Mr. Yarndley was born December 5, 1840, in Manchester, England. His
parents were both musicians of a high order. His father was an
organist of the first rank and a viola player of exceptional ability.
He was first viola in the celebrated band of Sir Charles Halle and was
complimented at one time by Mendelssohn, the great composer. The Earl
of Ellsmere was his patron, who bought his pipe organ when he left for
America. Mr. Yarndley's mother was a concert singer, possessing a pure
soprano voice of rare sweetness and power. She sang repeatedly under
Mendelssohn's directing with such artists as Madame Anna and Sir Henry
Bishop, Sir George Smart, Simms Reeves, Parepa Rosa, Jenny Lind and
other great singers of her day, going to Dublin at one time with the
"Swedish Nightingale" as assistant at her concert.
The little Richard from the tender age of five years accompanied his
mother regularly at these concerts as her small chevalier. He was
thus from infancy reared in an atmosphere of the best music. His
training was principally under his father, although he received
instruction from the best teachers of the city. At the age of
seventeen years he was sent to this country to hold an organ position
at Detroit, Mich., for his father who was to come with the family the
following year. He was playing at that time in the largest church in
Manchester. He created quite a sensation the first Sunday, dressed as
all English boys were, in a roundabout jacket, broad turned-down
collar, and Scotch cap with long ribbons behind. During his ten years'
residence in the "City of the Streets" he acquired a reputation as
piano teacher, organist and conductor of the Handel and Haydn society.
In 1870 he removed to San Francisco and was at once invited to take
charge of the Harmonic society of Oakland and the organ of the
Congregational church of that city, which position he filled until his
departure for Portland, Ore., some three years later. Afterwards,
returning to California, he held positions in Grace Church and St.
Luke's Church, San Francisco, and in the Presbyterian church of
Oakland. He was an all-round musician of no mean order and might have
accomplished much, had he not been handicapped by ill health. Probably
his most marked success was in Albany, N.Y., where he was intimately
associated with Miss Emma La Jeunesse, afterwards Albani, who was his
lifelong friend. He was given many brilliant testimonials from the
musical association and citizens of Albany. Music was with him a holy
passion as well as vocation. He was a man of high moral principals,
singularly guileless and of a deep religious fervor. He died at
Livermore, Cal., September 7, 1895, aged fifty-four years, and was
laid to rest in the Masonic cemetery there.