Richard Purvis

Richard (Irven) Purvis (1913-1994) was an American organist, composer, conductor and teacher. He is especially remembered for his expressive recordings of the organ classics and his own lighter compositions for the instrument.

Early history

Richard Purvis was born in San Francisco on 25 August 25 1913. He began playing the organ publicly at the age of 14 in churches and in the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Purvis’ teacher, Wallace Sabin, played the dedicatory concert in 1915. In addition to recitals and church services, Purvis played nightly recitals broadcast over a local radio station. His stage name was Don Irving.

Leaving his native San Francisco to further his studies, he entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1934. He was initially taught organ by Alexander McCurdy and conducting by Fritz Reiner. Further studies were with Josef Levine in New York, Dr. Edward Bairstow in England, Marcel Dupré in France. During World War II, while serving as a bandmaster, Purvis was captured and held as a prisoner of war for six months. After the war an appointment to St Mark's Lutheran Church took him back to his native city, and in 1947 he was appointed to Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.

Organist and composer

From 1947 through 1971, Purvis held the position of Organist and Master of Choristers at Grace Cathedral, where he helped to form a cathedral school for boys, ensuring the continuation of the all-male choir tradition. He was also organist at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. Upon his retirement from Grace Cathedral, he continued to compose, teach and give recitals into his 70’s. He died in December 1994 at the age of 81. He left a legacy of over 200 works and an uncounted number of students and satisfied listeners.

Purvis' long and distinguished career was marked by elegant service playing, conducting and composition. In an era when so-called "romantic" music was out of favor with most composers, and atonal, serial music was considered the hallmark of serious composition, he was not afraid to write tuneful, accessible, richly colored, and even whimsical compositions. His over 200 compositions include a Concerto for organ and orchestra; Four Prayers in Tone, Toccata Festiva & for organ; a partita on Christ ist Erstanden and The Ballad of Judas Iscariot for choir and orchestra. Perhaps his best-known and loved composition for the organ is the delightful suite "Four Dubious Conceits", comprising "Cantilena", "Les Petites Cloches", "Nocturne", and "Marche Grotesque", recorded by the composer for Sparton Records in the early 1960s; a more recent recording has been made by Keith Thompson on Organ Fireworks (see external link below).

External links

* [http://www.echoesofheaven.com/ "Organ Fireworks" CD Program Notes]
* [http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Purvis-Richard.htm Short Bio in Bach-Cantatas.com contributed by Thomas Braatz]
* [http://www.oup.com/online/grovemusic/ Grove Music Online © Oxford University Press 2006 (Author: Charles Krigbaum); available to subscribers only]