A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Pole, William

POLE, William, Mus. Doc., F.R.S, an instance of the successful union of science, literature, and music. He was born at Birmingham in 1814, and was bred to the profession of Civil Engineering, in which he has become eminent. He has written many works and papers on scientific subjects, and is a contributor to the leading Reviews, and an F.R.S. of London and Edinburgh.

His taste for music developed itself early; he studied hard at both theoretical and practical music, and was organist in a London West End church for many years. He graduated at Oxford as Mus. Bac. in 1860, and as Mus. Doc. in 1867. He was appointed Reporter to the Jury on Musical Instruments at the International Exhibition of 1862, and is one of the Examiners for Musical Degrees in the University of London, author of a Treatise on the Musical Instruments in the Exhibition of 1851, 'The Story of Mozart's Requiem,' 1879, 'The Philosophy of Music,' 1879, and various minor critical essays, three of which, written in 1858, on certain works of Mozart and Beethoven have been mentioned in the article Analysis. His only musical compositions printed are a well-known motet for 8 voices on the 'Hundredth Psalm,' and some four-handed PF. accompaniments to classical songs.

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