Alexander Schreiner was one of the most noted organists of the Salt Lake Tabernacle. He also wrote the music to several hymns, several of which are in the current edition of the LDS hymn book.
Born July 31, 1901 in Nuremberg, Germany. His parents were Johann Christian Schreiner and Margarethe Schwemmer. Schreiner performed in public first at age five, and after he was baptized at age eight was almost immediately appointed as a Sunday School organist. In 1912 he moved with his family to Salt Lake City. Among his early instructors on the organ was John J. McClellan.
He first performed on an organ professionally during the fall of 1917 at the American Theater of Salt Lake City. In 1920 he took a job as a theater organist at the Rialto Theatre in Butte, Montana. He first performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle at age 20.
In 1924 he was appointed an assistant organist of the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle. Six months later he took a leave of absence from this appointment to go to Paris to study with Henri Libert, Charles Marie Widor and Louis Vierne.
He married Margaret Lyman the daughter of Richard R. Lyman and Amy Brown Lyman in 1927 (she died two years before he did, and she is on Find A Grave). They went to high school together, but did not really start dating until they were both studying in Paris.
After his studies in France, he returned to his position as organist in Salt Lake City. He filled this position from July 1926 to January 1927. After this he went to southern California to earn enough money to pay off his debts and be in a position to marry Margaret Lyman. In southern California he served as organist at Grauman's Metropolitian Theatre. The following June he returned to Salt Lake City and he and Margaret married. He and his bride then returned to southern California. During this time period he also worked as an organist at the Barker Brother's Department Store.
In August 1928 he returned to Salt Lake City, where he resumed his position as Tabernacle Organist and also served as the chief organist at the Capitol Theatre.
In 1929 he returned to southern California in an attempt to overcome his influenza. He was appointed chief organist of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. He returned to Salt Lake and the tabernacle in the summer of 1930 but in September 1930 he began a term as the organist of the University of California at Los Angeles. Through 1939 he retained this position at UCLA and would return to the Tabernacle for summers. He also was a member of the Music Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this point. He was also director of music for the Jewish Wilshire Boulevard Temple during this time. By 1930 his reputation as an organist was great enough he was recruited on occasion to inaugurate new organs.
In the summer of 1937 he took up the position of organist at the LDS Chapel in Washington DC which had been vacant since the death the previous March of his one time fellow Salt Lake Tabernacle Organist, Edward P. Kimball.
In the summer of 1938 he met with President Heber J. Grant and they decided he should return to Salt Lake City on a permanent basis as soon as possible. He had already signed another one year contract with UCLA, but that would be his last year with that institution.
From that time until 1977 he was closely involved with the Tabernacle Choir both at home and abroad. In the late 1940s he was involved in a major rebuild of the Tabernacle Organ.
Beginning in 1943 he performed several concert tours. He eventually performed in at least 44 states in the United States.
Born July 31, 1901 in Nuremberg, Germany. His parents were Johann Christian Schreiner and Margarethe Schwemmer. Schreiner performed in public first at age five, and after he was baptized at age eight was almost immediately appointed as a Sunday School organist. In 1912 he moved with his family to Salt Lake City. Among his early instructors on the organ was John J. McClellan.
He first performed on an organ professionally during the fall of 1917 at the American Theater of Salt Lake City. In 1920 he took a job as a theater organist at the Rialto Theatre in Butte, Montana. He first performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle at age 20.
In 1924 he was appointed an assistant organist of the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle. Six months later he took a leave of absence from this appointment to go to Paris to study with Henri Libert, Charles Marie Widor and Louis Vierne.
He married Margaret Lyman the daughter of Richard R. Lyman and Amy Brown Lyman in 1927 (she died two years before he did, and she is on Find A Grave). They went to high school together, but did not really start dating until they were both studying in Paris.
After his studies in France, he returned to his position as organist in Salt Lake City. He filled this position from July 1926 to January 1927. After this he went to southern California to earn enough money to pay off his debts and be in a position to marry Margaret Lyman. In southern California he served as organist at Grauman's Metropolitian Theatre. The following June he returned to Salt Lake City and he and Margaret married. He and his bride then returned to southern California. During this time period he also worked as an organist at the Barker Brother's Department Store.
In August 1928 he returned to Salt Lake City, where he resumed his position as Tabernacle Organist and also served as the chief organist at the Capitol Theatre.
In 1929 he returned to southern California in an attempt to overcome his influenza. He was appointed chief organist of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. He returned to Salt Lake and the tabernacle in the summer of 1930 but in September 1930 he began a term as the organist of the University of California at Los Angeles. Through 1939 he retained this position at UCLA and would return to the Tabernacle for summers. He also was a member of the Music Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this point. He was also director of music for the Jewish Wilshire Boulevard Temple during this time. By 1930 his reputation as an organist was great enough he was recruited on occasion to inaugurate new organs.
In the summer of 1937 he took up the position of organist at the LDS Chapel in Washington DC which had been vacant since the death the previous March of his one time fellow Salt Lake Tabernacle Organist, Edward P. Kimball.
In the summer of 1938 he met with President Heber J. Grant and they decided he should return to Salt Lake City on a permanent basis as soon as possible. He had already signed another one year contract with UCLA, but that would be his last year with that institution.
From that time until 1977 he was closely involved with the Tabernacle Choir both at home and abroad. In the late 1940s he was involved in a major rebuild of the Tabernacle Organ.
Beginning in 1943 he performed several concert tours. He eventually performed in at least 44 states in the United States.
