Introduction

Biography

Henry was the son of con­duct­or and or­gan­ist Sir John Tho­mas Smart (1776–1867), and ne­phew of con­duct­or George Smart. He stu­died mu­sic with his fa­ther and W. H. Kearns.

He de­clined a com­mis­sion in the In­di­an ar­my, and had planned to work in law, but gave it up for a mu­sic­al ca­reer.

He played the or­gan at Black­burn Par­ish Church, Lan­ca­shire (1831–36); St. Giles, Crip­ple­gate (1836–38); St. Phil­ip’s, Re­gent Street (1838–39); St. Luke’s, Old Street (1844–64); and St. Pan­cras Church (1865–79).

He went blind in 1864, but con­tin­ued to com­pose. He was the mu­sic ed­it­or for Psalms and Hymns for Di­vine Wor­ship (1867), the Pres­by­ter­ian Hym­nal (1875) and the hymn book of the Unit­ed Pres­by­ter­ian Church of Scot­land.

He was a re­cog­nized au­tho­ri­ty on or­gans. He drew up spe­ci­fi­ca­tions for ma­ny of the in­stru­ments, in­clud­ing those in the Ci­ty Hall and St. An­drew’s Hall in Glas­gow, Scot­land, and the Town Hall in Leeds.