Choir of Leeds Parish Church

The Choir of Leeds Parish Church was founded by Vicar Richard Fawcett probably as early as 1815, and was certainly in existence by 1818 (from which year there is accounting evidence for choristers' laundry). The Choir of Leeds Parish Church - Boys and Men - was, from its origins, a charge on the Church Rate; and, in what was then a largely Non-conformist town, a none-too-popular one. By the 1830s, the Choir's resourcing had been taken over by a list of voluntary subscribers. On arrival as Vicar of Leeds in 1837, Walter Farquhar Hook said he found "the surplices in rags and the books in tatters". Additional to its extensive commitment in the provision of choral services, the Choir is known to a wide public through many recitals, recordings and broadcasts and by its regular Choir Tours - the first Tour was held in July 1968 and the 40th Anniversary Tour, from 22 to 27 July 2008, included singing in Ely Cathedral, King's College Cambridge, the National Musicians' Church St Sepulchre-without-Newgate in the City of London, All Saints Pastoral Centre London Colney and the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

200th Anniversary Celebrations for Samuel Sebastian Wesley

Special events held in celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Samuel Sebastian Wesley on 14 August 1810 included a Morning Worship broadcast on BBC Radio Four on Sunday 15 August at 8.10 am. The Rector of Leeds, Canon Tony Bundock, officiated and the Preacher was the Lecturer, The Reverend Professor Simon Robinson. The Boy Choristers, Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks together with members of St Peter's Singers and David Houlder at the organ provided the music. Later that same day, Dr Lindley gave a special commemorative recital at Leeds Parish Church of the organ music of S S Wesley at 7.45 pm as the third concert in his annual and very popular Romantic Organ Masterworks Series. The SSW Commemoration had got well and truly under way at the beginning of July with a Festal Evensong on Sunday 4 July at 6.30 followed by a Gala Choral Recital of famous and greatly loved Anthems and organ music by Dr Wesley promoted and presented by Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds with organist David Houlder and conductor Dr Simon Lindley.

Daily Choral Services

Hook set at once to work to revitalise the huge Parish and to provide a Church suitable for what he termed a "good" service; the choral provision formed a significant part of this endeavour and, from the opening of the "new" Church in 1841, choral worship has been maintained on weekdays as well as on Sundays. Organists since 1842 include the great Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1842–1849), Dr (later Sir) Edward Bairstow (1906–1913) and - nearer our own day - two musicians trained at Gloucester Cathedral by Dr Herbert Sumsion - Dr (Alfred) Melville Cook (1937–1956) and Dr Donald Hunt OBE (1957–1975). The present Organist and Master of the Music, Dr Simon Lindley, has served in that capacity since 1975; Dr Lindley came to Leeds after service at St Albans Cathedral (as the first full-time assistant to the celebrated Dr Peter Hurford - Simon was also Director of Music at St Albans School. Among Dr Lindley's earliest posts were two in famous City of London Churches; he retains to this day very strong connections with the City as a Churchwarden at the National Musicians' Church, St Sepulchre-without-Newgate and he is also Chairman of the Friends of the Musicians' Chapel there. Music written for the Choir of Leeds Parish Church over the years includes a number of Anthems by Samuel Sebastian Wesley - Cast me not away from Thy presence among them - as well as his visionary Service in E of 1848. Other well-known repertoire from Edward Bairstow was also composed specifically for the Leeds Choir, including Let all mortal flesh keep silence (1906), If the Lord had not helped me (1910), Sing ye to the Lord (1911) and the large-scale Communion Service in D of 1913.

Choral Foundation

There has never been a Choir School at Leeds, nor any large-scale endowments. A large-scale appeal for £500,000 was established in 2002; by 2008, £406,000 had been raised, of which £22,000 has been sponsorship to cover specific expenditure (mainly events), and a further £28,000 has already been paid out in grants to the Choral Foundation. The total administrative costs of the Appeal from 2002–8 have been less than £2,000, so this leaves £352,000 already invested towards our target of a £500,000 endowment for the Choir. The Church Urban Fund generously supported the work of Ashley Francis-Roy as the Church's first Choral Outreach Animateur during the academic year 2010/2011 and Ric Hollingbery follows in this capacity for the academic year 2011/2012 with funding provided by the Hesco Bastion Foundation.

Friends of the Music

The Friends of the Music of Leeds Parish Church (a trail-blazing support organisation founded in 1951) has saved the Choir from oblivion. On its formation during the year of the Festival of Britain, the Friends of the Music was the first such support group established at an English Parish Church; there have since been many successors in "Quires and Places where they sing"! The indefatigable support of many recent parishioners and of successive Head Teachers of the Parochial School, St Peter's Church of England Primary School, now situated in Burmantofts but previously housed within the Parish Church Precincts, has also been vital to the Choir's survival.

