Choir of Leeds Parish Church
Encyclopedia
The Choir
of Leeds Parish Church
was founded by Vicar Richard Fawcett probably as early as 1815, and was certainly in existence by 1818 (from which year there is accounting evidence for choristers' laundry). The Choir of Leeds Parish Church
- Boys and Men - was, from its origins, a charge on the Church Rate
; and, in what was then a largely Non-conformist town, a none-too-popular one. By the 1830s, the Choir's resourcing had been taken over by a list of voluntary subscribers. On arrival as Vicar of Leeds
in 1837, Walter Farquhar Hook
said he found "the surplices in rags and the books in tatters". Additional to its extensive commitment in the provision of choral services, the Choir is known to a wide public through many recitals, recordings and broadcasts and by its regular Choir Tours - the first Tour was held in July 1968 and the 40th Anniversary Tour, from 22 to 27 July 2008, included singing in Ely Cathedral
, King's College Cambridge, the National Musicians' Church St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
in the City of London
, All Saints Pastoral Centre
London Colney and the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea
.
on 14 August 1810 included a Morning Worship broadcast on BBC Radio Four on Sunday 15 August at 8.10 am. The Rector of Leeds, Canon Tony Bundock, officiated and the Preacher was the Lecturer, The Reverend Professor Simon Robinson. The Boy Choristers, Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks together with members of St Peter's Singers and David Houlder at the organ provided the music. Later that same day, Dr Lindley gave a special commemorative recital at Leeds Parish Church of the organ music of S S Wesley at 7.45 pm as the third concert in his annual and very popular Romantic Organ Masterworks Series. The SSW Commemoration had got well and truly under way at the beginning of July with a Festal Evensong on Sunday 4 July at 6.30 followed by a Gala Choral Recital of famous and greatly loved Anthems and organ music by Dr Wesley promoted and presented by Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds
with organist
David Houlder and conductor
Dr Simon Lindley
.
and to provide a Church suitable for what he termed a "good" service; the choral provision formed a significant part of this endeavour and, from the opening of the "new" Church in 1841, choral worship has been maintained on weekdays as well as on Sundays. Organists since 1842 include the great Samuel Sebastian Wesley
(1842–1849), Dr (later Sir) Edward Bairstow
(1906–1913) and - nearer our own day - two musicians trained at Gloucester Cathedral by Dr Herbert Sumsion
- Dr (Alfred) Melville Cook
(1937–1956) and Dr Donald Hunt OBE (1957–1975). The present Organist and Master of the Music, Dr Simon Lindley
, has served in that capacity since 1975; Dr Lindley came to Leeds after service at St Albans Cathedral
(as the first full-time assistant to the celebrated Dr Peter Hurford
- Simon was also Director of Music at St Albans School
. Among Dr Lindley's earliest posts were two in famous City of London
Churches; he retains to this day very strong connections with the City as a Churchwarden
at the National Musicians' Church, St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
and he is also Chairman of the Friends of the Musicians' Chapel there. Music written for the Choir of Leeds Parish Church over the years includes a number of Anthems by Samuel Sebastian Wesley
- Cast me not away from Thy presence among them - as well as his visionary Service
in E of 1848. Other well-known repertoire from Edward Bairstow
was also composed specifically for the Leeds Choir, including Let all mortal flesh keep silence (1906), If the Lord had not helped me (1910), Sing ye to the Lord (1911) and the large-scale Communion Service in D of 1913.
, nor any large-scale endowments. A large-scale appeal for £500,000 was established in 2002; by 2008, £406,000 had been raised, of which £22,000 has been sponsorship to cover specific expenditure (mainly events), and a further £28,000 has already been paid out in grants to the Choral Foundation. The total administrative costs of the Appeal from 2002–8 have been less than £2,000, so this leaves £352,000 already invested towards our target of a £500,000 endowment for the Choir. The Church Urban Fund
generously supported the work of Ashley Francis-Roy as the Church's first Choral Outreach Animateur during the academic year 2010/2011 and Ric Hollingbery follows in this capacity for the academic year 2011/2012 with funding provided by the Hesco Bastion
Foundation
.
(a trail-blazing support organisation founded in 1951) has saved the Choir from oblivion. On its formation during the year of the Festival of Britain
, the Friends of the Music was the first such support group established at an English Parish Church; there have since been many successors in "Quires and Places where they sing"! The indefatigable support of many recent parishioners and of successive Head Teachers of the Parochial School, St Peter's Church of England Primary School, now situated in Burmantofts
but previously housed within the Parish Church Precincts, has also been vital to the Choir's survival.
itself and further afield, with a considerable percentage drawn from St Peter's, the Parish Church's own school (now Primary, St Peter's was a Middle School
during the period of Leeds City Council
's operating a three-tiered, rather than a two-tiered school system). Current Boy Choristers are drawn from St Peter's [Leeds Parish Church] Church of England Primary School, Burmantofts
, Abbey Grange Church of England Academy], Brudenell Primary School, Whingate Primary School, Roundhay School Technology College and Cardinal Heenan Roman Catholic High School. A number of Boys have risen to great eminence in musical, educational, ecclesiastical and artistic fields and LPCC alumni including [[Paul Trepte]] (Director of Music at [[Ely Cathedral]] since 1990), Stephen Parham-Connolly, for long the second bass of the world-famous close harmony group, the [[King's Singers]], Paul Dutton (the most celebrated boy treble of his day), Director of Music at [[Gateways School]], The Very Reverend J Paul Kennington, now Dean of [[Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal)]], [[Canada]] and Peter Simpson (formerly of Israeli Opera) as well as leading figures in business and academia. No less than four former Boy Choristers of the Parish Church are now fully committed members of its adult choir: Alto Ian Weatherill, Tenor Toby Ward and Basses David Hawkin and Samuel Parker.
