Sir David Willcocks | |
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 David Willcocks in Belfast, September 2006 with "Melisma" | |
| Born | David Valentine Willcocks (1919-12-30)30 December 1919 |
| Died | 17 September 2015(2015-09-17) (aged 95) Cambridge,Cambridgeshire, England |
| Occupations |
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| Organisations | |
Sir David Valentine Willcocks,CBEMC (30 December 1919 – 17 September 2015) was a Britishchoralconductor,organist,composer and music administrator. He was particularly well known for his association with theChoir of King's College, Cambridge, which he directed from 1957 to 1974, making frequent broadcasts and recordings. Several of thedescants and carol arrangements he wrote for the annual service ofNine Lessons and Carols were published in the series of booksCarols for Choirs which he edited along withReginald Jacques andJohn Rutter. He was also director of theRoyal College of Music in London.
During theSecond World War (1939–1945) he served as anofficer in theBritish Army, and was decorated with theMilitary Cross for his actions onHill 112 during theBattle of Normandy in July 1944. His elder son,Jonathan Willcocks, is also a composer.
Born inNewquay inCornwall, Willcocks began his musical training as a chorister atWestminster Abbey from 1929 to 1934, following a recommendation by the then Master of the King's Music, SirHenry Walford Davies, toErnest Bullock.[1] From 1934 to 1938, he was a music scholar atClifton College, Bristol, where his teacher wasDouglas Fox, his most important musical influence.[1] He was appointed asorgan scholar atKing's College, Cambridge in 1939.[2] There, he metDavid Briggs, achoral scholar (bass). Willcocks and Briggs would later be colleagues at King's, from 1959 to 1974, as Organist and Master of the Choristers and as Headmaster ofKing's College School, the school attended by the choirboys of King's College.[3]
With the outbreak of theSecond World War, he interrupted his studies in music to serve in theBritish Army. He wascommissioned as asecond lieutenant in theDuke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) on 15 February 1941,[4] and was awarded theMilitary Cross as atemporarycaptain for his actions during theBattle of Normandy on the night of 10/11 July 1944, when he was serving with the 5th Battalion, DCLI as battalionintelligence officer. The battalion, part of the214th Infantry Brigade of the43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, was ordered to holdHill 112 in Normandy, France, as part ofOperation Epsom. He carried out his duties outstandingly overnight, helping inflict severe casualties on the German forces by calling in artillery support to break up counter-attacks. The battalion suffered over 250 casualties during the night, including thecommanding officer and one of thecompany commanders. This left Willcocks in command of the battalion headquarters, which by then was the furthest forward part of the battalion. He rallied the men, enabling the battalion to stand firm and reorganise.[5] The award wasgazetted on 21 December 1944.[6]
Willcocks returned to Cambridge in 1945 to complete his studies, and in 1947 was elected a Fellow of King's College and appointed Conductor of theCambridge Philharmonic Society. In the same year, he became the organist atSalisbury Cathedral and the conductor of the Salisbury Musical Society. He moved toWorcester Cathedral in 1950 and remained until 1957, during which time he was organist of the cathedral, principal conductor of theThree Choirs Festival in 1951, 1954, and 1957, and conductor of theCity of Birmingham Choir. From 1956 to 1974 he was also conductor of theBradford Festival Choral Society, whilst continuing as guest conductor for their carol concerts into the early 1990s.[2] Composers with whom he collaborated includedVaughan Williams,Britten,Howells andTippett.[7]
From 1957 to 1974 he held the post for which he is probably best known, Director of Music atKing's College, Cambridge.[8] He made numerous recordings with thecollege choir. (Among the most notable recordings was one of Thomas Tallis'sSpem in alium, made in 1965.) The choir toured extensively, giving concerts worldwide, as well as garnering further acclaim internationally through television and radio appearances. Under the baton of Willcocks,Cambridge University Musical Society performedBenjamin Britten'sWar Requiem in 1963 in (Perugia) Milan, La Scala, and in Venice. The choir subsequently performed the work in Japan, Hong Kong, Portugal, and the Netherlands. In 1960, he also became the musical director ofthe Bach Choir in London.[2]
He held these positions at Cambridge until the 1970s when he accepted the post of Director of theRoyal College of Music.[8] In the 1971Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE),[9] and was created aKnight Bachelor in 1977 in theQueen's Silver Jubilee Honours.[10][11] He held honorary degrees in England[2] from the Universities ofBradford,Bristol,Exeter,Leicester, andSussex, and from theRoyal College of Music in London; in the US fromLuther College (Iowa),St. Olaf College (Minnesota),Rowan University andWestminster Choir College (New Jersey); and in Canada from the Universities ofTrinity College, Toronto, and Victoria B.C. All in all, his honorary degrees numbered over fifty. He was also President of theCity of Bath Bach Choir and Exeter Festival Chorus. For the 1981wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, Willcocks served as guest director of music and conducted the Bach Choir, who sang during the signing of the registers. The event was watched by an estimated global TV audience of 750 million.[12][13]
