author
Edward W. (Edward Woodall) Naylor
1867–1934
An English organist, composer, and music scholar, he moved comfortably between church music, the stage, and musical criticism. He is especially remembered for sacred choral works and for writing thoughtfully about Shakespeare’s use of music.
1 Audiobook
Shakespeare and music : with illustrations from the music of the 16th and 17th centuries
by Edward W. (Edward Woodall) Naylor
About the author
Born in Scarborough on February 9, 1867, Edward Woodall Naylor came from a musical family: his father, John Naylor, was organist of York Minster. He studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he held a choral scholarship and took his BA, and later trained at the Royal College of Music.
Naylor built his career as both a performer and a teacher. He served as an organist in London before returning to Cambridge, where he was closely associated with Emmanuel College. Alongside his work in church and academic music, he composed sacred and dramatic works and earned a reputation as a serious musician with wide interests.
He is also known as a writer on music, particularly for Shakespeare and Music, a study that helped explore how music works within Shakespeare’s plays. Naylor died in Cambridge on May 7, 1934.