Frederick Augustus Packer

Frederick Augustus Gow Packer (1839 – 1 August 1902), generally referred to as F. A. Packer but also Frederick Gow Packer, was an Australian composer of Anglican spiritual and romantic music. History Packer was born in Reading, Berkshire, of a musical family. His parents, Frederick Alexander Packer (died 2 July 1862), occasionally referred to as F. Alexander Packer, and Augusta Packer (née Gow) (c. 1819 – 23 February 1893), daughter of Nathaniel Gow, composer of “Caller Herrin”, and granddaughter of Niel Gow, were members of the Royal Academy of Music in London. The young Frederick Augustus was taught music and learned to sing and play organ from his parents. where he took up the position of organist at St David’s Cathedral in Davey Street. his place was taken by Mrs Elliott, followed in 1852 by the 17-year-old Miss Bonney, but amid controversy, she resigned and Frederick Alexander Packer, “recently arrived from England”, took her place. :He opened St David’s new organ, built by Bishop and Starr of London, on 26 July 1857. Despite initial enthusiasm, it had significant faults, eventually attributed to subsidence of the floor on which it was built and lack of periodic maintenance. :