Background
Barnby was born on the 12th of August, 1838 in York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, as a son of Thomas Barnby, who was an organist.
Barnby was born on the 12th of August, 1838 in York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, as a son of Thomas Barnby, who was an organist.
Joseph was a chorister at York Minster from the age of seven, was educated at the Royal Academy of Music under Cipriani Potter and Charles Lucas, and was appointed in 1862 organist of St Andrew's, Wells Street, London, where he raised the services to a high degree of excellence.
Joseph Barnby was conductor of "Barnby"s Choir" from 1864, and in 1871 was appointed, in succession to Charles Gounod, conductor of the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society, a post he held till his death. In 1875 he was precentor and director of music at Eton College, and in 1892 became principal of the Guildhall School of Music, receiving the honour of knighthood in July of that year. He was largely instrumental in stimulating the love for Gounod’s sacred music among the less educated part of the London public, although he displayed little practical sympathy with opera.
On the other hand, Joseph Barnby organized a remarkable concert performance of Parsifal at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1884. He conducted the Cardiff Festivals of 1892 and 1895.