, Primrose High School Burmantofts
, Gateways School
Harewood
and Pudsey
Grangefield. The Girl Choristers, founded in 1997 by Jonathan Lilley - now at Ely Cathedral
, are directed by David Houlder, who has since 2003 held the combined office of Sub-Organist and Director of the Girls'Choir. The Girls attend most Saturday mornings during term time and sing a short choral service of Morning Worship at 11.45 am. A number of former Girl Choristers have achieved success in University Choral Scholarships, including Esther Chadwick and Sophie Wellings - both at Clare College Cambridge
.
and college
students who sing in the "daily" Choir as well as at weekend) and "Sunday" Gentlemen, being voluntary singers from all walks of life. Academic establishments attended by current and recent choral and organ scholars include the University of Leeds
, Leeds Metropolitan University
, the University of Huddersfield
, Leeds College of Music
, Bradford Grammar School
, North Halifax
Grammar School, Allerton High School Leeds
and Fulneck School
. The "Sunday" Gentlemen are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds - Building Society Training Officer, Funeral Director, School Bursar, Pharmacist from different areas including: Mirfield
, Roundhay
, Adel
, Alwoodley
, Bramhope
, City Centre, Cross Gates. Headingley
and Meanwood
.
and its 2006 supplement "New English Praise" 2006; the Worcester
Psalter
edited by Sir Ivor Atkins
provides the pointing of the Psalms. Other collections used regularly include Anthems for Unison and Two-Part Singing, Volumes and 2 RSCM, Anthems for Men's Voices [OUP], the Favourite Anthem Book Volume 5, edited Richard Lloyd
and published by Kevin Mayhew, Sing Low Novello
edited by Dr Barry Rose
, Advent for Choirs [OUP] edited by Malcolm Archer
& Stephen Cleobury
, Lent, Passiontide and Easter for Choirs [OUP] edited by Lionel Dakers and John Scott
, Hilariter [RSCM Ripon and Leeds] - a resource book for Eastertide edited by Dr Simon Lindley
, The University Carol Book - edited by Dr Erik Routley
and, finally, two further OUP Compilations: Hymns for Choirs edited by Sir David Willcocks, and 100 Carols for Choirs
edited by Sir David Willcocks
and John Rutter
.
and at Westminster Cathedral
before moving to St Albans Cathedral
as the first full-time Assistant Master of the Music there. He was appointed to Leeds Parish Church
early in 1975 and is the longest-serving Organist in the Church's history. Dr Lindley is also City Organist and Music Director of Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds
- positions he has occupied since 1976 and 1977 respectively. He is a leading figure in civic, regional and national life and enjoys a national and international profile as an organist and conductor. He is currently serving as Conductor of Sheffield Bach Choir
and of Doncaster
Choral Society. A former Chorus Master to both Halifax
Choral Society and Leeds Philharmonic Society
- he served with these Choirs between 1976 and 1988 - Dr Lindley is a Life Vice-President of both. Simon is also serving a second annual term in office both as Grand Organist to the United Grand Lodge of England
and to the Masonic Province of Yorkshire West Riding. In his capacity as a Director of the English Hymnal
Company Limited he is Chairman of the Ecclesiastical Music Trust founded by Ralph Vaughan Williams
and he also holds office as President of the Campaign for the Traditional Cathedral Choir. Dr Lindley's colleagues as Sub Organist at the Parish Church have included Dr Anthony Langford, Dr Tom Corfield of Derby Cathedral
, Timothy Hone (later Sub Organist of Coventry Cathedral
, Master of the Music at Newcastle Cathedral
and now Head of Music and Liturgy at Salisbury Cathedral
), Michael Harris [Master of the Music of St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh
, Matthew Beetschen [Organist and Choirmaster of Dunblane Cathedral
, Edward Marsh, Carleton Etherington [now at Tewkesbury Abbey
], James Eaton [from Rochester Cathedral
and later at the Metropolitan Cathedral Cardiff
and Romsey Abbey
], and David Houlder [formerly Director of Music of the Blue Coat School
Liverpool and Sub-Organist of Liverpool Cathedral
.
in the 1990s. The Yorkshire Three Choirs' Festival, comprising the Choirs of Ripon Cathedral
and Wakefield Cathedral
and Leeds Parish Church
, is generously supported on an annual basis by Leeds City Council
under the auspices of Leeds International Concert Season and by the Ecclesiastical Music Trust. The Yorkshire Cathedrals' Girls' Choirs' Festival involves participation by The Girls' Choirs of Leeds Parish Church
, York Minster
and the Anglican Diocesan Cathedrals of Bradford
, Ripon
, Sheffield
and Wakefield
.
