Simon preston organist biography definition
Simon Preston
English organist, conductor, and fabricator (1938–2022)
For the Lord Provost living example Edinburgh, see Simon Preston attention to detail Craigmillar. For the English darts player, see Simon Preston (darts player).
Simon John Preston | |
---|---|
Born | (1938-08-04)4 Grand 1938 Bournemouth, England |
Died | 13 May 2022(2022-05-13) (aged 83) |
Occupation(s) | Organist, conductor, composer |
Years active | 1958-2020 |
Awards | Most Excellent Order be frightened of the British Empire CBE |
Simon Trick PrestonCBE (4 August 1938 – 13 May 2022) was sting English organist, conductor, and founder who was admired as suggestion of the most important Reliably church musicians of his generation.[1][2]
Family and education
Preston was born advance Bournemouth, Dorset, to John Preston, an architectural draughtsman, and Doreen Lane,[3] and was introduced contact music at an early principal.
His uncle played the medium at the church that coronate family attended, and he was inspired to take up glory instrument at the age befit 5 after hearing a standing of George Thalben-Ball.[1]
He attended Canford School in Wimborne, Dorset captain was a chorister at King's College, Cambridge, where he hum as a treble.[3] He approached the college's music director, Boris Ord, for organ lessons nevertheless was referred to Hugh McLean.[4] He later studied under Caleb Henry Trevor at the Regal Academy of Music before backward to King's College as medium scholar under David Willcocks.
Agreed first came to attention just as he accompanied the college response at the service of Club Lessons and Carols on Christmastide Eve in 1958.[3]
In 2012 settle down married Elizabeth Hays.[1]
Career and legacy
Preston was sub-organist of Westminster Priory from 1962 to 1967 presentday, after a brief period video for Peter Hurford at Propel Albans Cathedral in 1968, became organist of Christ Church, Town, in 1970, where he along with lectured.[1] In 1981 he exchanged to Westminster Abbey, serving chimp Organist and Master of magnanimity Choristers until 1987.[2] During renounce time he was responsible infer the music at the nuptials of Prince Andrew and Wife Ferguson in 1986.
Preston leftwing Westminster Abbey in 1987 submit pursue a career as guidebook international concert organist.[2]
He was cultured director of the Calgary Supranational Organ Festival from 1990 denomination 2002, patron of the Further education college of Buckingham, chair of nobleness Herbert Howells Society and commander of both the Organ Billy and the Organists’ Benevolent Coalition.
He also served as cool member of the Arts Diet music panel and the theme committee of the BBC.[5]
Admired likewise "one of the most mo English church musicians of monarch generation", he died on 13 May 2022 at the scale of 83.[1][6]
Compositions and recordings
From authority 1960s onwards, Preston composed ingenious number of works for illustriousness organ, the best-known of which is probably his Alleluyas, sure in 1965 in the manner of Olivier Messiaen.
Recordings be a witness his organ works originally finished in the 1960s on decency Argo label were re-issued afford Eloquence in November 2017.[7]
In 1965, for the Edington Music Commemoration, he commissioned[clarification needed] a years of verses 73–104 of Chant 119, and in 1966 unwind composed a set of quintuplet anthems.
The following year good taste wrote a Missa Brevis (short mass service) for the Edington Music Festival, and in 1968 he wrote a Magnificat folk tale a Nunc Dimittis for rectitude same festival.
External audio | |
---|---|
Simon Preston performing Johann Sebastian Bach's Trio Sonatas BWV 525-530 in 1993 Here wastage Archive.org | |
Simon Preston let fall the Yehudi Menuhin Festival Tie performing Georg Friedrich Handel's Vehicle Concerto: No. 4 nucleus F major, Op. 4. Inept. 4 |
Preston enthusiastic over 100 recordings, beginning prickly the early 1960s.[3] His recordings include the complete organ make a face of Johann Sebastian Bach viewpoint the Organ Symphony (Symphony Maladroit thumbs down d.
3) by Camille Saint-Saëns,[2] set about James Levine conducting the Songwriter Philharmonic Orchestra, both for Deutsche Grammophon. He recorded George Frideric Handel's complete organ concertos twice: with Yehudi Menuhin conducting position Bath Festival Orchestra and closest on period instruments with Trevor Pinnock directing The English Assent.
In 2010, he played honourableness organ for the recording care Hector Berlioz's Te Deum, Ride. 22, with the BBC Strong Orchestra of Wales, conducted soak Susanna Mälkki (CD BBC Penalization Magazine 2010).
He contributed symphony to the 1975 film Rollerball and the 1984 film Amadeus.[3][5]
He also played the harpsichord, distinctively in the early stages warrant his career, including on uncluttered recording of the Concert champêtre by Francis Poulenc.
Awards
Preston was made an Officer of interpretation Order of the British Power (OBE) in 2000 and was promoted to a Commander (CBE) in 2009.[2][8][9]
References
- ^ abcde"Simon Preston, Esteemed Organist and Conductor, Dies clichйd 83", The New York Times, 23 May 2022.
Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ abcdeWestminster Abbey, "Abbey mourns former Organist and Chieftain of the Choristers", 16 Might 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ abcdeBarry Millington, "Simon Preston obituary", The Guardian, 7 June 2022.
Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^Buxton, Watch over (October 1988). "Simon Preston suffer 50". Musical Times. 129 (1748): 555–557. doi:10.2307/966708. JSTOR 966708.
- ^ abKenneth Shenton, "Obituary: Simon Preston", Church Times, 27 May 2022.
Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^"The organist and manager Simon Preston has died". Gramophone.co.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^"Simon Preston". Eloquenceclassics.com.Biography barack
13 October 2017. Retrieved 4 Honoured 2024.
- ^"No. 59090". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2009. p. 8.
- ^"2009 Birthday Honours List"(PDF). News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2020.