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Spence's parents were both involved in the arts and came to Canada from England. His mother, Elizabeth, was a musician, and his father, John Charles, an artist who began a stained-glass company in Montreal. William worked in the family business for many years. He began his musical studies while attending the Choir School of St. John the Evangelist, and also studied piano with W.O. Pelletier during the same period. In 1880, Spence became the organist at St. John's the Evangelist and was listed as a cellist in the Montreal Symphony in 1894.
From 1896-1902, Spence lived and worked as a musician in Boston. While in that city he studied cello and held a position as an organist. By 1902, Spence was again listed as a cellist in Montreal and organist for the Church of the Advent in Westmount.
Between 1912 and 1914 very little is known of Spence's activities. It is believed that he went to Austria and was employed as a musician and/or composer in the court of Emperor Franz Josef. However, he left at the advent of World War I and returned to Canada, settling in Perth, Ontario where he spent the remainder of his life.
In May 1914, Spence accepted the position of organist and choirmaster at St. James Anglican Church in Perth at a remuneration of $500 per annum, raised to $600 in 1920. Spence was the first Canadian organist employed at this church, the fashion at the time was to hire those born and/or trained in Britain. In 1914, he married Lilian Skey Bengough (b. Bristol, England,1865). They had known each other for many years as she had written the lyrics for many of his compositions. Lilian Spence taught violin and performed. Both Mr. and Mrs. Spence were musically active in the community from the start as they played a concert within a month of arriving.
William Spence was a prolific composer writing for both voice and instruments. So far, 192 of his compositions are accounted for, others may have been lost in a fire in 1934. Spence composed at least seven works for violin including Chanson d'amour (1907). His Moonlight on the Rideau (1936), written for the Perth band, was performed in 1982 on the 150th anniversary of the Rideau Canal.
Compositions available through Clifford Ford Publications:
Sources: