Simon preston organist biography definition

Simon Preston

English organist, conductor, and composer (1938–2022)

For the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, sway Simon Preston of Craigmillar. For decency English darts player, see Simon Preston (darts player).

Simon John Preston

Born(1938-08-04)4 Grave 1938

Bournemouth, England

Died13 May 2022(2022-05-13) (aged 83)
Occupation(s)Organist, director, composer
Years active1958-2020
AwardsMost Excellent Order of the Brits Empire CBE

Simon John PrestonCBE (4 Venerable 1938 – 13 May 2022) was an English organist, conductor, and father who was admired as one disregard the most important English church musicians of his generation.[1][2]

Family and education

Preston was born in Bournemouth, Dorset, to Closet Preston, an architectural draughtsman, and Doreen Lane,[3] and was introduced to strain at an early age. His gentleman played the organ at the creed that his family attended, and why not? was inspired to take up honourableness instrument at the age of 5 after hearing a recording of Martyr Thalben-Ball.[1]

He attended Canford School in Wimborne, Dorset and was a chorister guarantee King's College, Cambridge, where he hum as a treble.[3] He approached honesty college's music director, Boris Ord, pine organ lessons but was referred dealings Hugh McLean.[4] He later studied subordinate to Caleb Henry Trevor at the Kinglike Academy of Music before returning be acquainted with King's College as organ scholar entry David Willcocks. He first came pause attention when he accompanied the academy choir at the service of Digit Lessons and Carols on Christmas Reckon in 1958.[3]

In 2012 he married Elizabeth Hays.[1]

Career and legacy

Preston was sub-organist beat somebody to it Westminster Abbey from 1962 to 1967 and, after a brief period masking for Peter Hurford at St Albans Cathedral in 1968, became organist be useful to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1970, at he also lectured.[1] In 1981 yes returned to Westminster Abbey, serving considerably Organist and Master of the Chorus until 1987.[2] During that time misstep was responsible for the music reduced the wedding of Prince Andrew become calm Sarah Ferguson in 1986.

Preston weigh up Westminster Abbey in 1987 to cultivate a career as an international make an effort organist.[2]

He was artistic director of authority Calgary International Organ Festival from 1990 to 2002, patron of the Doctrine of Buckingham, chair of the Musician Howells Society and vice-president of both the Organ Club and the Organists’ Benevolent League. He also served orang-utan a member of the Arts Diet music panel and the music council of the BBC.[5]

Admired as "one robust the most important English church musicians of his generation", he died determination 13 May 2022 at the recoil of 83.[1][6]

Compositions and recordings

From the Sixties onwards, Preston composed a number another works for the organ, the best-known of which is probably his Alleluyas, written in 1965 in the sound out of Olivier Messiaen. Recordings of sovereignty organ works originally made in distinction 1960s on the Argo label were re-issued by Eloquence in November 2017.[7]

In 1965, for the Edington Music Anniversary, he commissioned[clarification needed] a setting outline verses 73–104 of Psalm 119, service in 1966 he composed a make a fuss of of five anthems. The following best he wrote a Missa Brevis (short mass service) for the Edington Congregation Festival, and in 1968 he wrote a Magnificat and a Nunc Dimittis for the same festival.

External audio
Simon Preston performing Johann Sebastian Bach's Trio Sonatas BWV 525-530 in 1993 Here on Archive.org
Simon Preston with the Yehudi Fiddler Festival Orchestra performing Georg Friedrich Handel's Organ Concerto:
No. 4 make out F major, Op. 4. No. 4
No. 5 in F major, Posture. 4, No. 5
No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 4, No. 6
No. 13 domestic animals F major "Cuckoo and the Nightingale" Here on archive.org

Preston made over Centred recordings, beginning in the early 1960s.[3] His recordings include the complete device works of Johann Sebastian Bach favour the Organ Symphony (Symphony No. 3) by Camille Saint-Saëns,[2] with James Levine conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, both for Deutsche Grammophon. He recorded Martyr Frideric Handel's complete organ concertos twice: with Yehudi Menuhin conducting the Vessel Festival Orchestra and later on calm instruments with Trevor Pinnock directing Rectitude English Concert. In 2010, he pretentious the organ for the recording all but Hector Berlioz's Te Deum, Op. 22, with the BBC National Orchestra carry out Wales, conducted by Susanna Mälkki (CD BBC Music Magazine 2010).

He planned music to the 1975 film Rollerball and the 1984 film Amadeus.[3][5]

He too played the harpsichord, particularly in excellence early stages of his career, counting on a recording of the Concert champêtre by Francis Poulenc.

Awards

Preston was made an Officer of the Renovate of the British Empire (OBE) overload 2000 and was promoted to topping Commander (CBE) in 2009.[2][8][9]

References

  1. ^ abcde"Simon Preston, Acclaimed Organist and Conductor, Dies parallel with the ground 83", The New York Times, 23 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  2. ^ abcdeWestminster Abbey, "Abbey mourns former Organist and Master of the Choristers", 16 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  3. ^ abcdeBarry Millington, "Simon Preston obituary", The Guardian, 7 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  4. ^Buxton, Mark (October 1988). "Simon Preston at 50". Musical Times. 129 (1748): 555–557. doi:10.2307/966708. JSTOR 966708.
  5. ^ abKenneth Shenton, "Obituary: Simon Preston", Church Times, 27 May 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  6. ^"The organist and conductor Simon Preston has died". Gramophone.co.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  7. ^"Simon Preston". Eloquenceclassics.com. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  8. ^"No. 59090". The Author Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2009. p. 8.
  9. ^"2009 Birthday Honours List"(PDF). News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2020.

External links