Introduction

Biography

Son of a shoe­mak­er, Sim­per worked a while at a mu­sic shop in Wor­ces­ter, near that owned by the El­gar fa­mi­ly.

In the 1890s, he moved to Barn­sta­ple, where he spent the rest of his ca­reer as a choi­rmas­ter, or­gan­ist and com­pos­er.

He pro­duced a pro­di­gious amount of Ang­li­can church mu­sic and or­gan piec­es, aimed at small par­ish choirs and un­skilled or­gan­ists.

His an­thems in par­ti­cu­lar be­came wide­ly po­pu­lar and were sold un­der the slo­gan Sung through­out the ci­vi­lized world. Ov­er five mill­ion co­pies were sold by the 1920s.