Boy Choristers

The Boys attend a great variety of Schools in Leeds itself and further afield, with a considerable percentage drawn from St Peter's, the Parish Church's own school (now Primary, St Peter's was a Middle School during the period of Leeds City Council's operating a three-tiered, rather than a two-tiered school system). Current Boy Choristers are drawn from St Peter's [Leeds Parish Church] Church of England Primary School, Burmantofts, Abbey Grange Church of England [[Academy], Brudenell Primary School, Whingate Primary School, Roundhay School Technology College and Cardinal Heenan Roman Catholic High School. A number of Boys have risen to great eminence in musical, educational, ecclesiastical and artistic fields and LPCC alumni including Paul Trepte (Director of Music at Ely Cathedral since 1990), Stephen Parham-Connolly, for long the second bass of the world-famous close harmony group, the King's Singers, Paul Dutton (the most celebrated boy treble of his day), Director of Music at Gateways School, The Very Reverend J Paul Kennington, now Dean of Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal), Canada and Peter Simpson (formerly of Israeli Opera) as well as leading figures in business and academia. No less than four former Boy Choristers of the Parish Church are now fully committed members of its adult choir: Alto Ian Weatherill, Tenor Toby Ward and Basses David Hawkin and Samuel Parker.

Girl Choristers

The Girls, like the Boys, come from many different schools in and around Leeds including, currently St Peter's [Leeds Parish Church] Church of England Primary School Burmantofts. Abbey Grange Church of England High School Humanities College, [{St Augustine]]'s Roman Catholic Primary School Harehills, Primrose High School Burmantofts, Gateways School Harewood and Pudsey Grangefield. The Girl Choristers, founded in 1997 by Jonathan Lilley - now at Ely Cathedral, are directed by David Houlder, who has since 2003 held the combined office of Sub-Organist and Director of the Girls'Choir. The Girls attend most Saturday mornings during term time and sing a short choral service of Morning Worship at 11.45 am. A number of former Girl Choristers have achieved success in University Choral Scholarships, including Esther Chadwick and Sophie Wellings - both at Clare College Cambridge.

Choir Gentlemen

There are three categories of adults singing in the Choir: Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks (many are university and college students who sing in the "daily" Choir as well as at weekend) and "Sunday" Gentlemen, being voluntary singers from all walks of life. Academic establishments attended by current and recent choral and organ scholars include the University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University, the University of Huddersfield, Leeds College of Music, Bradford Grammar School, North Halifax Grammar School, Allerton High School Leeds and Fulneck School. The "Sunday" Gentlemen are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds - Building Society Training Officer, Funeral Director, School Bursar, Pharmacist from different areas including: Mirfield, Roundhay, Adel, Alwoodley, Bramhope, City Centre, Cross Gates. Headingley and Meanwood.

Weekly Choir Schedule and Anthologies used

Sunday Choral Services at 10.30 am and 6.30 pm (3.00 on Sundays preceding a Bank Holiday and the last Sunday in September, and on the Sunday immediately preceding Christmas Day). The Parish Church uses the New English Hymnal and its 2006 supplement "New English Praise" 2006; the Worcester Psalter edited by Sir Ivor Atkins provides the pointing of the Psalms. Other collections used regularly include Anthems for Unison and Two-Part Singing, Volumes and 2 RSCM, Anthems for Men's Voices [OUP], the Favourite Anthem Book Volume 5, edited Richard Lloyd^{[disambiguation needed ]} and published by Kevin Mayhew, Sing Low Novello^{[disambiguation needed ]} edited by Dr Barry Rose, Advent for Choirs [OUP] edited by Malcolm Archer & Stephen Cleobury, Lent, Passiontide and Easter for Choirs [OUP] edited by Lionel Dakers and John Scott^{[disambiguation needed ]}, Hilariter [RSCM Ripon and Leeds] - a resource book for Eastertide edited by Dr Simon Lindley, The University Carol Book - edited by Dr Erik Routley and, finally, two further OUP Compilations: Hymns for Choirs edited by Sir David Willcocks, and 100 Carols for Choirs edited by Sir David Willcocks and John Rutter.

• Monday 5.30 pm Choral Evensong (Boys) - the Choristers read the Scripture Lessons at this Service, a tradition dating back over forty years
• Wednesday 5.30 pm Choral Evensong (Full Choir)
• Thursday 5.30 pm Choral Evensong (Men's Voices)
• Friday 7.00 pm Choral Evensong (Full Choir)
• Saturday 11.45 am Morning Worship (Girls' Voices - sung by the Girls' Choir, formed in 1997 by Jonathan Lilley, now Assistant to Paul Trepte at Ely Cathedral) The Girl Choristers are currently directed by David Houlder, who has served in that capacity since 2003.

