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The cathedrals of England have a long history of liturgical music, often played on or accompanied by the organ. The role of cathedral organist is a salaried appointment, the organist often also serving as choir master. There is also an assistant organist, and often an organ scholar.
Contents
- Arundel Cathedral
- Directors of Music
- Birmingham St Philips Cathedral
- Blackburn Cathedral
- Bristol Cathedral
- Canterbury Cathedral
- Carlisle Cathedral
- Chester Cathedral
- Chichester Cathedral
- Organists and Masters of the Choristers
- Coventry Cathedral
- Organ Scholars
- Durham Cathedral
- Ely Cathedral
- Exeter Cathedral
- Assistant Directors of Music
- Assistant Organists
- Gloucester Cathedral
- Organists
- Guildford Cathedral
- Hereford Cathedral
- Leeds Cathedral
- Master of the Choristers
- Master of Music
- Cathedral Organists
- Lichfield Cathedral
- Lincoln Cathedral
- London St Pauls Cathedral
- Almoners and Masters of the Choristers
- Assistant Director of Music
- Assistant organists
- Director of the Girls Choir and Sub Organist
- Norwich Cathedral
- Oxford Christ Church Cathedral
- Sub Organists
- Organists and Choirmasters
- Organists and Directors of Music
- Peterborough Cathedral
- Plymouth Cathedral
- Ripon Cathedral
- Rochester Cathedral
- St Albans Cathedral
- Salisbury Cathedral
- Assistant Master of the Music
- Southwark Cathedral
- Southwell Minster
- Truro Cathedral
- Wells Cathedral
- Winchester Cathedral
- Worcester Cathedral
- Sub Assistant Organists and Voluntary Choir Choirmasters
- Organists of the Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir
- York Minster
- References
Arundel Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard has been the Catholic Cathedral of Arundel since 1965.
Directors of Music
Birmingham, St Philip's Cathedral
Organists at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham have included composers Charles John Blood Meacham, Richard Yates Mander and Rupert Jeffcoat.
Blackburn Cathedral
Notable organists at Blackburn Cathedral have included Charles Hylton Stewart, John Bertalot and Gordon Stewart.
Bristol Cathedral
Organists at Bristol Cathedral have included the writer and composer Percy Buck and the conductor Malcolm Archer.
Canterbury Cathedral
Organists and Assistant Organists at Canterbury Cathedral have included composers Clement Charlton Palmer, Gerald Hocken Knight and Philip Moore (organist) and musical directors Sidney Campbell, Allan Wicks and Stephen Darlington.
Carlisle Cathedral
Notable organists at Carlisle Cathedral have included the composer, astronomer and mathematician Thomas Greatorex and founder of the Royal School of Church Music, Sir Sydney Nicholson.
Chester Cathedral
Notable organists of Chester Cathedral include the composers Robert White and John Sanders and the recording artist Roger Fisher.
Chichester Cathedral
Notable organists at Chichester Cathedral have included composer Thomas Weelkes and conductors John Birch and Nicholas Cleobury.
Until 1801, there were two distinct posts, 'Organist' and 'Master of the Choristers', which were merged upon the appointment of James Target. Since the mid-nineteenth century, there has existed the role of Assistant Organist. Currently, the 'Organist and Master of the Choristers' is responsible for the direction of the choir and cathedral liturgy, and the 'Assistant Organist' accompanies the choir.
The sacking of Chichester Cathedral in December 1642 caused all cathedral services to be suspended. They were not resumed until the restoration of the monarchy in 1661. The choir was re-formed in the same year, but the appointment of a new organist did not occur until 1668.
Organists and Masters of the Choristers
Organist (1545–1801)
Master of the Choristers (1550s – 1801)
Organist and Master of the Choristers (1801 – present)
Coventry Cathedral
This list details only those who have held positions in the new Cathedral.
