Robert Steele Ambrose was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 organist

Organist

An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...

 and composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 of English birth.

Life

Ambrose was born on March 7, 1824 to Charles Ambrose

Charles Ambrose

Charles Ambrose was an English organist, composer, choir director, and music educator who was active in his native country during his early career and later in Canada. His compositional output was small, consisting of a few sacred works and pieces for solo organ and piano...

 and Sophia Stoneham in Chelmsford

Chelmsford

Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Robert's father was the organist at Chelmsford Cathedral

Chelmsford Cathedral

Chelmsford Cathedral in the county town of Chelmsford, Essex, England is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd. It became a cathedral when the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914 and is the seat of the Bishop of Chelmsford....

, where Robert most likely received his early musical training. The family emigrated to Upper Canada

Upper Canada

The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...

 in 1837, where Charles purchased a farm. However, lacking the experience to do work on the land, Charles moved to Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

 in 1845, leaving Robert to work the land himself. Robert made it clear that he did not like farming as it damaged his hands, interfering with his musical abilities.

In 1847, the young Ambrose left the farm to join his brother in Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

, teaching music. It is thought that around 1857-1858 Ambrose served as the organist of St. George's Church. In 1862, Ambrose led the choral service at the consecration of John Travers Lewis

John Travers Lewis

His Grace Dr. John Travers Lewis was a Church of England clergyman, archbishop, and author. He was the Archbishop of Ontario, third Metropolitan of Canada, and the first Bishop of Ontario ....

. In 1863, Ambrose moved to Hamilton to take up a position as organist and choir director for the Church of the Ascension. The very next year, he was appointed the musical director of what is now Hamilton Ladies College, leaving that position in 1889. In 1891, Ambrose served as the president of the Canadian Society of Musicians.

Ambrose was also an accomplished composer. In 1876, Ambrose's composition One Sweetly Solemn Thought was published. It was adopted for Moody and Sankey

Moody and Sankey

Moody and Sankey was the evangelical duo of Ira David Sankey and Dwight Lyman Moody. Starting after their meeting in June 1871, the team wrote Christian songs and traveled throughout the United States and the United Kingdom calling people to God through their use of song, with Moody preaching and...

's evangelical tours to great success. One account states that upon hearing a hummed version of the hymn, a gambler immediately set down his cards and became a reformed Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

. The song was one of the most popular songs written by a Canadian of the 19th century.

By the time of his death on March 31, 1908, Ambrose had composed 80 songs, 14 part-songs and 25 instrumental pieces. His son Paul Ambrose

Paul Ambrose

Paul Ambrose was a Canadian organist, conductor, composer, and music educator who was primarily active in the United States. His compositional output includes more than 200 songs, choral pieces, and works for solo piano and organ. He is particularly remembered for his anthems which have been...

was a notable organist, teacher, and composer.