St. Matthew's, Redhill (1869-1879)
In February 1869, Dr. Pringuer was appointed as organist of Emmanuel Church, Sidlow, Reigate, and choirmaster at the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Redhill. On the retirement of the organist at St. Matthew's, Redhill, Dr. Pringuer was unanimously elected to the post. In 1871, he formed the Redhill Harmonic Society, and went on to direct choir and orchestra in many performances where works included The Messiah, The Creation, Elijah, St. Paul, Mass in C minor K.258, The Woman of Samaria and Faust. The inaugural concert took place in March 1872. Judas Maccabaeus was performed by a band and chorus of 113 performers, Dr. Pringuer being congratulated "on having brought the members of the society to such a great pitch of excellence as that displayed by them on this occasion".
Dr. Pringuer married his first wife, Julia Griffin on the 4 September 1872 at St. Saviour's, Pimlico; she was the daughter of David Griffin, an engineer. Julia brought with her to the marriage, a daughter Beatrice Maud Griffin, born out of wedlock in 1871. On his marriage, the people of Redhill presented the couple with a black marble clock; and to Dr. Pringuer they gave two volumes of organ music and a carved ivory baton mounted in gold.
Dr. Pringuer gained the FCO on 30 January 1877. The examination which was conducted by Charles Joseph Frost and C. Warwick Jordan included four separate elements: organ playing, harmony, counterpoint and general knowledge of music. On 25 October in the same year he gained the degree of Bachelor of Music from New College, Oxford. The examiners were Sir Frederick Arthur Gore-Ouseley Bart. (Heather Professor of Music), Charles William Corfe (organist of Christ Church, and the Choragus) and Leighton George Hayne (organist of Queen's College, Oxford). The first examination was held in the Hilary term and the second in the Michaelmas term. Candidates for the BMus were required to sumit a composition in five-part harmony with at least five stringed instruments to which no more than four wind instruments could be added. Dr. Pringuer's setting was of Psalm 107 and was scored for flute, clarinet, violin, SATTB and double bass. It was performed by the Redhill Harmonic Society, and was "well-received".
One of Dr. Pringuer's first composition was titled Queen Bess's Solemne Daunce. Originally a piano solo, by special request, it was rescored for orchestra for the Covent Garden Promenade Concerts. Other piano pieces included Holiday Time and Evening on the Lake; and an orchestral march Invicta which has not survived.
Whilst in Redhill, in conjunction with Robert Hesketh, Dr. Pringuer founded the St. John's Amateur Musical Society who met occasionally to rehearse and perform orchestral works. Towards the end of his time in Redhill, Dr. Pringuer was also appointed to the post of music-master at Reigate Grammar School; however, the locals were well aware of the musical limitations of the local area, saying in 1879 Dr. Pringuer was "a musician of no mean capacity, whose early achievements foreshadow an honourable and prosperous professional career...Mr. Pringuer is far too young to have exhausted his opportunities".
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