Organ Scholars
Durham Cathedral
Notable organists at Durham Cathedral have included the composers Thomas Ebdon and Richard Lloyd, organists Philip Armes, John Dykes Bower who went on to St Paul's Cathedral, London, Conrad William Eden and James Lancelot, and choral conductor David Hill.
Ely Cathedral
Organists of Ely Cathedral have included the composers Basil Harwood and Arthur Wills.
Exeter Cathedral
Notable organists at Exeter Cathedral include composer and hymn writer Samuel Sebastian Wesley, educator Sir Ernest Bullock and conductor Sir Thomas Armstrong.
Assistant Directors of Music
Assistant Organists
Organ Scholars
Gloucester Cathedral
Notable among the organists of Gloucester Cathedral are Samuel Sebastian Wesley (his final cathedral appointment) and composers and choral conductors of the Three Choirs Festival, Sir Arthur Herbert Brewer, Herbert Sumsion and John Sanders.
Organists
The known organists of the cathedral are listed below. In modern times, the most senior post has become known as Director of Music; only these names are recorded here.
Guildford Cathedral
Organists at Guildford Cathedral have included choral director Barry Rose and the composer Philip Moore.
Hereford Cathedral
Notable organists of Hereford Cathedral include the 16th-century composers John Bull and John Farrant, briefly, Samuel Sebastian Wesley (his first cathedral appointment), the conductor and advocate of British composers Meredith Davies and the editor of Allegri's Miserere, Ivor Atkins.
Leeds Cathedral
The Catholic Cathedral Church of St Anne
Notable musicians of Leeds Cathedral include the composer, artist and conductor Arthur E. Grimshaw, (son of the artist, John Atkinson Grimshaw).
Master of the Choristers
Master of Music
Directors of Music
Cathedral Organists
Lichfield Cathedral
Notable organists of Lichfield Cathedral include the 17th-century composer Michael East, and the musical educator and choral conductor Sir William Henry Harris who conducted at the coronations of both Elizabeth II and George VI
Directors of Music
Lincoln Cathedral
Notable organists of Lincoln Cathedral have included the Renaissance composers William Byrd and John Reading and the biographer of Mendelssohn, William Thomas Freemantle.
Organists
From 2003 the post was divided: Colin Walsh became Organist Laureate and Aric Prentice was appointed Director of Music.
Assistant Organists
Articled pupils fulfilled the role of assistant organist until 1893 when the Chapter formalised the position of assistant organist.
Assistant Directors of Music
London, St Paul's Cathedral
The many distinguished musicians who have been organists, choir masters and choristers at St Pauls Cathedral include the composers John Redford, Thomas Morley, John Blow, Jeremiah Clarke and John Stainer, while well known performers have included Alfred Deller, John Shirley-Quirk, Anthony Way and the conductors Charles Groves and Paul Hillier and the poet Walter de la Mare.
Almoners and Masters of the Choristers
The title of Almoner then passed to one of the Minor Canons, while the post of Master of the Choristers was held by a succession of Vicars Choral, including –
until –
The training of the choristers was then entrusted to the Organist & his deputies until –
Assistant Director of Music
Organists
Assistant organists
Director of the Girls Choir and Sub-Organist
Assistant Director of Music
Norwich Cathedral
Notable organists of Norwich Cathedral have included Zechariah Buck and Brian Runnett, and composers Thomas Morley, Heathcote Dicken Statham, Alfred R. Gaul and Arthur Henry Mann.
Oxford, Christ Church Cathedral
First among the notable organists of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford is the Renaissance composer John Taverner. Other significant composers and conductors are Basil Harwood, Sir William Henry Harris, Sir Thomas Armstrong, Sydney Watson, Francis Grier, Simon Preston and Nicholas Cleobury.
Sub-Organists
Assistant Organist (1753–1990)
Sub-Organist (1990–present)
Organists and Choirmasters
Organists and Directors of Music
Organ Scholars
Peterborough Cathedral
Notable organisrts of Peterborough Cathedral have included Stanley Vann, Sir Malcolm Sargent and Sir Thomas Armstrong.
