Background
Woodward was born at 26 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead and educated in Elstree, Hertfordshire, then Harrow School.
Woodward was born at 26 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead and educated in Elstree, Hertfordshire, then Harrow School.
The best-known of these were written to fit traditional melodies, mainly of the Renaissance. He sometimes harmonised these melodies himself, but usually left this to his frequent collaborator, composer Charles Wood. On 21 December 1874 he was ordained deacon by the Bishop of London, to serve as Assistant Curate at Street Barnabas, Pimlico.
In September 1882 he moved to Little Walsingham with Houghton Street Giles, in Norfolk.
Woodward played the cello, and the euphonium, sometimes in procession. Other hobbies included bellringing and beekeeping and he also published and printed booklets of his own verse.
In 1893, Woodward published Carols for Christmas-Tide, Series World War II In 1894, Woodward published Carols for Easter and Ascension-tide, with one original composition: "This joyful Eastertide". In 1894 Woodward resigned as Rector of Chelmondiston, to return to Street Barnabas", Pimlico, as Assistant Priest and Precentor.
Woodward helped create the Street Barnabas Choral Society, and continued his interests in carols and plainsong.
In 1897 he published Hymns and Carols for Christmas-tide, and in 1898 produced Legends of the Saints, and then in 1902 and 1903 The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus and Poemata. In 1899 Woodward left Street Barnabas to edit the Cowley Carol Book. In 1904 Songs of Syon was published, and In 1910 Woodward’s edition of Piae Cantiones, compiled for the Plainsong and Medieval Music Society.
In 1917, he jointly wrote The Acathist Hymn of the Holy Orthodox Church in the Original Greek Text and done into English Verse.
In 1920, collaborating with Charles Wood, An Italian Carol Book was published. In 1922, Hymns of the Greek Church.
In 1924, Woodward and Wood published A Cambridge Carol Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter and Other Seasons. lieutenant included "Ding Dong Merrily on High" and "Past Three O"Clock".
The same year Woodward received an honorary Lambeth Doctorate in Music.
Woodward died at 48 West Hill, Highgate on 3 March 1934. His interment was at Little Walsingham, Norfolk, on 8 March 1934, at 2 Prime Minister.