11-25-2019, 04:29 PM
Sir Stephen John Cleobury CBE (/ˈkliːbəri/ KLEE-bər-ee; 31 December 1948 – 22 November 2019[1][2][3]) was an English organist and music director. He worked with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he served as music director from 1982 to 2019, and with the BBC Singers.[4] During his long tenure at King's College, with a choir traditionally performing the live broadcast on Christmas Eve by the BBC since 1928, he made the singers even better known by tours and recordings, and introduced the commission of new composition for them, even from 1984 an annual new Christmas carol. Among many honours, he was honorary fellow of the Royal School of Church Music, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2009. In 2019, he was knighted for his contributions to choral music.
Stephen John Cleobury was born in Bromley, Kent, the son of John F. Cleobury and Brenda J. Randall.[5] He sang as a chorister at Worcester Cathedral under Douglas Guest then Christopher Robinson.[5] He was organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge, under the musical directorship of George Guest, and sub-organist of Westminster Abbey before becoming the first Anglican master of music at the Catholic Westminster Cathedral in 1979.[5][6] In the 1970s, he was head of music at both St Matthew's Church, Northampton, and Northampton Grammar School.[5]
In 1982 he took up the position of director of music for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he also taught music.[5] He led the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at the King's College Chapel on Christmas Eve, which was established in 1918 and broadcast live by the BBC from 1928.[1] In 1984 he began the tradition of an annual new carol composition for the occasion.[2] Among the composers contributing were Thomas Adès, John Tavener and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Harrison Birtwistle's The Gleam, which requires the choristers to stamp their feet and shout, was received controversially.[6] The Nine Lessons of 2018, celebrating the centenary of their establishment, were recorded,[7] including a new carol by Judith Weir.[6]
Cleobury established the Festival of Easter at King's and also Concerts at King's, a concert series throughout the year.[1][2] He took the choir on tours and led them in many recordings and broadcasts.[2] Recordings were made by the choir's own label beginning in 2012.[6]
He was conductor of Cambridge University Musical Society (CUMS) from 1983 to 2009, and made many recordings with that group including Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Goehr's The Death of Moses. As part of the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University, he premiered Peter Maxwell Davies' The Sorcerer's Mirror.[5]
Cleobury's most notable contribution with the Choir of King's College was the incorporation of modern works, frequently through commissions, to complement the traditional repertoire.[6] His last major project there was Bach's St Matthew Passion in 2019, in a sequence of performing it alternating with the St John Passion every year. The choir performed with the Academy of Ancient Music and James Gilchrist as the Evangelist.[8] He retired on 30 September 2019, and was succeeded at King's College by Daniel Hyde.[5][9]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Cleobury
Stephen John Cleobury was born in Bromley, Kent, the son of John F. Cleobury and Brenda J. Randall.[5] He sang as a chorister at Worcester Cathedral under Douglas Guest then Christopher Robinson.[5] He was organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge, under the musical directorship of George Guest, and sub-organist of Westminster Abbey before becoming the first Anglican master of music at the Catholic Westminster Cathedral in 1979.[5][6] In the 1970s, he was head of music at both St Matthew's Church, Northampton, and Northampton Grammar School.[5]
In 1982 he took up the position of director of music for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he also taught music.[5] He led the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at the King's College Chapel on Christmas Eve, which was established in 1918 and broadcast live by the BBC from 1928.[1] In 1984 he began the tradition of an annual new carol composition for the occasion.[2] Among the composers contributing were Thomas Adès, John Tavener and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Harrison Birtwistle's The Gleam, which requires the choristers to stamp their feet and shout, was received controversially.[6] The Nine Lessons of 2018, celebrating the centenary of their establishment, were recorded,[7] including a new carol by Judith Weir.[6]
Cleobury established the Festival of Easter at King's and also Concerts at King's, a concert series throughout the year.[1][2] He took the choir on tours and led them in many recordings and broadcasts.[2] Recordings were made by the choir's own label beginning in 2012.[6]
He was conductor of Cambridge University Musical Society (CUMS) from 1983 to 2009, and made many recordings with that group including Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Goehr's The Death of Moses. As part of the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University, he premiered Peter Maxwell Davies' The Sorcerer's Mirror.[5]
Cleobury's most notable contribution with the Choir of King's College was the incorporation of modern works, frequently through commissions, to complement the traditional repertoire.[6] His last major project there was Bach's St Matthew Passion in 2019, in a sequence of performing it alternating with the St John Passion every year. The choir performed with the Academy of Ancient Music and James Gilchrist as the Evangelist.[8] He retired on 30 September 2019, and was succeeded at King's College by Daniel Hyde.[5][9]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Cleobury
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