Simon John Preston | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1938-08-04)4 August 1938 Bournemouth, England |
| Died | 13 May 2022(2022-05-13) (aged 83) |
| Occupation(s) | Organist, conductor, composer |
| Years active | 1958–2020 |
| Awards | Most Excellent Order of the British EmpireCBE |
Simon John PrestonCBE (4 August 1938 – 13 May 2022) was an English organist, conductor and composer who was admired as one of the most important English church musicians of his generation.[1][2]
Preston was born inBournemouth, Dorset, to John Preston, an architectural draughtsman, and Doreen Lane,[3] and was introduced to music at an early age. His uncle played the organ at the church that his family attended, and he was inspired to take up the instrument at the age of 5 after hearing a recording ofGeorge Thalben-Ball.[1]
He attendedCanford School inWimborne, Dorset and was achorister atKing's College, Cambridge, where he sang as atreble.[3] He approached the college's music director,Boris Ord, fororgan lessons but was referred toHugh McLean.[4] He later studied underCaleb Henry Trevor at theRoyal Academy of Music before returning to King's College asorgan scholar underDavid Willcocks. He first came to attention when he accompanied the college choir at the service ofNine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve in 1958.[3]
In 2012 he married Elizabeth Hays.[1]
Preston was sub-organist ofWestminster Abbey from 1962 to 1967 and, after a brief period covering forPeter Hurford atSt Albans Cathedral in 1968, became organist ofChrist Church, Oxford, in 1970, where he also lectured.[1] In 1981 he returned to Westminster Abbey, serving as Organist and Master of the Choristers until 1987.[2] During that time he was responsible for the music at thewedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986.
Preston left Westminster Abbey in 1987 to pursue a career as an international concert organist.[2]
He was artistic director of the Calgary International Organ Festival from 1990 to 2002, patron of theUniversity of Buckingham, chair of theHerbert Howells Society and vice-president of both the Organ Club and the Organists’ Benevolent League. He also served as a member of theArts Council music panel and the music committee of theBBC.[5]
Admired as "one of the most important English church musicians of his generation", he died on 13 May 2022 at the age of 83.[1][6]
From the 1960s onwards, Preston composed a number of works for the organ, the best-known of which is probably hisAlleluyas, written in 1965 in the style ofOlivier Messiaen. Recordings of his organ works originally made in the 1960s on theArgo label were re-issued by Eloquence in November 2017.[7]
In 1965, for theEdington Music Festival, he commissioned[clarification needed] a setting of verses 73–104 ofPsalm 119, and in 1966 he composed a set of fiveanthems. The following year he wrote aMissa Brevis (shortmass service) for the Edington Music Festival, and in 1968 he wrote aMagnificat and aNunc Dimittis for the same festival.
| External audio | |
|---|---|
 Simon Preston performingJohann Sebastian Bach's Trio Sonatas BWV 525–530 in 1993Here on Archive.org | |
| Simon Preston with theYehudi Menuhin Festival Orchestra performing Georg Friedrich Handel's Organ Concerto: No. 4 in F major, Op. 4. No. 4 No. 5 in F major, Op. 4, No. 5 No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 4, No. 6 No. 13 in F major "Cuckoo and the Nightingale"Here on archive.org |
Preston made over 100 recordings, beginning in the early 1960s.[3] His recordings include the complete organ works ofJohann Sebastian Bach and theOrgan Symphony (Symphony No. 3) byCamille Saint-Saëns,[2] withJames Levine conducting theBerlin Philharmonic Orchestra, both forDeutsche Grammophon. He recordedGeorge Frideric Handel's complete organ concertos twice: withYehudi Menuhin conducting theBath Festival Orchestra and later on period instruments withTrevor Pinnock directingThe English Concert. In 2010, he played the organ for the recording ofHector Berlioz'sTe Deum, Op. 22, with theBBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted bySusanna Mälkki (CD BBC Music Magazine 2010).
He contributed music to the 1975 filmRollerball and the 1984 filmAmadeus.[3][5]
He also played theharpsichord, particularly in the early stages of his career, including on a recording of theConcert champêtre byFrancis Poulenc.
Preston was made an Officer of theOrder of the British Empire (OBE) in2000 and was promoted to a Commander (CBE) in2009.[2][8][9]
| Cultural offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Organist and Master of the Choristers ofChrist Church Cathedral, Oxford 1970–1981 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Organist and Master of the Choristers ofWestminster Abbey 1981–1988 | Succeeded by |