in special services and concerts at the Church and, occasionally, elsewhere. The Boy Choristers, Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks of the Parish Church Choir have enjoyed and continue to enjoy, close associations with the Choir of Leeds Cathedral
(St Anne's Roman Catholic Cathedral) and the Parish Church's own Diocesan Cathedral at Ripon
. The Ripon/Leeds collaborations date back thirty years to the Ripon organistship of the legendary Ronald Perrin; the cooperation with Leeds Cathedral
is of more recent date and has proved equally fruitful, fulfilling and enjoyable.
and Leeds Churchwarden Herbert Bacon Smith, for many years Choir Treasurer of the Parish Church, were close personal friends. The Church's present Organist
and Master of the Music, Dr Simon Lindley
, has worked for the RSCM in many capacities for over forty years, serving as Organ Tutor at the College of St Nicolas from 1972 to 1974. Dr Lindley is one of the longest-serving RSCM Special Commissioners and has directed RSCM courses on four continents. In 2009, he visited South Africa
for the National Summer School at St George's Cathedral and St Cyprian's School, Cape Town
in the New Year and in Summer went to the United States of America as Course Director of the Carolina
Course of Girl Choristers. In Spring 2010, Dr Lindley directed the RSCM Swiss Archdeaconry Choirs Festival in Lausanne
. In Summer 2009, 2010 and 2011, Dr Lindley directed the special Ripon and Leeds Area Diocesan Choirs' Festival on the occasion of the Presentation of the Dean's and Bishops' Choristers' Awards within the Diocese; the services in 2009 & 2011 were held at Leeds Parish Church
and that in 2010 at Ripon Cathedral
. The service in 2012 will again be held at Leeds Parish Church
and those of 2013 and 2014 at Ripon Cathedral
.
, Dr Tysoe, Dr Cook and Dr Lindley; two of Leeds's musical incumbents, Sir Edward Bairstow
and Dr Simon Lindley
have had the privilege of holding office as the College's President. The first ever regional event took place at Leeds Parish Church in the late 1970s and in Spring 2001, Leeds Parish Church hosted the RCO Presentation of Diplomas in the Nave of the Church.
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
of Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
was founded by Vicar Richard Fawcett probably as early as 1815, and was certainly in existence by 1818 (from which year there is accounting evidence for choristers' laundry). The Choir of Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
- Boys and Men - was, from its origins, a charge on the Church Rate
Church Rate
The Church Rate was a tax formerly levied in each parish in England and Ireland for the benefit of the parish church. Out of these rates were defrayed the expenses of carrying on divine service, repairing the fabric of the church, and paying the salaries of the officials connected with it...
; and, in what was then a largely Non-conformist town, a none-too-popular one. By the 1830s, the Choir's resourcing had been taken over by a list of voluntary subscribers. On arrival as Vicar of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
in 1837, Walter Farquhar Hook
Walter Farquhar Hook
Walter Farquhar Hook , was an eminent Victorian churchman.-Background:He was the Vicar of Leeds responsible for the construction of the current Leeds Parish Church and for many ecclesiastical and social improvements to the city in the mid-nineteenth century...
said he found "the surplices in rags and the books in tatters". Additional to its extensive commitment in the provision of choral services, the Choir is known to a wide public through many recitals, recordings and broadcasts and by its regular Choir Tours - the first Tour was held in July 1968 and the 40th Anniversary Tour, from 22 to 27 July 2008, included singing in Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
, King's College Cambridge, the National Musicians' Church St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre , is an Anglican church in the City of London. It is located on Holborn Viaduct, almost opposite the Old Bailey...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, All Saints Pastoral Centre
All Saints Pastoral centre
All Saints Pastoral Centre is a conference and retreat centre on the southern outskirts of St Albans, Hertfordshire, England.The All Saints building was designed by Leonard Stokes in 1899 and built in 1901, originally as a convent for the All Saints sisters...
London Colney and the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea
Royal Hospital Chelsea
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for British soldiers who are unfit for further duty due to injury or old age, located in the Chelsea region of central London, now the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a true hospital in the original sense of the word,...
.
200th Anniversary Celebrations for Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Special events held in celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Samuel Sebastian WesleySamuel Sebastian Wesley
Samuel Sebastian Wesley was an English organist and composer.-Biography:Born in London, he was the eldest child in the composer Samuel Wesley's second family, which he formed with Sarah Suter having separated from his wife Charlotte. Samuel Sebastian was the grandson of Charles Wesley...
on 14 August 1810 included a Morning Worship broadcast on BBC Radio Four on Sunday 15 August at 8.10 am. The Rector of Leeds, Canon Tony Bundock, officiated and the Preacher was the Lecturer, The Reverend Professor Simon Robinson. The Boy Choristers, Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks together with members of St Peter's Singers and David Houlder at the organ provided the music. Later that same day, Dr Lindley gave a special commemorative recital at Leeds Parish Church of the organ music of S S Wesley at 7.45 pm as the third concert in his annual and very popular Romantic Organ Masterworks Series. The SSW Commemoration had got well and truly under way at the beginning of July with a Festal Evensong on Sunday 4 July at 6.30 followed by a Gala Choral Recital of famous and greatly loved Anthems and organ music by Dr Wesley promoted and presented by Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds
Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds
Saint Peter's Singers is a chamber choir associated with Leeds Parish Church, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Background:Saint Peter's Singers is a choir of approximately forty mixed voices...
with organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
David Houlder and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Dr Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley is a British organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He has been organist at Leeds Town Hall since 1976 and Master of the Music and organist of Leeds Parish Church since 1975. Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Polytechnic from 1976 to 1987, Lindley held the post of Senior...
