W. K. Stanton

Walter Kendall Stanton (29 September 1891, Dauntsey, Wiltshire – 30 June 1978, Sedgehill, Wiltshire) was an English organist, educationalist, and composer of sacred music.

W.K. Stanton was educated at Choristers' School, Salisbury Cathedral before undertaking an organ scholarship at Lancing College, Sussex. He then went to Merton College, Oxford (1909–1913) where he was an organ scholar and was awarded M.A., B.Mus. He proceeded to Mus.D. in 1935. Stanton taught at St John's School, Leatherhead, Surrey (1914–1915), St Edward's School, Oxford (1915–1924), and Wellington College, Berkshire (1924–1937). During World War 1 years he raised money for wounded soldiers by giving organ recitals. Stanton became Director of Music at Reading University (1927–1937) and then Director of Music for the Midland Region of the BBC (1937–1945). He was the first Professor of Music at Bristol University (1947–1958). was Editor-In-Chief of the BBC Hymn Book, and provided the commentary for Sixty Years of Cathedral Music 1898–1958.

Stanton's father was a schoolmaster and he had a younger brother, Cyril, who was a Special Telegraphist during World War 1 and a self-taught pianist. He married Edith Monica Leslie Wood, known as Monica (13 October 1896 – 8 May 1956), a violinist, in 1931. There were no children.