Alexander Schreiner was one of the most noted organists of the Salt Lake Tabernacle. He also wrote the music to several hymns, several of which are in the current edition of the LDS hymn book.
Born July 31, 1901 in Nuremberg, Germany. His parents were Johann Christian Schreiner and Margarethe Schwemmer. Schreiner performed in public first at age five, and after he was baptized at age eight was almost immediately appointed as a Sunday School organist. In 1912 he moved with his family to Salt Lake City. Among his early instructors on the organ was John J. McClellan.
He first performed on an organ professionally during the fall of 1917 at the American Theater of Salt Lake City. In 1920 he took a job as a theater organist at the Rialto Theatre in Butte, Montana. He first performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle at age 20.
In 1924 he was appointed an assistant organist of the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle. Six months later he took a leave of absence from this appointment to go to Paris to study with Henri Libert, Charles Marie Widor and Louis Vierne.
He married Margaret Lyman the daughter of Richard R. Lyman and Amy Brown Lyman in 1927 (she died two years before he did, and she is on Find A Grave). They went to high school together, but did not really start dating until they were both studying in Paris.
After his studies in France, he returned to his position as organist in Salt Lake City. He filled this position from July 1926 to January 1927. After this he went to southern California to earn enough money to pay off his debts and be in a position to marry Margaret Lyman. In southern California he served as organist at Grauman's Metropolitian Theatre. The following June he returned to Salt Lake City and he and Margaret married. He and his bride then returned to southern California. During this time period he also worked as an organist at the Barker Brother's Department Store.
In August 1928 he returned to Salt Lake City, where he resumed his position as Tabernacle Organist and also served as the chief organist at the Capitol Theatre.
In 1929 he returned to southern California in an attempt to overcome his influenza. He was appointed chief organist of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. He returned to Salt Lake and the tabernacle in the summer of 1930 but in September 1930 he began a term as the organist of the University of California at Los Angeles. Through 1939 he retained this position at UCLA and would return to the Tabernacle for summers. He also was a member of the Music Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this point. He was also director of music for the Jewish Wilshire Boulevard Temple during this time. By 1930 his reputation as an organist was great enough he was recruited on occasion to inaugurate new organs.
In the summer of 1937 he took up the position of organist at the LDS Chapel in Washington DC which had been vacant since the death the previous March of his one time fellow Salt Lake Tabernacle Organist, Edward P. Kimball.
In the summer of 1938 he met with President Heber J. Grant and they decided he should return to Salt Lake City on a permanent basis as soon as possible. He had already signed another one year contract with UCLA, but that would be his last year with that institution.
From that time until 1977 he was closely involved with the Tabernacle Choir both at home and abroad. In the late 1940s he was involved in a major rebuild of the Tabernacle Organ.
Beginning in 1943 he performed several concert tours. He eventually performed in at least 44 states in the United States.
Born July 31, 1901 in Nuremberg, Germany. His parents were Johann Christian Schreiner and Margarethe Schwemmer. Schreiner performed in public first at age five, and after he was baptized at age eight was almost immediately appointed as a Sunday School organist. In 1912 he moved with his family to Salt Lake City. Among his early instructors on the organ was John J. McClellan.
He first performed on an organ professionally during the fall of 1917 at the American Theater of Salt Lake City. In 1920 he took a job as a theater organist at the Rialto Theatre in Butte, Montana. He first performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle at age 20.
In 1924 he was appointed an assistant organist of the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle. Six months later he took a leave of absence from this appointment to go to Paris to study with Henri Libert, Charles Marie Widor and Louis Vierne.
He married Margaret Lyman the daughter of Richard R. Lyman and Amy Brown Lyman in 1927 (she died two years before he did, and she is on Find A Grave). They went to high school together, but did not really start dating until they were both studying in Paris.
After his studies in France, he returned to his position as organist in Salt Lake City. He filled this position from July 1926 to January 1927. After this he went to southern California to earn enough money to pay off his debts and be in a position to marry Margaret Lyman. In southern California he served as organist at Grauman's Metropolitian Theatre. The following June he returned to Salt Lake City and he and Margaret married. He and his bride then returned to southern California. During this time period he also worked as an organist at the Barker Brother's Department Store.
In August 1928 he returned to Salt Lake City, where he resumed his position as Tabernacle Organist and also served as the chief organist at the Capitol Theatre.
In 1929 he returned to southern California in an attempt to overcome his influenza. He was appointed chief organist of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. He returned to Salt Lake and the tabernacle in the summer of 1930 but in September 1930 he began a term as the organist of the University of California at Los Angeles. Through 1939 he retained this position at UCLA and would return to the Tabernacle for summers. He also was a member of the Music Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this point. He was also director of music for the Jewish Wilshire Boulevard Temple during this time. By 1930 his reputation as an organist was great enough he was recruited on occasion to inaugurate new organs.
In the summer of 1937 he took up the position of organist at the LDS Chapel in Washington DC which had been vacant since the death the previous March of his one time fellow Salt Lake Tabernacle Organist, Edward P. Kimball.
In the summer of 1938 he met with President Heber J. Grant and they decided he should return to Salt Lake City on a permanent basis as soon as possible. He had already signed another one year contract with UCLA, but that would be his last year with that institution.
From that time until 1977 he was closely involved with the Tabernacle Choir both at home and abroad. In the late 1940s he was involved in a major rebuild of the Tabernacle Organ.
Beginning in 1943 he performed several concert tours. He eventually performed in at least 44 states in the United States.
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