.
Daily Choral Services
Hook set at once to work to revitalise the huge ParishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
and to provide a Church suitable for what he termed a "good" service; the choral provision formed a significant part of this endeavour and, from the opening of the "new" Church in 1841, choral worship has been maintained on weekdays as well as on Sundays. Organists since 1842 include the great Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Samuel Sebastian Wesley was an English organist and composer.-Biography:Born in London, he was the eldest child in the composer Samuel Wesley's second family, which he formed with Sarah Suter having separated from his wife Charlotte. Samuel Sebastian was the grandson of Charles Wesley...
(1842–1849), Dr (later Sir) Edward Bairstow
Edward Bairstow
Sir Edward Cuthbert Bairstow was born in Huddersfield on 22 August 1874 and died in York on 1 May 1946. He was an English organist and composer in the Anglican church music tradition....
(1906–1913) and - nearer our own day - two musicians trained at Gloucester Cathedral by Dr Herbert Sumsion
Herbert Sumsion
Herbert Whitton Sumsion was an English musician who was organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967...
- Dr (Alfred) Melville Cook
Melville Cook
Melville Cook was a British organist, conductor, composer and teacher.- Biography :Alfred Melville Cook was born in Gloucester. He was a chorister at Gloucester Cathedral and articled pupil there under Herbert Sumsion . He also studied with Herbert Brewer and Edward Bairstow...
(1937–1956) and Dr Donald Hunt OBE (1957–1975). The present Organist and Master of the Music, Dr Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley is a British organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He has been organist at Leeds Town Hall since 1976 and Master of the Music and organist of Leeds Parish Church since 1975. Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Polytechnic from 1976 to 1987, Lindley held the post of Senior...
, has served in that capacity since 1975; Dr Lindley came to Leeds after service at St Albans Cathedral
St Albans Cathedral
St Albans Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral church at St Albans, England. At , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England...
(as the first full-time assistant to the celebrated Dr Peter Hurford
Peter Hurford
Peter Hurford OBE is a British organist, born St Cecilia's day 1930 in Minehead, Somerset.Educated at Blundell's School, he later studied both music and law at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating with dual degrees, subsequently obtaining an enviable reputation for both musical scholarship and...
- Simon was also Director of Music at St Albans School
St Albans School (Hertfordshire)
St Albans School is an independent school in the city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, in the East of England. Entry before Sixth Form is for boys only, and co-educational thereafter. Founded in 948 by Wulsin , St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest...
. Among Dr Lindley's earliest posts were two in famous City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
Churches; he retains to this day very strong connections with the City as a Churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
at the National Musicians' Church, St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre , is an Anglican church in the City of London. It is located on Holborn Viaduct, almost opposite the Old Bailey...
and he is also Chairman of the Friends of the Musicians' Chapel there. Music written for the Choir of Leeds Parish Church over the years includes a number of Anthems by Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Samuel Sebastian Wesley was an English organist and composer.-Biography:Born in London, he was the eldest child in the composer Samuel Wesley's second family, which he formed with Sarah Suter having separated from his wife Charlotte. Samuel Sebastian was the grandson of Charles Wesley...
- Cast me not away from Thy presence among them - as well as his visionary Service
Service (music)
In Anglican church music, a service is a musical setting of certain parts of the liturgy, generally for choir with or without organ accompaniment.-Morning Prayer:*Venite *Te Deum or Benedicite...
in E of 1848. Other well-known repertoire from Edward Bairstow
Edward Bairstow
Sir Edward Cuthbert Bairstow was born in Huddersfield on 22 August 1874 and died in York on 1 May 1946. He was an English organist and composer in the Anglican church music tradition....
was also composed specifically for the Leeds Choir, including Let all mortal flesh keep silence (1906), If the Lord had not helped me (1910), Sing ye to the Lord (1911) and the large-scale Communion Service in D of 1913.
Choral Foundation
There has never been a Choir School at LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, nor any large-scale endowments. A large-scale appeal for £500,000 was established in 2002; by 2008, £406,000 had been raised, of which £22,000 has been sponsorship to cover specific expenditure (mainly events), and a further £28,000 has already been paid out in grants to the Choral Foundation. The total administrative costs of the Appeal from 2002–8 have been less than £2,000, so this leaves £352,000 already invested towards our target of a £500,000 endowment for the Choir. The Church Urban Fund
Church Urban Fund
The Church Urban Fund is a charitable organisation set up by the Church of England in 1987 designed to assist in deprived and impoverished areas of the country...
generously supported the work of Ashley Francis-Roy as the Church's first Choral Outreach Animateur during the academic year 2010/2011 and Ric Hollingbery follows in this capacity for the academic year 2011/2012 with funding provided by the Hesco Bastion
Hesco bastion
The HESCO bastion is both a modern gabion used for flood control and military fortification and the name of the British company that developed it in the late 1980s. It is made of a collapsible wire mesh container and heavy duty fabric liner, and used as a temporary to semi-permanent dike or barrier...
