He was an organist and teacher born Robert Eugene Arnold in Mobile, Alabama who studied at the University of Alabama before taking further studies in piano and organ at Columbia University and New York University.
Becoming a choirmaster and associate organist at New York City’s Trinity Church in 1950 he also served as a consultant for new organ placement and remain in his position at the church for 18 years until 1968.
In 1968 he became the choir director and organist at Trinity At. Paul’s Church in New Rochelle, New York and remained there for the rest of his career until 2004.
Working with other orchestras, ensembles and conductors in concert and on recordings he was the guest organist with Leonard Bernstein, Noah Greenberg, the NBC Opera Orchestra, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, New York Pro Musica, the Robert Shaw Chorale and Arturo Toscanini. He was also an organist for the Musica Aeterna concerts.
Some of the recordings he appeared on include Faure: Requiem by Musica Aerterna, Christmas Treasures, A Festival of Carols, Great Choruses from Messiah, Handel: Messiah, Many Moods of Christmas and Most Fabulous Classical Christmas Album Ever by The Robert Shaw Chorale and the compilation Georg Friedrich Handel – Great Men of Music.
In the field of musical education he was a member of the American Federation of Musicians, the Guild of Community School of the Arts and Music Teachers National Association. He became a director at the Brookhaven School of Music in Long Island in 1976 and remained there for 5 years until 1981. He was later an organ and piano teacher with several other Brookhaven musical and community arts organisations.
He passed away in New York in January 2022 when he was 94 years old.
Robert Shaw Chorale and Orchestra recordings
Angels We Have Heard on High (Traditional French/James Chadwick/Edward Barnes )
RCA 6429 (CD: A Festival of Carols)
Conductor – Robert Shaw
Away in a Manger (William J Kirkpatrick/James Ramsey Murray)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (Traditional/Emile Blemont/Marc-Antoine Charpentier/Louis-Denis Seguin)(English Translation: Edward Cuthbert Nunn)(Alternate Version: Nicolas Saboly)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
Deck the Halls (Traditional Welsh)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
The First Nowell (Traditional/Anonymous)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
Go Tell It On the Mountain (African-American spiritual/John Wesley Work Jr.)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional/Anonymous)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Charles Wesley/George Whitefield/Martin Madan/Felix Mendelssohn/William Hayman Cummings)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
I Saw Three Ships (Traditional/Anonymous)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear (Edmund Sears/Richard Storrs Willis/Uzziah Christopher Burnap/Sir Arthur S. Sullivan)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker
Joy to the World (Isaac Watts/George Frideric Handel/Lowell Mason)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (Traditional Anonymous German)
(Revisions and translations – Michael Praetorius/Melchior Vulpius/Friedrich Layriz/Harried Reynolds Kraugh/Theodore Baker/John C. Mattes)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
March of the Kings (Traditional/Joseph-Francois Domergue)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
O Come All Ye Faithful(John FrancisWade/Frederick Oakeley)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker
O Little Town of Bethlehem (Phillips Brooks/Lewis Redner)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
We Three Kings (Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jr.)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
Here is “Angels We Have Heard On High” by the Robert Shaw Chorale…
Sources:
- https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/robert-arnold-obituary?id=33130972
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/robert-arnold-mn0002346148
- http://www.alibris.com/classicalsearch?artist=Robert+Arnold&mtype=C
- http://www.trinitybeth.org/Worship/2004_05concertseries.html
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/2043002-Robert-Arnold-5