Richard Coles
Encyclopedia
Richard Coles is a musician, journalist and Church of England
priest. He is known for having been the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville
in the 1980s band The Communards
, who achieved three Top Ten hits
, including the Number 1 record and best-selling single
of 1986, a Hi-NRG
version of "Don't Leave Me This Way
". He also appears frequently on radio and television as well as in newspapers. In March 2011 he became the regular host of BBC Radio 4
's Saturday Live.
, England
and educated at Wellingborough School
(where he was a choirboy) and King's College London
where he studied theology
from 1990.
. Coles also played clarinet
on "It Ain't Necessarily So
", which was a hit single
in 1984 for Bronski Beat
.
In 1984 Somerville left Bronski Beat and he and Coles formed The Communards
, who were together for just over three years and had three UK
Top 10 hits, including the biggest-selling single of 1986 with a version of "Don't Leave Me This Way
", which was at Number 1 for four weeks. They split in 1988 and Somerville went solo.
's film JerUSAlem in 1994. and also started a career as a writer
and journalist
, most notably with the Times Literary Supplement and the Catholic Herald. He has stated of this period in his life that "I went on all the right marches, went to all the right clubs, read Marxism Today
and the New Statesman
." After a successful career in the media
, Coles came to the Christian faith after attending his first AIDS
funeral of a close friend. From 1991 to 1994 Coles read for a BA in theology at King's College London
. He was selected for training for priesthood in the Church of England
and entered his training at the monastic College of the Resurrection
, Mirfield
, in 2003 before being ordained in 2005.
Of the career transition, Coles has said
After ordination Coles worked as curate
at St Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire
, and subsequently at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge
, in London
with his dachshund, Daisy as his "faithful assistant". He has been chaplain
of the Royal Academy of Music
and has also played Dr Frank N Furter in a local concert and conducted an atheist funeral
for Mo Mowlam
in 2006.
Coles was an inspiration for the character of Adam Smallbone (played by Tom Hollander
) in the 2010 BBC Two
sitcom "Rev."
.
In January 2011 Coles was appointed as the parish priest of St Mary the Virgin, Finedon
in the Diocese of Peterborough.
Coles is openly gay and lives with his partner in a celibate relationship, in respect for the current rules within the Church of England. Commenting on the current Church of England policy on same-sex relationships for clergy, Coles told The Daily Telegraph, ‘‘It’s not as I would have it, but then it’s not about me.’’
work, which he describes as "just showing off", including Nightwaves
on BBC Radio 3
which he formerly presented, and Newsnight Review on BBC Two
. On 15 May 2008 he was on the BBC Radio 4
panel game show Heresy
and he has twice appeared as a guest on the topical BBC Television
news quiz Have I Got News for You
, first in 1994 and then in May 2009. Coles presented a special edition of Songs of Praise on 10 January 2010. He was a guest on the BBC Radio 4
comedy
Heresy
in May 2010 and a Children in Need
special of the BBC Four
quiz Only Connect
in November of the same year. Having regularly guest-hosted the Radio 4 programme Saturday Live, while regular host Fi Glover
was on maternity leave from 2008 to 2009, Coles replaced Glover permanently in 2011.
On 1 September 2011, he presented a short piece on his home town and parish of Finedon
for the Radio 4 programme You and Yours
.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
priest. He is known for having been the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville
Jimmy Somerville
James William Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...
in the 1980s band The Communards
The Communards
The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:...
, who achieved three Top Ten hits
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, including the Number 1 record and best-selling single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of 1986, a Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
version of "Don't Leave Me This Way
Don't Leave Me This Way
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul/disco song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both...
". He also appears frequently on radio and television as well as in newspapers. In March 2011 he became the regular host of BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Saturday Live.
Early life
Coles was born in NorthamptonNorthampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and educated at Wellingborough School
Wellingborough School
Wellingborough School is an independent fee-paying day school in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. It was established in 1595 and is one of the oldest schools in the country.-History:...
(where he was a choirboy) and King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
where he studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from 1990.
Musical career
Coles had learned to play the saxophone, clarinet and keyboards and moved to London in 1980 where he played in theatre. In 1983 he appeared with Jimmy Somerville in the Lesbian and Gay Youth Video Project film Framed Youth: Revenge of The Teenage Perverts, which won the Grierson AwardsGrierson Awards
The Grierson Awards celebrate innovative and exciting new documentary films. The awards have been set up by The Grierson Trust to commemorate the life and work of world renowned Documentary Filmmaker John Grierson. The awards were first set-up in 1972 and have run annually...
. Coles also played clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
on "It Ain't Necessarily So
It Ain't Necessarily So
"It Ain't Necessarily So" is a popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song comes from the Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible.The role of...
", which was a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in 1984 for Bronski Beat
Bronski Beat
Bronski Beat were a popular British synthpop trio who achieved success in the mid 1980s, particularly with the 1984 chart hit "Smalltown Boy". All members of the group were openly homosexual and their songs reflected this, often containing political commentary on gay-related issues...
.
In 1984 Somerville left Bronski Beat and he and Coles formed The Communards
The Communards
The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:...
, who were together for just over three years and had three UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Top 10 hits, including the biggest-selling single of 1986 with a version of "Don't Leave Me This Way
Don't Leave Me This Way
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul/disco song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both...
", which was at Number 1 for four weeks. They split in 1988 and Somerville went solo.