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation commonly refers to:* Foundation , the lowest and supporting layer of a structure* Foundation , a type of organizationFoundation may also refer to:-Literature:...
.
Friends of the Music
The Friends of the Music of Leeds Parish ChurchLeeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
(a trail-blazing support organisation founded in 1951) has saved the Choir from oblivion. On its formation during the year of the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
, the Friends of the Music was the first such support group established at an English Parish Church; there have since been many successors in "Quires and Places where they sing"! The indefatigable support of many recent parishioners and of successive Head Teachers of the Parochial School, St Peter's Church of England Primary School, now situated in Burmantofts
Burmantofts
Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, but suffers the social problems typical of similar areas...
but previously housed within the Parish Church Precincts, has also been vital to the Choir's survival.
Boy Choristers
The Boys attend a great variety of Schools in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
itself and further afield, with a considerable percentage drawn from St Peter's, the Parish Church's own school (now Primary, St Peter's was a Middle School
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
during the period of Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
's operating a three-tiered, rather than a two-tiered school system). Current Boy Choristers are drawn from St Peter's [Leeds Parish Church] Church of England Primary School, Burmantofts
Burmantofts
Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, but suffers the social problems typical of similar areas...
, Abbey Grange Church of England Academy], Brudenell Primary School, Whingate Primary School, Roundhay School Technology College and Cardinal Heenan Roman Catholic High School. A number of Boys have risen to great eminence in musical, educational, ecclesiastical and artistic fields and LPCC alumni including [[Paul Trepte]] (Director of Music at [[Ely Cathedral]] since 1990), Stephen Parham-Connolly, for long the second bass of the world-famous close harmony group, the [[King's Singers]], Paul Dutton (the most celebrated boy treble of his day), Director of Music at [[Gateways School]], The Very Reverend J Paul Kennington, now Dean of [[Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal)]], [[Canada]] and Peter Simpson (formerly of Israeli Opera) as well as leading figures in business and academia. No less than four former Boy Choristers of the Parish Church are now fully committed members of its adult choir: Alto Ian Weatherill, Tenor Toby Ward and Basses David Hawkin and Samuel Parker.
Girl Choristers
The Girls, like the Boys, come from many different schools in and around Leeds including, currently St Peter's [Leeds Parish Church] Church of England Primary School [[Burmantofts]]. [[Abbey Grange Church of England High School]] Humanities College, [{St Augustine's Roman Catholic Primary School HarehillsHarehills
Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north east of Leeds city centre. Harehills is situated between the A58 and the A64 .- Overview :...
, Primrose High School Burmantofts
Burmantofts
Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, but suffers the social problems typical of similar areas...
, Gateways School
Gateways School
Gateways School is an independent school in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England.The school is situated just north of Leeds and sees itself as part of the wider Harewood community.-Academic:...
Harewood
Harewood
Harewood is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The A61 runs through the village, from Leeds city centre in the south to Harrogate in the north...
and Pudsey
Pudsey
Pudsey is a market town in West Yorkshire, England. Once an independent town, it was incorporated into the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in 1974, and is located midway between Bradford and Leeds city centres. It has a population of 32,391....
Grangefield. The Girl Choristers, founded in 1997 by Jonathan Lilley - now at Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
, are directed by David Houlder, who has since 2003 held the combined office of Sub-Organist and Director of the Girls'Choir. The Girls attend most Saturday mornings during term time and sing a short choral service of Morning Worship at 11.45 am. A number of former Girl Choristers have achieved success in University Choral Scholarships, including Esther Chadwick and Sophie Wellings - both at Clare College Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
Choir Gentlemen
There are three categories of adults singing in the Choir: Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks (many are universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
students who sing in the "daily" Choir as well as at weekend) and "Sunday" Gentlemen, being voluntary singers from all walks of life. Academic establishments attended by current and recent choral and organ scholars include the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
, the University of Huddersfield
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
, Leeds College of Music
Leeds College of Music
Leeds College of Music, located in Leeds’ Quarry Hill cultural quarter, is the largest music college in the United Kingdom, with over 1,000 full-time and 1,000 part-time students. The college is best known for its leading role in jazz education and started one of the first jazz degrees in Europe...
, Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The school was founded in 1548 and granted its Charter by King Charles II in 1662...
, North Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
Grammar School, Allerton High School Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Fulneck School
Fulneck School
Fulneck school is a small, independent boarding school, situated in the Fulneck Moravian Settlement, in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, England. It provides education for pupils between the ages of 3 and 18.-History:...
. The "Sunday" Gentlemen are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds - Building Society Training Officer, Funeral Director, School Bursar, Pharmacist from different areas including: Mirfield
Mirfield
Mirfield is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury...
, Roundhay
Roundhay
Roundhay is a large suburb and City Council ward of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, largely within the LS8 postcode. The ward boundary is the A6120 ring road on the north and the A58 Wetherby Road on the south and east. The boundary follows Gledhow Valley Road to the west before heading...
