- Harold Darke
Harold Edwin Darke (
October 29 1888 –November 28 1976 ) was an Englishcomposer and organist.Darke was born in
London . His first organist job was at [http://www.emmanuelchurch.info Emmanuel Church] , West Hampstead from 1906 to 1911. He became organist at St Michael's Cornhill in 1916, and stayed there until 1966, leaving only briefly in 1941 to deputise forBoris Ord as Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge duringWorld War II . He died inCambridge .His famous setting of
Christina Rossetti 's "In the Bleak Midwinter ", giving to his delicate melody a beautiful and lilting organ part, is still often sung at the service ofNine Lessons and Carols atKing's College, Cambridge , and at similar services around the world. Most of his other compositions that are still performed are settings of the Anglican liturgy, especially his three Communion Services in E, F, and A minor; and his Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in F.External links
* [http://www.thorpemusic.com/darke002.html Brief biography]
* [http://www.stainer.co.uk/darke.html Brief biography]
* [http://www.st-michaels.org.uk/music.htm The Music at St Michael's Cornhill]
*ChoralWiki
*Listen to a [http://www.coronostro.com/recordings.htm free recording of Darke's "In the bleak midwinter"] from [http://www.coronostro.com Coro Nostro] , a mixed chamber choir based in Leicester, UK.
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