Name Simon Lindley | Education Royal College of Music | |
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Role Music master ยท simonlindley.org.uk Albums A Christmas Celebration Similar People Paul Daniel, Jeremy Summerly, Joseph Payne, Janos Sebestyen, Wolfgang Rubsam | ||
Dr Simon Lindley - receives an honorary doctorate with the University of Huddersfield
Simon Lindley (born 10 October 1948) is an English organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He has been City Organist since 1976 and is Organist Emeritus of Leeds Minster, having been organist of Leeds Minster from 1975 until his retirement in 2016.
Lindley was born in London. His father was an Anglican priest, and his mother was a writer, the daughter of Belgian poet and art historian Emile Cammaerts. After graduating from Magdalen College School, Oxford, and the Royal College of Music in London, Lindley began an organ career in 1969, playing at various London churches and recording organ music. He served as an organ tutor at the Royal School of Church Music and later a master of music at St Albans School. From 1975, he became Leeds City Organist and organist of Leeds Minster, and directed the Choir of Leeds Parish Church. From 1977, he was also Music Director of Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds. He was Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Polytechnic from 1976 to 1987 and held the post of Senior Assistant Music Officer for Leeds City Council from 1987 to 2011. During the 1970s and 80s he was Chorus Master to Halifax Choral Society and Leeds Philharmonic Society. In 1988 he also became Senior Assistant Music Officer for Leeds City Council's Learning and Leisure Department, and since 1991 he has served as Secretary of the Church Music Society.
Lindley was president of the Royal College of Organists from 2000 to 2003, and of the Incorporated Association of Organists from 2003 to 2005. In 2001 he received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University. He served on the editorial panel for New English Praise (2006), a supplement to the New English Hymnal, and he worked extensively on compilation of the supplement. He has been chairman of the Ecclesiastical Music Trust from 2004 and was Chairman of the Yorkshire College of Music and Drama from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Lindley was appointed Chairman of the Music Planning Group of Leeds Philharmonic Chorus and elected a Trustee of Leeds Philharmonic Society. He is Grand Organist to the United Grand Lodge of England.
He has recorded as organ soloist with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic and Northern Sinfonia, with Huddersfield Choral Society, and as accompanist to such musicians as violinist Marat Bisengaliev. He has also served as conductor of various choral societies.