph Barnby.

In 1878, Hollins enrolled at the Royal National College for the Blind at Upper Norwood where he studied with Frits Hartvigson (piano) and Dr E. J. Hopkins (organ). Hollins then presented several successful concerts, including one at The Crystal Palace, where he performed the Emperor Concerto, and a concert at Windsor in the presence of Queen Victoria.

In 1923, Hollins played at the inaugural recital of the Caird Hall Organ, Dundee, Scotland, which he had designed. This famous concert organ was the first built by Harrison & Harrison, Durham, England, and has been maintained by them since. It is a Grade 1 Historic Organ (BIOS) and is recognized as one of the finest instruments of its kind in the UK and further afield.

Concert tours Hollins made multiple concert tours. His first tours of the United States took place in 1886 and 1888, when he played with many leading orchestras. In 1904, Hollins toured New Zealand and Australia. In 1907, 1909 and 1916 he went to South Africa to give a series of concerts at Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town, giving the opening recital for the organ at the new Town Hall in Cape Town. He had been instrumental in developing the specification for the organ. On 2 and 9 August 1907 he played on the Feather Market Hall organ, Port Elizabeth, which at that time was the largest organ in South Africa. In 1913 he played in Germany, recording for the Welte Philharmonic Organ.

In 1925–26 Hollins gave a major tour of the United States, during which he visited 65 cities. It has been estimated that Hollins traveled some 600,000 miles on his concert tours.

Composition Hollins composed over 50 organ works and some church music, as well as a small number of secular solo songs, part-songs and piano pieces. There are three substantial Concert Overtures for the organ (1885, 1899 and 1922), showing the influence of Mendelssohn. Recordings of his organ compositions have been made by David Liddle and Timothy Byram-Wigfield.

In 1922, Hollins was awarded an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Edinburgh. This was in addition to being made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 1904.

Hollins was a close friend of another blind organist, William Wolstenholme, and the two often played each others' compositions. In later years, Hollins wrote A Blind Musician Looks Back, his memories as an organist and teacher.