About Henry Forbes
Lived 1804 – 1859 (aged 54–55). Henry Forbes was a British composer, organist and pianist.
Henry Forbes (1804 – 24 November 1859) was an English pianist, organist and composer.
Forbes was a pupil of George Thomas Smart, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Ignaz Moscheles, and Henri Herz, and had greater success as executant and teacher than as composer. While organist of St Luke's Church, Chelsea, a London church, he published (1843) National Psalmody, containing some original numbers. His opera The Fairy Oak was disliked by the critics, but had a run of a week or two after its production at Drury Lane, 18 October 1845. A cantata, Ruth, was performed in 1847.
Forbes frequently associated with his brother George Forbes (1813–1883) in concerts, and was between 1827 and 1850 conductor of the Società Armonica. He died on 24 November 1859, in his fifty-sixth year.
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Important facts
People in Henry Forbes's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Henry Forbes's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Henry Forbes?
British musician (1804–1859)
When was Henry Forbes born?
Henry Forbes was born in 1804.
When did Henry Forbes die?
Henry Forbes died in 1859.
What was Henry Forbes's occupation?
Henry Forbes was a composer, organist and pianist.
What nationality was Henry Forbes?
Henry Forbes was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Henry Forbes (composer)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry Forbes. https://biography.guide/henry-forbes/
MLA: "Henry Forbes." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-forbes/.
Chicago: "Henry Forbes." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-forbes/.
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