Post-pop and church career
Coles provided narration for The Style CouncilThe Style Council
The Style Council were an English band, formed in 1983 by the ex-The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller, with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other artists such as Tracie Young and Tracey Thorn also...
's film JerUSAlem in 1994. and also started a career as a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, most notably with the Times Literary Supplement and the Catholic Herald. He has stated of this period in his life that "I went on all the right marches, went to all the right clubs, read Marxism Today
Marxism Today
Marxism Today was the theoretical journal of the Communist Party of Great Britain and was disestablished in 1991. It was particularly important during the 1980s under the editorship of Martin Jacques...
and the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
." After a successful career in the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, Coles came to the Christian faith after attending his first AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
funeral of a close friend. From 1991 to 1994 Coles read for a BA in theology at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. He was selected for training for priesthood in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and entered his training at the monastic College of the Resurrection
College of the Resurrection
The College of the Resurrection, popularly known as Mirfield, is an Anglo-Catholic theological college of the Church of England at Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England, founded in 1903. The college has close links to the Community of the Resurrection...
, 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...
, in 2003 before being ordained in 2005.
Of the career transition, Coles has said
After ordination Coles worked as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
, and subsequently at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge
St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge
St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge is an Anglican church in London’s West End, supposed to be one of the most beautiful Victorian churches in London. Set in the heart of the Grosvenor Estate on Wilton Place in Belgravia, the church dates from 1843, during the incumbency of the Rev. W. J. E. Bennett....
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his dachshund, Daisy as his "faithful assistant". He has been chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
of the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
and has also played Dr Frank N Furter in a local concert and conducted an atheist funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
for Mo Mowlam
Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
in 2006.
Coles was an inspiration for the character of Adam Smallbone (played by Tom Hollander
Tom Hollander
Thomas Anthony "Tom" Hollander is a British actor who has appeared in productions such as Enigma, Gosford Park, Cambridge Spies, Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean, In the Loop, Valkyrie and Hanna.-Early life:Tom Hollander was born in Bristol and raised in Oxford, Oxfordshire, the son...
) in the 2010 BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
sitcom "Rev."
Rev. (TV series)
Rev. is a British television sitcom produced by Big Talk Productions. The show premiered on BBC Two on 28 June 2010. The show's working titles were The City Vicar and Handle With Prayer...
.
In January 2011 Coles was appointed as the parish priest of St Mary the Virgin, Finedon
Finedon
Finedon is a civil parish and village in the Borough Council of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, with a population at the 2001 census of 4,188 people. Along with Wellingborough, it is twinned with Wittlich, Germany, and Niort, France....
in the Diocese of Peterborough.
Coles is openly gay and lives with his partner in a celibate relationship, in respect for the current rules within the Church of England. Commenting on the current Church of England policy on same-sex relationships for clergy, Coles told The Daily Telegraph, ‘‘It’s not as I would have it, but then it’s not about me.’’
Broadcaster
Coles still does broadcastingBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
work, which he describes as "just showing off", including Nightwaves
Nightwaves
Night Waves is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 3. The BBC describes it as "Radio 3's flagship arts and ideas programme".The Guardian said in May 2010 "...the king of radio arts programmes is undoubtedly Night Waves, a programme so clever that it regularly makes me stand still and listen,...
on BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
which he formerly presented, and Newsnight Review on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. On 15 May 2008 he was on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
panel game show Heresy
Heresy (radio series)
This article is about the British talk show, for other uses see heresy Heresy is a comedy talk show on BBC Radio 4, now presented by Victoria Coren and formerly by David Baddiel...
and he has twice appeared as a guest on the topical BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
news quiz Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, first in 1994 and then in May 2009. Coles presented a special edition of Songs of Praise on 10 January 2010. He was a guest on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
comedy
Radio comedy
Radio comedy, or comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve sitcom elements, sketches and various types of comedy found on other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic elements, as these can be conveyed on a small budget with just a few sound effects or some...
Heresy
Heresy (radio series)
This article is about the British talk show, for other uses see heresy Heresy is a comedy talk show on BBC Radio 4, now presented by Victoria Coren and formerly by David Baddiel...
in May 2010 and a Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
special of the BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
quiz Only Connect
Only Connect
Only Connect is a quiz show programme first shown on BBC Four on 15 September 2008, presented by Victoria Coren. In the series, teams compete in a tournament of finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues. Radio Timess listings usually describe it as "a game of patience and lateral...
in November of the same year. Having regularly guest-hosted the Radio 4 programme Saturday Live, while regular host Fi Glover
Fi Glover
Fiona "Fi" Glover is a BBC journalist and presenter and, until March 2011, the host of BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live.-Career:...
was on maternity leave from 2008 to 2009, Coles replaced Glover permanently in 2011.
On 1 September 2011, he presented a short piece on his home town and parish of Finedon
Finedon
Finedon is a civil parish and village in the Borough Council of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, with a population at the 2001 census of 4,188 people. Along with Wellingborough, it is twinned with Wittlich, Germany, and Niort, France....
for the Radio 4 programme You and Yours
You and Yours
You and Yours is a British radio consumer affairs programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4.-History:It began broadcasting in October 1970, its first presenter was Joan York. In the great rescheduling of April 1998 it was increased from a 25 minute programme to 55 minutes. In the 1980s it briefly ran...
.