Harry Crane Perrin (19 August 1865 – 6 November 1953)^[1] was a cathedral organist at Canterbury Cathedral, England,^[2] and an academic who served as the first dean of music at McGill University, Canada.

Perrin was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.^[1][3][4][5] He attended Wellingborough Grammar School,^[3][4][5][6] and studied music under Sir Robert Prescott Stewart at Trinity College, Dublin,^[1][3][4][6] graduating with a Bachelor of Music in 1890,^[4] as a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 1892,^[4] and as a Doctor of Music in 1901.^[4][5][6]

He composed the cantatas "Abode of Worship" and "Pan's Pipes" (both published by Breitkopf),^[1] Song of War (published by Weekes),^[1] morning and evening services, anthems, hymn tunes and songs (some of which were published by Novello & Co).^[1][4][6][7]

He was organist at St Columba's College, Dublin,^[1][6] at Lowestoft,^[1][6] and, following a competition on the organ at Westminster Abbey,^[3][5] at Coventry Cathedral.^[1][6] He was organist and choirmaster at Canterbury Cathedral for ten years.^[1][6][8] In 1908, he moved to Canada to take up an appointment as professor of music at McGill University in Montreal and director of the Conservatorium^{[1][6][8][9][10]} and was presented to King Edward VII prior to his departure.^[9] Perrin restructured the curriculum at the Conservatorium so that instead of simply learning an instrument or singing, students also studied the history and theory of music.^[11] In 1920, a Faculty of Music was established at the university,^[10] and Perrin was its first dean until his retirement in 1930.^[4][5] He also established an orchestra^[1][8] and a choir there,^[1] and developed a Canada-wide system of musical examinations.^[1][8]

He married Enid Hilda Pridmore in Coventry in 1896; they had one son and one daughter.Perrin died at his home in Exeter, Devon, in 1953.^[5]

Organist of:

• St. Columba's College, Rathfarnham 1886 - 1888^[3][4]
• St. John's Church, Lowestoft 1888 - 1892^[3][4]
• St. Michael's Church, Coventry 1893 - 1898^{[1][3][4][5][12]}
• Canterbury Cathedral 1898 - 1908^[1][4][5]