Herbert Sumsion

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Herbert Whitton Sumsion CBE (born January 14, 1899 in Gloucester , † August 11, 1995 in Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire ) was an English musician who was organist at Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967 . Through his leadership role at the Three Choirs Festival , he was connected to leading figures seeking a renaissance of English musical life in the 20th century, such as Edward Elgar , Herbert Howells , Gerald Finzi and Ralph Vaughan Williams . Although Sumsion is best known as the cathedral's musician, he has also worked as a composer, conductor, accompanist and teacher over a career of more than 60 years. He created works for choir and organ, but also lesser-known chamber music and orchestral works.

biography

Education and early career

Herbert Sumsion was born in Gloucester, a town on the Severn . He was accepted into the cathedral choir, conducted by Herbert Brewer , on a trial basis in 1908 at the age of nine . After two years he became a chorister and sang in the choir until 1914. From 1911 to 1915 he was organist in Ashleworth, a small village outside Gloucester, where the twelve-year-old was already responsible for the choir.

Gloucester was and is, along with Worcester and Hereford, one of three cities in which the Three Choirs Festival is held annually. Sumsion was inspired by the music he could hear at the festival, most notably choral music from the early 18th century. After breaking his voice at the age of 15, he became an articled pupil by Brewer, which means that he was instructed in organ playing, as a choir director and in music theory for three years. He followed Howells and Ivor Gurney . Sumsion passed the entrance exam to the Royal College of Organists in 1915 , and in July 1916 the fellowship exam with Howells. At the age of 17, Sumsion received the Turpin Prize.

Sumsion served in the Queen's Westminsters Regiment from 1917 to 1919 , then returned to the Cathedral and became Brewer's assistant. He received an undergraduate degree from Durham University in 1920 and worked in Gloucester until 1922 when he became organist at Christ Church in London. In 1924 he took on two other roles: music director at Bishop's Stortford College and lecturer at Morley College . He began conducting studies with Adrian Boult at the Royal College of Music .

Sumsion came into contact with RO Morris at the Royal College of Music , who taught counterpoint and composition. When Morris accepted the position at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia , he offered Sumsion to become his assistant. Sumsion followed him and there met his future wife Alice Garlichs, whom he married on June 7, 1927.

Gloucester and the "Three Choirs Festival"

On March 1, 1928, Herbert Brewer died suddenly of a heart attack. As a result, the organist position was only vacant three months before the Three Choirs Festival . Brewer had wanted Sumsion to succeed him, so the Cathedral Chapter ensured that Sumsion, who had just successfully applied as organist at Coventry Cathedral , was released. Sumsion and his wife left America in June 1928.

Although Sumsion arrived relatively late on the scene, his leadership of the Gloucester festival impressed both colleagues and the press. As the host organist, he had a lot to conduct. While some composers, such as Edward Elgar and Zoltán Kodály , directed their own works, Sumsion was responsible for Verdi's Requiem and Arthur Honegger's King David , a work that was performed for the first time at the festival.

In its program planning for the festival, Sumsion mainly took into account new English works and presented the premieres of Gustav Holst's Choral Fantasia (1931), Howell's Hymnus Paradisi (1950) and Finzi's Intimations of Immortality (1950), as well as works by Vaughan Williams, Howard Ferguson, Robin Milford , Tony Hewitt-Jones, John Sanders and own works.

Sumsion was on friendly terms with many of the composers, particularly Vaughan Williams, Finzi, and Howells. He composed well into old age, including many works for organ and choir, chamber music, orchestral works and piano exercises. He taught piano, organ and composition privately, was a juror at competitions, accompanied singers and played in chamber music ensembles and as a concert organist. His recording of Elgar's organ sonata is considered to be decisive for the work.

In retirement from 1967, Sumsion stayed in Gloucestershire , teaching and composing. He helped design the organ built by Hill, Norman & Beard in the Chapel of Ellesmere College after a fire completely destroyed the chapel. He died in Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, at the age of 96.

