Introduction

Biography

Son of a school­mas­ter, Gaw­ler was an or­gan­ist, teach­er, and com­pos­er.

In 1784 Gawl­er was ap­point­ed or­gan­ist (with a sa­la­ry of £63l) to the Asy­lum for Fe­male Or­phans, Lam­beth.

He was pa­rish clerk at Lam­beth for ma­ny years, re­tir­ing in 1802.

Works

His Op. 2, a col­lect­ion of piec­es for harp­si­chord or pi­ano­for­te, was pub­lished by Pres­ton in the Strand in 1780. Har­mo­nia Sac­ra, con­tain­ing psalm tunes, an­thems, hymns, and a vol­un­ta­ry, ap­peared in 1781.

For the Or­phan Asy­lum cha­pel, he com­posed mu­sic (Op. 16) to ‘Twelve Di­vine Songs’ by Is­aac Watts, and col­lect­ed the psalm tunes in use there in 1785. He also wrote two sets of vol­un­ta­ries for the or­gan and some pa­tri­ot­ic songs. His oth­er works in­clude:

• Psalms and Hymns Used at the Asy­lum for Fe­male Or­phans, 1785