Oliphant Chuckerbutty

Soorjo Alexander William Langobard Oliphant Chuckerbutty (6 October 1884 – 5 September 1960), also known as Wilson Oliphant, was an English organist and composer, who was equally well known as a church organist and a cinema organist.

He was the grandson of the Indian medical professor Soorjo Coomar Goodeve Chuckerbutty (c.1826–1874).

Life and career Chuckerbutty was born in Paddington, London. He began playing the piano at six, and was composing by 14. From 1908 to 1914 he was deputy to E. T. Cook as organist of Southwark Cathedral. In the same year he became organist and choirmaster of Holy Trinity, Paddington, a post that he held until 1948.

In the early 1930s Chuckerbutty made Holy Trinity a well-known centre of music, with frequent performances of choral and orchestral music, both old and new. He and guest organists gave regular recitals on what The Musical Times described as "the fine Norman and Beard organ" there.

Writings Chuckerbutty contributed several articles and letters to The Musical Times. Among his subjects were the orchestration of light classical music, the ignorance among music critics about good or bad organ playing, and – spread across three issues – a wide-ranging survey of the work of the cinema organist.

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