Collisson, William Alexander Houston

Collisson, William Alexander Houston (1865–1920), clergyman and musician, was born 20 May 1865 in Dublin, son of William Houston Collison and Elizabeth O'Callaghan. Before graduating from TCD (Mus.D. 1890, BA 1897) he held positions as chorister and organist at several Church of Ireland parishes in Dublin. He organised popular concerts in London, Dublin, and Belfast. However, his main claim to fame is his association with Percy French (qv), with whom he collaborated on a light opera, ‘The knight of the road’ (now largely forgotten), and toured Ireland and England giving recitals of their work, the best known being ‘The Mountains of Mourne’, ‘arranged by Dr Collison’. A high-churchman, he was ordained in 1898, and served in several parishes in England, continuing from time to time his tours with French. He was unmarried, and died 1 February 1920 at Hawarden, Wales, where he had been giving a charity recital, having conducted a week previously the funeral service of his friend French. An obituary described him as being notable for the care of his parishioners, especially the poor.