, Adel
Adel, Leeds
Adel is a suburb in North Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Cookridge, Holt Park, Weetwood and Alwoodley. To the north are the villages of Arthington and Bramhope and the market town of Otley...
, Alwoodley
Alwoodley
Alwoodley is a civil parish and suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is north of central Leeds. The name Alwoodley is said to be a corruption of 'Aethelwaldley', as it was originally known in the Middle Ages, meaning the woodland clearing , at Aethelwald's farm...
, Bramhope
Bramhope
Bramhope is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England, north of Holt Park and north east of Cookridge....
, City Centre, Cross Gates. Headingley
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...
and Meanwood
Meanwood
Meanwood is a suburb and former village of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Origins and History:The name Meanwood goes back to the 12th century, and is of Anglo-Saxon derivation: the Meene wude was the boundary wood of the Manor of Alreton, the woods to the east of Meanwood Beck...
.
Weekly Choir Schedule and Anthologies used
Sunday Choral Services at 10.30 am and 6.30 pm (3.00 on Sundays preceding a Bank Holiday and the last Sunday in September, and on the Sunday immediately preceding Christmas Day). The Parish Church uses the New English HymnalNew English Hymnal
The New English Hymnal is a hymn book and liturgical source, aimed towards the Church of England, first published in 1986. It was published by the Canterbury Press . The copyright is held by The English Hymnal Company Limited. It is a successor to, and published in the same style as, the 1906...
and its 2006 supplement "New English Praise" 2006; the Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
Psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
edited by Sir Ivor Atkins
Ivor Atkins
Sir Ivor Algernon Atkins was the choirmaster and organist at Worcester Cathedral for over 50 years . He is well known for editing Allegri's Miserere with the famous top-C part for the treble...
provides the pointing of the Psalms. Other collections used regularly include Anthems for Unison and Two-Part Singing, Volumes and 2 RSCM, Anthems for Men's Voices [OUP], the Favourite Anthem Book Volume 5, edited Richard Lloyd
Richard Lloyd
Richard Lloyd is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the rock band Television.- Early life :...
and published by Kevin Mayhew, Sing Low Novello
Novello
-Places:England* Novello Theatre, a theatre in the City of Westminster, LondonItaly* Novello, Piedmont, a comune in the Province of Cuneo-People:* Agostino Novello, an Italian religious figure* Antonia Novello, a Puerto Rican physician...
edited by Dr Barry Rose
Barry Rose
Barry Michael Rose is a choir trainer and organist. He is best known for conducting the choir of St Paul's Cathedral at the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 29 July 1981.-Biography:Born in Chingford, England, Rose grew up...
, Advent for Choirs [OUP] edited by Malcolm Archer
Malcolm Archer
Malcolm Archer is an English organist, conductor and composer. He combines this work with a recital career. Archer was formerly Organist and Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral, and is now Director of Chapel Music at Winchester College....
& Stephen Cleobury
Stephen Cleobury
Stephen Cleobury CBE is an English organist and conductor. He was organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge and sub-organist of Westminster Abbey before becoming Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral in 1979...
, Lent, Passiontide and Easter for Choirs [OUP] edited by Lionel Dakers and John Scott
John Scott
-Politicians:*John Scott , Member of the Australian House of Representatives*John Scott , first mayor of Bytown, later Ottawa*John Scott , MP for Caithness...
, Hilariter [RSCM Ripon and Leeds] - a resource book for Eastertide edited by Dr Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley is a British organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He has been organist at Leeds Town Hall since 1976 and Master of the Music and organist of Leeds Parish Church since 1975. Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Polytechnic from 1976 to 1987, Lindley held the post of Senior...
, The University Carol Book - edited by Dr Erik Routley
Erik Routley
Erik Routley was an English Congregational minister, composer and musicologist. He was educated at Lancing College and Magdalen and Mansfield Colleges in Oxford...
and, finally, two further OUP Compilations: Hymns for Choirs edited by Sir David Willcocks, and 100 Carols for Choirs
Carols for Choirs
Carols for Choirs, published by Oxford University Press, edited by Sir David Willcocks with Reginald Jacques and John Rutter, is the most widely-used source of carols in the British Anglican tradition, and among British choral societies.There are four books in the original series and a portmanteau...
edited by Sir David Willcocks
Sir David Willcocks
Sir David Valentine Willcocks CBE MC is a British choral conductor, organist, and composer. His son, Jonathan Willcocks, is also a composer.- Biography :...
and John Rutter
John Rutter
John Milford Rutter CBE is a British composer, conductor, editor, arranger and record producer, mainly of choral music.-Biography:Born in London, Rutter was educated at Highgate School, where a fellow pupil was John Tavener. He read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the...
.
- Monday 5.30 pm Choral EvensongEvening Prayer (Anglican)Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...
(Boys) - the Choristers read the Scripture Lessons at this Service, a tradition dating back over forty years - Wednesday 5.30 pm Choral Evensong (Full Choir)
- Thursday 5.30 pm Choral Evensong (Men's Voices)
- Friday 7.00 pm Choral Evensong (Full Choir)
- Saturday 11.45 am Morning Worship (Girls' Voices - sung by the Girls' Choir, formed in 1997 by Jonathan Lilley, now Assistant to Paul Trepte at Ely CathedralEly CathedralEly Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
) The Girl Choristers are currently directed by David Houlder, who has served in that capacity since 2003.
