John Varley Roberts, one of Victorian England’s most celebrated choral trainers and organist of Magdalen College, Oxford, is the subject of a new book by music scholar Professor David Baker.

It shines a light on the musician’s impact on British church music, tracing a career that took Roberts from Halifax Parish Church in Yorkshire to national recognition.

Professor Baker, director of the Halifax Organ Academy and an accredited tutor with the Royal College of Organists, said: “Roberts’ influence was considerable and enduring at a time when church music was undergoing a significant transformation in Britain.

“He influenced generations of choristers, musicians, and choir directors, sitting alongside John Stainer and Walter Parratt as one of the greats of his generation.

“After becoming organist and choirmaster at Halifax Parish Church in 1868, he transformed music there.”

Roberts went on to become organist at Magdalen, where he served from 1883 to 1918.

During his tenure, the choir was regarded as the best in the country, and his compositions—40 anthems, four full services, organ solos, songs, part songs, and the cantata Jonah—were widely performed.

His anthem Seek ye the Lord remains popular internationally.

Professor Baker first learned of Roberts while studying at Cambridge University in 1968.

He said: “At the time I was organist at St Paul’s, Stanningley, Leeds.

“An elderly lady was a regular attender; she introduced herself as the niece of a famous choirmaster.

“I thought little of the encounter until 1972, when, for my dissertation, I was researching the music of Halifax Parish Church, discovering that Dr John Varley Roberts had been organist and choirmaster there, and the music had been second to none.

“I made the connection and sought out Edith Annie Roberts, the lady in question. As I walked into her front parlour, I saw a huge photograph hanging over the fireplace: Roberts in his Oxford DMus robes.”

Professor Baker said: “I was struck by how little remembered he was.

“Roberts was one of those forgotten Victorians who, in their day, had a considerable impact and influence on Victorian church music.”

Roberts’ music, aside from his most famous anthem, had fallen out of use—even at Magdalen College.

To mark the centenary of Roberts’ death in 2020, Professor Baker edited all of Roberts’ organ works for publication and encouraged his choirs to perform them.

He said: “They all enjoyed doing so, and it became clear that Roberts’ rise from an upper working-class background in mid-nineteenth-century Leeds deserved further study.”

The biography, John Varley Roberts and Religious Musical Life in Nineteenth-Century Britain, will be published by Taylor and Francis on April 21.

Professor Baker will host recitals and lectures to launch the book in both Halifax and Oxford later in the year.

The nature-themed design now brightens the walkway to the Neonatal Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital, with colourful imagery and meaningful details.

Funded by the charity SSNAP (Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents), the artwork runs along the corridor connecting the Women’s Centre Maternity entrance to the Oxford Newborn Care Unit.

Emily Byrne, charity lead for SSNAP, said: “SSNAP is thrilled to be able to enhance the corridors leading to the Neonatal Unit and create a space that feels brighter, calmer and more welcoming.

“The transformation has made a real difference already, providing an uplifting environment for both families and staff.

“We are incredibly grateful that this work has been made possible through a generous legacy from a late donor.

“Their gift will help bring comfort and hope to parents walking this corridor for years to come.”

The vinyl mural features a calming meadow scene with acorns, blossom, and daffodils, with purple butterflies appearing throughout as a gentle tribute to babies from pregnancies with more than one baby who did not survive.

A parent said: “Walking through the doors of the Neonatal Unit can be very overwhelming, but the artwork helped me focus on something more positive.

“For me, it has a very special meaning as my son passed away and he was a twin.

“The purple butterfly immediately made me think of him – it makes me feel like he is with me as I visit his twin brother.

“It is a small detail, but it brings comfort during a difficult time. I really appreciate that something so thoughtful has been included in the space for families like ours.”

Another parent said: “It looks beautiful and makes the corridor so uplifting.

“It may seem like a small thing, but for parents like me who walk down the corridor every day and spend most of the day inside the unit, it is a lovely way to brighten your day and give you a small boost of positivity.”

A “graduation wall” has also been created, giving families a dedicated spot to take a photo before going home, marking their baby’s birth date, gestation, and weight.

Clare Morris, deputy matron for the Neonatal Unit at OUH, said: “The new corridor artwork has made a hugely positive difference to our Neonatal Unit, transforming what was once a plain corridor into one that feels bright, welcoming and calming.

“For families spending long and often emotional periods with us, it offers moments of comfort, while for staff it creates a more uplifting environment on their way to and from work.”

Blenheim Palace has partnered with Heritage Interpreters and City Lit College to deliver the scheme, aiming to improve accessibility across the heritage sector.

The programme, launching in September this year, will train deaf individuals to lead BSL tours at major national attractions.

Heather Carter, managing director of visitor attraction at Blenheim Palace, said: “Despite successful training courses for deaf BSL guides, taught by deaf tutors in the past, the demand for training has always exceeded the supply and training has waned in the last decade.

“At Blenheim Palace we are committed to making our attraction and its history as accessible as possible, and this special partnership to create a programme to train more BSL deaf tour guides is a natural and vital progression for us.

“We are excited that other heritage attractions will then be able to share this valuable resource.”

The announcement follows pilot deaf-led BSL tours held in 2025 and 2026, led by John Wilson, a deaf BSL guide.

Applications for the programme will open in April via the Heritage Interpreters website.

Participants will receive professional training to deliver engaging, authentic tours in BSL, with the goal of expanding the network of deaf-led guides at heritage sites across the UK.