Works

Choir

  • As With Gladness , for SATB choir and organ
  • Benedicite, Omnia Opera in B-flat major, for SATB choir and organ
  • By the Cross of Jesus , for SATB choir
  • A Child This Day is Born , for SATB choir and organ
  • Communion Service in A and D , for SSATB choir and organ
  • Communion Service in F major, for SATB choir and organ
  • Fear Not O Land , for SATB choir and organ
  • Festival Benedicite in D major, for SATB choir and organ or orchestra
  • The Holy Birth , for SATB choir and organ
  • Hosanna to the Son of David , for SATB choir
  • I Was Glad , for TTBB choir and piano
  • I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes , for SATB choir and organ
  • In Exile , motet for double choir
  • The Lord Ascendeth Up on High , for SATB choir and organ
  • Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A major, for SATB choir and organ
  • Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D major, for boys' voices or SATB choir and organ
  • Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G major, for SATB choir and organ
  • Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G Major, for ATB choir and organ
  • Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G Major, for boys' choir and organ
  • Nine Introits for Seasons of the Church's Year
    • And the Angel said, Behold (Christmas)
    • Arise, Shine for your light has come (Epiphany)
    • Timor and Tremor
    • With a Voice of Singing
    • You shall receive power
    • Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God
    • Lift up your heads
    • O praise the Lord, ye Angels of his
    • Dilexit Justitiam
  • O Be Joyful in the Lord , for SATB choir and organ
  • O Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me Out , for SATB choir and organ
  • One Thing Have I Desired of the Lord , for double choir
  • Praise the Lord, O My Soul , for SATB Chor
  • Praise to the Lord (St. Patrick's Breastplate) , for SATB choir
  • The Spacious Firmament , for SATB choir and organ
  • Te Deum Laudamus in G major, for SATB choir and organ
  • There is a Green Hill Far Away , for SATB choir and organ
  • They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships , for SATB choir and organ
  • Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace , for SATB choir and organ
  • Two Carols ( I Sing of a Maiden and Herrick's Carol ), for mixed voices a cappella
  • Versicles, Responses, and the Lord's Prayer, for SATB choir
  • Watt's Cradle Song , for unanimous choir
  • We Love the Place, O God , for SATB choir

organ

  • Air, Berceuse and Procession
  • Allegretto
  • Canzona
  • Carol and Musette (by Vaughan Williams) arranged for organ
  • Ceremonial March
  • Chorale prelude to Down Ampney
  • Cradle song
  • Elegy
  • Four Preludes on Well-Known Carols
  • intermezzo
  • Introduction and Theme
  • Pastoral
  • Procession
  • Quiet Postlude
  • Sarabande and Interlude
  • Toccata via University
  • Variations on a Folk Tune

Chamber music and orchestra

  • Idyll, At Valley Green , for orchestra
  • Lerryn , for orchestra
  • A Mountain Tune , for violoncello and piano
  • A Mountain Tune , arr. For string orchestra
  • Overture In the Cotswolds , for orchestra
  • Piano Trio (1931)
  • Piano Trio (1982)
  • Romance , for string orchestra
  • Cello Sonata in C minor
  • Violin Sonata in E minor
  • String quartet in G major
  • Variations on a Folk Song, I Will Give My Love an Apple , for piano
  • Variations on a folk song, for flute and piano
  • Piano Technique , piano exercises

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 'Examinations Regulations Booklet', Royal College of Organists, 34 (November 10, 2007), http://www.rco.org.uk/pdfs/Syllabus07-08.pdf .
  2. ^ Anthony Boden: Three Choirs: A History of the Festival. Alan Sutton Publishing, Stroud 1992, p. 173.
  3. ↑ Ursula Vaughan Williams: RVW: A Biography of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Oxford University Press, London 1964, p. 172.
  4. ↑ Floor: Three Choirs. P. 173.
  5. ^ H. Watkins Shaw: The Three Choirs Festival. Ebenezer Baylis and Son, Worcester 1954, p. 97.
  6. ↑ Hunt: 'Obituary', op. Cit.
personal data
SURNAME Sumsion, Herbert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sumsion, Herbert Whitton (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English musician who worked as organist at Gloucester Cathedral (1928–1967)
DATE OF BIRTH January 14, 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH Gloucester , UK
DATE OF DEATH August 11, 1995
Place of death Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire , United Kingdom