Dr Simon Lindley, Organist and Master of the Music
Dr Lindley served in the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and at Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
before moving to St Albans Cathedral
St Albans Cathedral
St Albans Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral church at St Albans, England. At , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England...
as the first full-time Assistant Master of the Music there. He was appointed to Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
early in 1975 and is the longest-serving Organist in the Church's history. Dr Lindley is also City Organist and Music Director of Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds
Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds
Saint Peter's Singers is a chamber choir associated with Leeds Parish Church, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Background:Saint Peter's Singers is a choir of approximately forty mixed voices...
- positions he has occupied since 1976 and 1977 respectively. He is a leading figure in civic, regional and national life and enjoys a national and international profile as an organist and conductor. He is currently serving as Conductor of Sheffield Bach Choir
Sheffield Bach Choir
The Sheffield Bach Choir was founded in 1950 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of J S Bach in Leipzig.Rehearsals are held at Cemetery Road Baptist Church, in Sheffield’s City Centre, on Monday evenings between 7.30 and 9.30pm...
and of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
Choral Society. A former Chorus Master to both Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
Choral Society and Leeds Philharmonic Society
Leeds Philharmonic Society
Leeds Philharmonic Chorus is a leading choir in Europe, regularly performing to professional standards with internationally renowned soloists, orchestras and conductors....
- he served with these Choirs between 1976 and 1988 - Dr Lindley is a Life Vice-President of both. Simon is also serving a second annual term in office both as Grand Organist to the United Grand Lodge of England
United Grand Lodge of England
The United Grand Lodge of England is the main governing body of freemasonry within England and Wales and in other, predominantly ex-British Empire and Commonwealth countries outside the United Kingdom. It is the oldest Grand Lodge in the world, deriving its origin from 1717...
and to the Masonic Province of Yorkshire West Riding. In his capacity as a Director of the English Hymnal
English Hymnal
The English Hymnal was published in 1906 for the Church of England under the editorship of Percy Dearmer and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The preface to the hymnal began with the statement, "A collection of the best hymns in the English language." Much of the contents was used for the first time at St...
Company Limited he is Chairman of the Ecclesiastical Music Trust founded by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
and he also holds office as President of the Campaign for the Traditional Cathedral Choir. Dr Lindley's colleagues as Sub Organist at the Parish Church have included Dr Anthony Langford, Dr Tom Corfield of Derby Cathedral
Derby Cathedral
The Cathedral of All Saints , is a cathedral church in the City of Derby, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Derby, and with an area of around is the smallest Anglican cathedral in England.-History:...
, Timothy Hone (later Sub Organist of Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
, Master of the Music at Newcastle Cathedral
Newcastle Cathedral
St Nicholas's Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Its full title is The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas Newcastle upon Tyne...
and now Head of Music and Liturgy at Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
), Michael Harris [Master of the Music of St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Matthew Beetschen [Organist and Choirmaster of Dunblane Cathedral
Dunblane Cathedral
Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland.-History:...
, Edward Marsh, Carleton Etherington [now at Tewkesbury Abbey
Tewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church in the country and a former Benedictine monastery.-History:...
], James Eaton [from Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Norman church in Rochester, Kent. The bishopric is second oldest in England after Canterbury...
and later at the Metropolitan Cathedral Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and Romsey Abbey
Romsey Abbey
Romsey Abbey is a parish church of the Church of England in Romsey, a market town in Hampshire, England. Until the dissolution it was the church of a Benedictine nunnery.-Background:...
], and David Houlder [formerly Director of Music of the Blue Coat School
Liverpool Blue Coat School
The Liverpool Blue Coat School is a voluntary aided secondary school located in Wavertree, Liverpool and is Liverpool's only Grammar School. The school was for many years a boys' school but as of September 2002 it has reverted to its original coeducational remit.The Blue Coat School holds a...
Liverpool and Sub-Organist of Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool but it is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
.
Choirs' Festivals: Yorkshire Three Choirs & Yorkshire Cathedrals Girls Choirs Festivals
The Choir of Leeds Parish Church participates annually in two major regional choral festivals - the Yorkshire Three Choirs (begun in Leeds in 1982 through the initiative of the then Bishop of Ripon, The Right Reverend David Young and Canon Graham Foley, Vicar of Leeds from 1971 to 1982 and the Yorkshire Cathedrals' Girls' Choirs' Festivals begun by Louise Marsh at Wakefield CathedralWakefield Cathedral
Wakefield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of All Saints Wakefield is the cathedral for the Church of England's Diocese of Wakefield and is the seat of the Bishop of Wakefield. The cathedral has Anglo Saxon origins and the tallest cathedral spire in Yorkshire...
in the 1990s. The Yorkshire Three Choirs' Festival, comprising the Choirs of Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and the mother church of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small North Yorkshire city of Ripon, England.-Background:...
and Wakefield Cathedral
Wakefield Cathedral
Wakefield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of All Saints Wakefield is the cathedral for the Church of England's Diocese of Wakefield and is the seat of the Bishop of Wakefield. The cathedral has Anglo Saxon origins and the tallest cathedral spire in Yorkshire...
and Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
, is generously supported on an annual basis by Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
under the auspices of Leeds International Concert Season and by the Ecclesiastical Music Trust. The Yorkshire Cathedrals' Girls' Choirs' Festival involves participation by The Girls' Choirs of Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
, York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
and the Anglican Diocesan Cathedrals of Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
.
