Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England.
The first record of an organ dates from 1310, with a smaller organ, probably for the Lady Chapel, being installed in 1415. In 1620 a new organ, built by Thomas Dallam, was installed at a cost of £398 1s 5d, however this was destroyed by parliamentary soldiers in 1643 and another new organ was built in 1662,[1] which was enlarged in 1786,[2] and again in 1855.[3] In 1909–1910 a new organ was built by Harrison & Harrison with the best parts of old organ retained,[4] and this has been maintained by the same company since.[5]
Organists
- 1416–1418 Walter Bagele (or Vageler)[6]
- 1421–1422 Robert Cator
- 1428–1431 John Marshal
- 1437–1462 John Marchell
- 1461–1462 John Menyman (joint)
- 1461–1462 Richard Hygons (joint)
- 1497–1507 Richard Hygons
- 1507–1508 Richard Bramston
- 1508 John Clawsy (or Clavelleshay)
- 1514 William Mylwhard
- 1515–1531 Richard Bramston
- 1534–1538 John Smyth
- 1547–1554 Nicholas Prynne
- 1556–1557 John Marker
- 1558 Robert Awman
- 1559–1562 William Lyde
- 1563 Thomas Tanner
- 1568 Matthew Nailer
- 1587 John Clerk
- 1600 Thomas Hunt
- 1608 James Weare
- 1613–1614 Edmund Tucker
- 1614–1619 Richard Brown
- 1619–1642 John Oker (or Okeover)
- 1663–1674 John Brown
- 1674 Mr Hall
- 1674–1688 John Jackson
- 1688–1690 Robert Hodge
- 1690–1712 John George
- 1713–1726 William Broderip
- 1726 Joseph Millard
- 1727–1740 William Evans
- 1741 Jacob Nickells
- 1741–1771 John Broderip
- 1771–1773 Peter Parfitt
- 1773–1781 Robert Parry
- 1781–1820 Dodd Perkins
- 1820–1859 William Perkins
- 1859–1895 Charles Williams Lavington
- 1896–1899 Percy Carter Buck
- 1899–1933 Revd. Canon Thomas Henry Davis
- 1933–1936 Conrad William Eden
- 1936–1971 Denys Pouncey, with Peter Lyons (musician), who was Director of Music at Wells Cathedral School, as Master of the Choristers from 1954-1960.
- 1971–1996 Anthony Crossland
- 1996–2004 Malcolm Archer
- 2004–2005 Rupert Gough (acting)
- 2005–2019 Matthew Owens[7]
- 2020–2022 Jeremy Cole (acting Organist and Master of the Choristers since 2019)[8]
Assistant organists
- Charles William Lavington 1842 – 1859
- J. Summers
- Frederick Crowe[9] (later organist of Chichester Cathedral) c.1880
- Charles Harry Moody 1894 – 1895 (then acting organist 1895)
- Frederick William Heck 1896 – 1897[10] (afterwards organist of Bedminster Parish Church)
- W. J. Bown[11]
- Richard John Maddern-Williams 1904 – 1906 (afterwards sub-organist of Norwich Cathedral).
- Kenneth J Miller 1906[12]
- F.P. Wheeldon 1908
- Frank W. Porkess
- Marmaduke Conway 1920 – 1925 (later organist of Ely Cathedral)
- C.H. Trevor 1926 – 1927
- Conrad William Eden 1927 – 1933 (then organist)
- J.W. Martindale-Sidwell 1938
- Michael Peterson 1946 – 1953
- Hugo Langrish 1953 - 1961
- Anthony Crossland 1961 – 1970
- David Anthony Cooper 1977 – 1983 (later organist of Blackburn Cathedral)
- Christopher Brayne 1983 – 1990 (later organist of Bristol Cathedral)
- David Ponsford
- Andrew Nethsingha 1990 – 1994
- Rupert Gough 1994 – 2005
- David Bednall 2002 – 2007 (Senior Organ Scholar 2002 – 2004)
- Jonathan Vaughn 2007 – 2017
- Jeremy Cole 2017-2019
- James Gough (Acting) 2019-2020
- Alexander Hamilton, Assistant Director of Music 2020-2022
- Adam Wilson, Assistant Organist 2021-2022, Acting Assistant Director of Music 2023
References
- ^ "Somerset, Wells Cathedral of St. Andrew, Dean & Chapter Of Wells N0 6890". National Pipe Organ Register (NPOR). Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ "Somerset, Wells Cathedral of St. Andrew, Dean & Chapter Of Wells N06890". National Pipe Organ Register (NPOR). Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ "Somerset, Wells Cathedral of St. Andrew, Dean & Chapter Of Wells N06891". National Pipe Organ Register (NPOR). Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ "Somerset, Wells Cathedral of St. Andrew, Dean & Chapter Of Wells N06892". National Pipe Organ Register (NPOR). Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ "Somerset, Wells Cathedral of St. Andrew, Dean & Chapter Of Wells N06893". National Pipe Organ Register (NPOR). Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ "Walter Bagele". Biographical Dictionary of the Organ. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
- ^ "Matthew Owens". Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
- ^ Wells Cathedral, Jeremy Cole - Director of Music. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ Thornsby, 1912 page 264
- ^ Thornsby, 1912 page 286
- ^ Thornsby, 1912 page 251
- ^ Thornsby, 1912 page 309
Bibliography
- Thornsby, Frederick W. (1926). Dictionary Of Organs And Organists. H. Logan.
This page was last edited on 22 August 2023, at 22:26