George Frederick Tendall was born on 4 December 1845 to Sarah Collis Tendall (nee Chaplin) and Henry Tendall, schoolmaster, in Essex, England. At thirteen, he was appointed organist at the Church of Sts Peter and Paul, in Yattendon, Berkshire. He married Eliza Thatcher in 1869, with the first of six children being born in 1870. In 1874, he graduated Mus.Bac. (Oxon,) and succeeded (Sir) George Martin as private organist to the Duke of Buccleuch at Dalkeith. Forced by ill-health to emigrate, Tendall arrived in Christchurch in February 1881, and took up an appointment as organist at the Church of St Michael and All Angels. Four years later, he succeeded Henry Wells as organist at the Christ Church Cathedral, holding that post until shortly before his death in 1901. In that time, he brought the all-male-voice choir to a remarkable standard of excellence, and inspired his choristers with his accompaniments of the services. His organ recitals brought a new dimension to the city's music life, both in the. quality of performance and repertoire. Tendall was also active in the fields of music teaching and music education. Asa private music teacher, he taught organ, piano, singing and theoretical subjects. Arising from this, he was active in founding the Canterbury Society of (Professional) Musicians (Incorporated) in 1891 (President, 1894-1901). This Society, in turn, was instrumental in establishing the teaching of music at Canterbury (University) College, and Tendall was appointed Lecturer (meaning a part-time position) in 1891. There he evolved a multi-level course appropriate for students at different stages of development, even allowing for those whose enthusiasm exceeded their ability. The initial level course gave tuition in basic aspects of music theory, but by the time Tendall died in October 1901, the foundations laid ten years earlier had been well consolidated. Tendall's teaching produced the first Mus.B. graduates of the University of New Zealand in 1900.