Other Choral Collaborations
The Choir of Leeds Parish Church combines regularly with Saint Peter's Singers of LeedsSaint Peter's Singers of Leeds
Saint Peter's Singers is a chamber choir associated with Leeds Parish Church, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Background:Saint Peter's Singers is a choir of approximately forty mixed voices...
in special services and concerts at the Church and, occasionally, elsewhere. The Boy Choristers, Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks of the Parish Church Choir have enjoyed and continue to enjoy, close associations with the Choir of Leeds Cathedral
Leeds Cathedral
Leeds Cathedral, formally The Cathedral Church of St Anne, commonly known as Saint Anne's Cathedral, is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese of Leeds, and is the seat of the Bishop of Leeds. It is in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
(St Anne's Roman Catholic Cathedral) and the Parish Church's own Diocesan Cathedral at Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
. The Ripon/Leeds collaborations date back thirty years to the Ripon organistship of the legendary Ronald Perrin; the cooperation with Leeds Cathedral
Leeds Cathedral
Leeds Cathedral, formally The Cathedral Church of St Anne, commonly known as Saint Anne's Cathedral, is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese of Leeds, and is the seat of the Bishop of Leeds. It is in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
is of more recent date and has proved equally fruitful, fulfilling and enjoyable.
Royal School of Church Music
The Choir of Leeds Parish Church has sustained very strong links with the RSCM down the years. RSCM Founder Sir Sydney NicholsonSydney Nicholson
Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson was an English choir director, organist and composer, now chiefly remembered as the founder of the Royal School of Church Music . He was born in London and educated at Rugby School, New College, Oxford and the Royal College of Music...
and Leeds Churchwarden Herbert Bacon Smith, for many years Choir Treasurer of the Parish Church, were close personal friends. The Church's present Organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and Master of the Music, Dr Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley is a British organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He has been organist at Leeds Town Hall since 1976 and Master of the Music and organist of Leeds Parish Church since 1975. Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Polytechnic from 1976 to 1987, Lindley held the post of Senior...
, has worked for the RSCM in many capacities for over forty years, serving as Organ Tutor at the College of St Nicolas from 1972 to 1974. Dr Lindley is one of the longest-serving RSCM Special Commissioners and has directed RSCM courses on four continents. In 2009, he visited South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
for the National Summer School at St George's Cathedral and St Cyprian's School, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in the New Year and in Summer went to the United States of America as Course Director of the Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Course of Girl Choristers. In Spring 2010, Dr Lindley directed the RSCM Swiss Archdeaconry Choirs Festival in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. In Summer 2009, 2010 and 2011, Dr Lindley directed the special Ripon and Leeds Area Diocesan Choirs' Festival on the occasion of the Presentation of the Dean's and Bishops' Choristers' Awards within the Diocese; the services in 2009 & 2011 were held at Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
and that in 2010 at Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and the mother church of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small North Yorkshire city of Ripon, England.-Background:...
. The service in 2012 will again be held at Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
and those of 2013 and 2014 at Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and the mother church of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small North Yorkshire city of Ripon, England.-Background:...
.
The Royal College of Organists
A number of the Organists of Leeds Parish Church have served as Council Members and Examiners of The Royal College of Organists, including Dr BairstowEdward Bairstow
Sir Edward Cuthbert Bairstow was born in Huddersfield on 22 August 1874 and died in York on 1 May 1946. He was an English organist and composer in the Anglican church music tradition....
, Dr Tysoe, Dr Cook and Dr Lindley; two of Leeds's musical incumbents, Sir Edward Bairstow
Edward Bairstow
Sir Edward Cuthbert Bairstow was born in Huddersfield on 22 August 1874 and died in York on 1 May 1946. He was an English organist and composer in the Anglican church music tradition....
and Dr Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley is a British organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He has been organist at Leeds Town Hall since 1976 and Master of the Music and organist of Leeds Parish Church since 1975. Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Polytechnic from 1976 to 1987, Lindley held the post of Senior...
have had the privilege of holding office as the College's President. The first ever regional event took place at Leeds Parish Church in the late 1970s and in Spring 2001, Leeds Parish Church hosted the RCO Presentation of Diplomas in the Nave of the Church.
External links
- http://www.leedsparishchurch.org.uk/choir/choirwhole.htm
- http://www.leeds.gov.uk/discover/discovery.asp?page=20031110_356182278&topic=20031110_154781521&subsection=200419_421108425
- http://www.simonlindley.org.uk/a_biography.html
- http://www.simonlindley.org.uk/leeds_parish_church_organ.html
- RSCM Website
- Simon Lindley Website
- http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gegk7qqfYPUC&pg=PA26&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=0_0&sig=0Bn3MF3fbdZmEX72VBKK3CxLVE4
- http://www.northcravenheritage.org.uk/nchtjournal/Journals/1995/J95A12.html