Plymouth Cathedral
The Catholic Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Boniface built in 1858
Ripon Cathedral
Notable organists of Ripon Cathedral have included composers Charles Harry Moody and Ronald Edward Perrin.
Rochester Cathedral
Among the composers, conductors and concert performers who have been organists at Rochester Cathedral are Bertram Luard-Selby, Harold Aubie Bennett, Percy Whitlock and William Whitehead.
St Albans Cathedral
The posts of organist and master of the music at St Albans Cathedral have been held by a number of well-known musicians, including Peter Hurford, Stephen Darlington and Barry Rose. Andrew Lucas is the current Master of the Music. Since 1963 the cathedral has been home to the St Albans International Organ Festival, winners of which include Dame Gillian Weir, Thomas Trotter and Naji Hakim.
Salisbury Cathedral
Among the notable organists of Salisbury Cathedral have been a number of composers and well-known performers including Bertram Luard-Selby, Charles Frederick South, Sir Walter Galpin Alcock, Sir David Valentine Willcocks, Douglas Guest, Christopher Hugh Dearnley, Richard Godfrey Seal and the BBC presenter Simon Lole.
Assistant Directors of Music
Assistant Master of the Music
Sub Organists
Organ Scholars
Southwark Cathedral
Among the organists of Southwark Cathedral are Edgar Tom Cook, known for his lunchtime organ broadcasts on the BBC, and the organ designer and noted teacher Ralph Downes.
Southwell Minster
At Southwell Minster, the term Rector Chori is used rather than Director of Music, or Master of the Choristers. It literally means Ruler of the Choir, and is an historic title.
Truro Cathedral
The Diocese of Truro was established in 1876 and Truro Cathedral was consecrated in 1887. The parish church of St Mary the Virgin occupied the site before the cathedral was built, and had an organ: its organists included Charles William Hempel and his son Charles Frederick Hempel.
Organists
Assistant Organists
Wells Cathedral
The first record of an organ at Wells Cathedral dates from 1310, with a smaller organ, probably for the Lady Chapel, being installed in 1415. In 1620 a new organ, built by Thomas Dallam, was installed at a cost of £398 1s 5d, however this was destroyed by parliamentary soldiers in 1643 and another new organ was built in 1662, which was enlarged in 1786, and again in 1855. In 1909–1910 a new organ was built by Harrison & Harrison with the best parts of old organ retained, and this has been maintained by the same company since.
Winchester Cathedral
The earliest known organist of Winchester Cathedral is John Dyer in 1402. Later organists include Christopher Gibbons whose patronage aided the revival of church music after the Interregnum, John Reading, Daniel Roseingrave, James Kent, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, the composer of sacred music, who was also responsible for the acquisition of the Cathedral organ, Martin Neary, who arranged the music for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, and choral director David Hill.
Organists
Organists were formerly titled "Organist and Master of the Choristers", then, briefly, "Organist and Master of the Music" and now "Organist and Director of Music"
Assistant Organists
Sometimes the appointment has been as "Sub-organist" or, in recent years, "Assistant Director of Music"
Worcester Cathedral
Organists of Worcester Cathedral have included Sir Ivor Atkins, Douglas Guest, Christopher Robinson, the composers Thomas Tomkins, William Hayes, Hugh Blair, and conductors Sir David Willcocks, Donald Hunt and Adrian Lucas.
Sub-Assistant Organists (and Voluntary Choir Choirmasters)
Organists of the Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir
York Minster
Among the notable organists of York Minster are four members of the Camidge family who served as cathedral organists for over 100 years, and a number of composers including James Nares, Edwin George Monk, John Naylor, T. Tertius Noble and Francis Jackson.
Organists
The organists of York Minster have had several official titles, including "Master of the Music"; the job description roughly equates to that of Organist and Master of the Choristers. They will have an Assistant Organist, who may be titled simply "Organist".