After stepping down from the Royal College, Willcocks resumed conducting and editing scores as his primary activities. A 1990 profile inThe New York Times noted that he had made nine visits to the United States in the previous year, including conducting Evensong atSt. Thomas Church inManhattan and conducting theMormon Tabernacle Choir.[7] In live performance, he regularly conducted Mozart'sRequiem at theMostly Mozart festival in New York.[14]
On 15 May 2010, a celebration of his contribution to music took place at theRoyal Albert Hall in London, where pieces selected by Willcocks were performed by singers who are part ofthe Really Big Chorus. Special guests included choristers from King's College Choir, Cambridge, who performed three pieces.[15]
He died at home in Cambridge on the morning of 17 September 2015.[16]
Willcocks made recordings withthe (London) Bach Choir, theEnglish Chamber Orchestra, theAcademy of St Martin in the Fields, the Jacques Orchestra, thePhilharmonia Orchestra, and theLondon Symphony Orchestra as well as with theChoir of King's College, Cambridge, with whom he regularly conducted theNine Lessons and Carols service onChristmas Eve, broadcast by the BBC every year since 1931.[17] With The Bach Choir, in particular he recorded works by Johann Sebastian Bach, especiallyhis motets and, sung in English, hisSt John Passion and a stately rendition of theSt Matthew Passion, a piece he regularly conducted for broadcast Easter performances.[18][19] He also served as general editor of the Church Music series of theOxford University Press. During his years atKing's, an early and frequently reissued recording of theAllegriMiserere was made in March 1963 by thechoir, conducted by David Willcocks, and featuring a 12-year oldRoy Goodman, later a distinguished conductor, as the treble soloist.[20][21] In 1965, he made his famous recording, with the Choir of King's College, of Tallis'sSpem in alium.
He is particularly known for his widely used choral arrangements ofChristmas carols, many of which were originally written or arranged for the Service ofNine Lessons and Carols at King's and/or the Bach Choir's Christmas concerts. They are published in the fiveCarols for Choirs anthologies (1961–1987), edited by Willcocks withReginald Jacques (first volume) orJohn Rutter.[8][22] The descant arrangements in particular are among the most famous and well-loved musical components.[23] He was Music DirectorEmeritus of King's College Choir, and an Honorary Fellow of King's College, Cambridge.[24]
Outside the world of classical music, Willcocks conducted his London Bach Choir for the studio recording of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by theRolling Stones in 1968.[17]
A notable broadcast took place onBBC Radio 4 on 21 September 2010 in a series calledSoul Music, when Willcocks profiledFauré'sRequiem. The programme included his memories of the fighting atHill 112. The profile also featured Christina, widow ofOlaf Schmid. Willcocks questioned the morality of war.[25]
| Country | Date of award | Appointment | Post-nominal letters |
|---|---|---|---|
 United Kingdom | 1971 | Commander of the Order of the British Empire | CBE |
| United Kingdom | 1977 | Knight Bachelor | Kt |
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| Country | Date of award | Decoration | Post-nominal letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 21 December 1944 | Military Cross | MC |
| United Kingdom | 1939-45 Star | ||
| United Kingdom | France and Germany Star | ||
| United Kingdom | Defence Medal | ||
| United Kingdom | War Medal |
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| Location | Date of award | School | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
 England | 1938 | Royal College of Organists | Fellow (FRCO)[24] |
| England | 1947 | King's College, Cambridge | Fellow[24] |
| England | 1965 | Royal Academy of Music | Honorary Fellow (FRAM)[24] |
| England | 1965 | Royal School of Church Music | Fellow (FRSCM)[24] |
 Canada | 1967 | Royal Canadian College of Organists | Fellow (FRCCO)[24] |
| England | 1971 | Royal College of Music | Fellow (FRCM)[28] |
| England | 1976 | Trinity College London | Honorary Fellow (HonFTCL)[24] |
| England | 1977 | Royal Northern College of Music | Fellow (FRNCM)[24] |
| England | 1979 | King's College Cambridge | Honorary Fellow[24] |
| England | 1980 | Guildhall School of Music | Honorary Fellow (FGSM)[24] |
 Scotland | 1982 | Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama | Fellow (FRSAMD)[24] |
| England | 2012 | Falmouth University | Honorary Fellow[29] |
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| Location | Date of award | School | Degree | Gave Commencement Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1976 | University of Exeter | Doctor of Music (D.Mus.)[30] | |
| England | 1977 | University of Leicester | Doctor of Music (D.Mus.)[31] | |
 USA | 1980 | Westminster Choir College, Princeton | Doctor of Music (D.Mus.)[24] | |
| England | 1981 | University of Bristol | Doctor of Music (D.Mus.)[24] | |
| England | 1982 | University of Sussex | Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)[32] | |
| Canada | 1985 | Trinity College, Toronto | Doctor of Sacred Letters[24] |
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{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Cultural offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Organist and Master of the Choristers ofSalisbury Cathedral 1947–1950 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Organist and Master of the Choristers ofWorcester Cathedral 1950–1957 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Director of Music, King's College, Cambridge 1957–1974 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Director of theRoyal College of Music 1974–1984 | Succeeded by |
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