Fantasia on "Adeste Fideles"

Geoffrey Turton Shaw (14 November 1879 – 14 April 1943) was an English composer and musician specializing in Anglican church music. After Cambridge, where he was an organ scholar, he became a schoolmaster, then a schools inspector, while producing a stream of compositions, arrangements, and published collections of music. He was awarded the Lambeth degree of Doctor of Music.

Born at Clapham, South London, in 1879, Shaw was the son of James Fallas Shaw, a composer of church music and organist of Hampstead, and the younger brother of the composer Martin Shaw (1875–1958). Geoffrey Shaw became a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral under Sir George Martin and was then educated at Derby School and Caius College, Cambridge. At Caius, he was an organ scholar, studied with Sir Charles Stanford and Charles Wood, and graduated BA in 1901 and MusB in 1902.

From 1902 to 1910, Shaw was a music master and Director of Music at Gresham's School, Holt, a role in which he was succeeded by his fellow Old Derbeian, Walter Greatorex. Benson's History of Gresham's School notes that —

Shaw was too fine a musician to be held for long, despite his love of Norfolk, and he went on to become an outstanding School Inspector.

Shaw was an inspector of music in London schools from 1911 to 1940, simultaneously holding several posts as an organist, and in 1920 was his brother Martin's successor as organist of St Mary's, Primrose Hill, remaining there until 1930.

As a composer, Shaw's work included choral works, anthems, hymn tunes and arrangements, a ballet, chamber pieces, orchestral works, and other songs, including part-songs and unison songs.

In 1932, Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, awarded Shaw the honorary Lambeth degree of Doctor of Music.

There is now a Martin and Geoffrey Shaw Organ Scholarship at St Mary's, Primrose Hill.

The score is attached below, as well as a photo of Geoffrey (and Martin) Shaw, and of St. Mary's, Primrose Hill.

Musical notes are in the First Comment.