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Peter Lyons (musician)

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Nationality
  
British

Died
  
28 November 2006

Peter Lyons (musician)

Education
  
Alleyn's School, Rossall School

Spouse(s)
  
Bridget Webb-Jones, daughter of James William Webb-Jones (m.1957)

Alma mater
  
St John's College, Cambridge (MA)

Peter Stanley Lyons (6 December 1927 - 28 November 2006) was an English chorister and choral conductor.

Contents

Early life

Lyons was educated at Alleyn's School, Rossall School, and St John’s College, Cambridge, where he read Modern Languages and was a distinguished member of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge under Robin Orr. He also played the piano and the violin.

After Cambridge, he joined the Royal Corps of Signals and boxed for the British Army.

At Alleyn’s School he formed what would become a lifetime friendship and collaborative partnership with John Lanchbery, who would become Principal Conductor of the Royal Ballet from 1959 to 1972, and became friends with Kenneth Spring, co-founder of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain

He was able to sing counter-tenor until his twenties and was described as a ‘forerunner of Callas' whilst at Rossall. He was broadcast on the BBC on 8 February 1944.

Musical career

Lyons was:

  1. Chorister of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge 1948-1950.
  2. Director of Music, Royal Naval College, Greenwich, 1950–54
  3. Director of Music, Vanbrugh Castle School, 1950-54
  4. Director of Music and Deputy Headmaster, Wells Cathedral School, and Master of the Choristers, Wells Cathedral, 1954-1960
  5. Headmaster, Witham Hall School, 1961-1989.

Witham Hall

Lyons was appointed Headmaster of Witham Hall School in 1961, two years after the foundation of the school. Witham Hall flourished under Lyons's 29 year leadership, the number of pupils increasing from 20 at the time at which he started to 150 by the time he retired, by which time the school had become a feeder school for Eton College. There is a school house at Witham Hall, Lyons, named after him and his wife.

Coincidentally, composer Sir Henry Walford Davies, wrote God Be in My Head, one of his most famous pieces, and several of his other works, at Witham Hall, when it was the private residence of Colonel Maitland.

Marriage

At Wells Cathedral on 31 July 1957, Lyons married Bridget Webb-Jones (b. 5 September 1937), daughter of James William Webb-Jones, Headmaster of St George's School, Windsor Castle, and Barbara Moody, daughter of Colonel Richard Stanley Hawks Moody CB.. The couple had 1 son. Bridget Lyons's godmother was Lady Walford Davies, wife of composer Sir Henry Walford Davies KCVO OBE, who was Master of the King's Music from 1934 until 1941, and later wife of Julian Harold Legge Lambart, Vice-Provost of Eton College.

Later life

During his retirement, Peter became a leading member of the Young Musicians Support Group, part of the Dartington Hall Trust.

He was a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the Jesters Cricket Club.

References

Peter Lyons (musician) Wikipedia