The Collegiate School, Kingston

Daily Gleaner, September 23, 1957

MR. HERBERT EAST DADD, 87,
organist of St George's Church for
the past 67 years and residing at
16½ Cambridge Street, Franklin
Town, died in the Kingston Public
Hospital at 9.30 a.m., yesterday.
Mr. Dadd was admitted to the
institution 12 days ago with a
broken left hip after he was pushed
down in a water table by a gang
of boys who were molesting him
while he was on his way home on
the night of Tuesday. September 10.

Born in Kingston, August 22
1870, he was the son of [    ]
George Augusta [Gustavus] Dadd (Almoner
of Kingston) and Angelina Gor-
don his wife. He was educated at
the Kingston Collegiate School,
and began his musical career at
the age of seven. He studied un-
der such tutors as his mother -
a pianoforte teacher, the late
Rev. Fr. Jaeckel and Mrs (Pro-
fessor) Brown.
In 1885 young Dadd com-
menced organ lessons at the
Scots Kirk, Duke Street and
started his first big musical
assignment - that of organ-
Ist of a city church at the
age of 16, when, from 1886 to
1888, he played at the then
St. Michael's Church, Tower
Street under the late Rev. Mr.
Ambrose, rector.
From St. Michael's, Mr Dadd
went to the East Queen Street
Baptist Church where he served
as organist from the beginning of
1889 to November of 1890.
He was organist at St. George's
Church since Deccmoer, 1890 and
in the 67 years that he played
there is reputed to have been ab-
sent only about four times
(through illness) and late on five
occasions.
His other activities were that of
piano and organ tuner and he
served as manager of Steinke and
Wihan, music dealers in Kingston
from 1900 to 1919. To commem-
orate the exhibition of 1891, Mr
Dadd composed a waltz which was
sent to Germany for publication.
In that same year he played as
pianist for the English Opera
Company at the Jamaica Exhibi-
tion. He also played for the choir
Festival at the St James Cathe-
dral, Spanish Town in 1914. In
1925 he did a setting for the,
Kyrie and Doxology in the Com-
munion service, which he dedi-
cated to the late Archdeacon
Ramson when he was made a
Canon of the Cathedral.
  The late Mr. Dadd gave
many recitals in Kingston and
elsewhere and at the Centen-
erary Celebrations of St.
George's Church In August
1930 he was presented with
an address and purse in ap-
preciation of his then 40 years
of unbroken service.
Deceased was married in 1893
to Imogene Louise DaCosta
daughter of the late Mr. and
Mrs. Aglnald DaCosta) who pre-
deceased him three years ago.
Surviving him are three daughters
- Mrs. V. Cordoza, Mrs.
Harry Rose, Mrs. G. E. Sangui-
netti - and two sons: Harry and
Horace of Toronto, Canada.
Funeral services will take
place at St. George's Church on
Wednesday afternoon at 4.30
o'clock where the body will lie
in state from 2.30 p.m. Burial
will be at the May Pen cemetery.