Dr Simon Lindley, Organist and Master of the Music

Dr Lindley served in the City of London and at Westminster Cathedral before moving to St Albans Cathedral as the first full-time Assistant Master of the Music there. He was appointed to Leeds Parish Church early in 1975 and is the longest-serving Organist in the Church's history. Dr Lindley is also City Organist and Music Director of Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds - positions he has occupied since 1976 and 1977 respectively. He is a leading figure in civic, regional and national life and enjoys a national and international profile as an organist and conductor. He is currently serving as Conductor of Sheffield Bach Choir and of Doncaster Choral Society. A former Chorus Master to both Halifax Choral Society and Leeds Philharmonic Society - he served with these Choirs between 1976 and 1988 - Dr Lindley is a Life Vice-President of both. Simon is also serving a second annual term in office both as Grand Organist to the United Grand Lodge of England and to the Masonic Province of Yorkshire West Riding. In his capacity as a Director of the English Hymnal Company Limited he is Chairman of the Ecclesiastical Music Trust founded by Ralph Vaughan Williams and he also holds office as President of the Campaign for the Traditional Cathedral Choir. Dr Lindley's colleagues as Sub Organist at the Parish Church have included Dr Anthony Langford, Dr Tom Corfield of Derby Cathedral, Timothy Hone (later Sub Organist of Coventry Cathedral, Master of the Music at Newcastle Cathedral and now Head of Music and Liturgy at Salisbury Cathedral), Michael Harris [Master of the Music of St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh, Matthew Beetschen [Organist and Choirmaster of Dunblane Cathedral, Edward Marsh, Carleton Etherington [now at Tewkesbury Abbey], James Eaton [from Rochester Cathedral and later at the Metropolitan Cathedral Cardiff and Romsey Abbey], and David Houlder [formerly Director of Music of the Blue Coat School Liverpool and Sub-Organist of Liverpool Cathedral.

Choirs' Festivals: Yorkshire Three Choirs & Yorkshire Cathedrals Girls Choirs Festivals

The Choir of Leeds Parish Church participates annually in two major regional choral festivals - the Yorkshire Three Choirs (begun in Leeds in 1982 through the initiative of the then Bishop of Ripon, The Right Reverend David Young and Canon Graham Foley, Vicar of Leeds from 1971 to 1982 and the Yorkshire Cathedrals' Girls' Choirs' Festivals begun by Louise Marsh at Wakefield Cathedral in the 1990s. The Yorkshire Three Choirs' Festival, comprising the Choirs of Ripon Cathedral and Wakefield Cathedral and Leeds Parish Church, is generously supported on an annual basis by Leeds City Council under the auspices of Leeds International Concert Season and by the Ecclesiastical Music Trust. The Yorkshire Cathedrals' Girls' Choirs' Festival involves participation by The Girls' Choirs of Leeds Parish Church, York Minster and the Anglican Diocesan Cathedrals of Bradford, Ripon, Sheffield and Wakefield.

Other Choral Collaborations

The Choir of Leeds Parish Church combines regularly with Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds in special services and concerts at the Church and, occasionally, elsewhere. The Boy Choristers, Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks of the Parish Church Choir have enjoyed and continue to enjoy, close associations with the Choir of Leeds Cathedral (St Anne's Roman Catholic Cathedral) and the Parish Church's own Diocesan Cathedral at Ripon. The Ripon/Leeds collaborations date back thirty years to the Ripon organistship of the legendary Ronald Perrin; the cooperation with Leeds Cathedral is of more recent date and has proved equally fruitful, fulfilling and enjoyable.

Royal School of Church Music

The Choir of Leeds Parish Church has sustained very strong links with the RSCM down the years. RSCM Founder Sir Sydney Nicholson and Leeds Churchwarden Herbert Bacon Smith, for many years Choir Treasurer of the Parish Church, were close personal friends. The Church's present Organist and Master of the Music, Dr Simon Lindley, has worked for the RSCM in many capacities for over forty years, serving as Organ Tutor at the College of St Nicolas from 1972 to 1974. Dr Lindley is one of the longest-serving RSCM Special Commissioners and has directed RSCM courses on four continents. In 2009, he visited South Africa for the National Summer School at St George's Cathedral and St Cyprian's School, Cape Town in the New Year and in Summer went to the United States of America as Course Director of the Carolina Course of Girl Choristers. In Spring 2010, Dr Lindley directed the RSCM Swiss Archdeaconry Choirs Festival in Lausanne. In Summer 2009, 2010 and 2011, Dr Lindley directed the special Ripon and Leeds Area Diocesan Choirs' Festival on the occasion of the Presentation of the Dean's and Bishops' Choristers' Awards within the Diocese; the services in 2009 & 2011 were held at Leeds Parish Church and that in 2010 at Ripon Cathedral. The service in 2012 will again be held at Leeds Parish Church and those of 2013 and 2014 at Ripon Cathedral.

The Royal College of Organists

A number of the Organists of Leeds Parish Church have served as Council Members and Examiners of The Royal College of Organists, including Dr Bairstow, Dr Tysoe, Dr Cook and Dr Lindley; two of Leeds's musical incumbents, Sir Edward Bairstow and Dr Simon Lindley have had the privilege of holding office as the College's President. The first ever regional event took place at Leeds Parish Church in the late 1970s and in Spring 2001, Leeds Parish Church hosted the RCO Presentation of Diplomas in the Nave of the Church.

References

• An account of a Chorister from S S Wesley's day - from Samuel R Dyer: Dialect of the West Riding of Yorkshire (1891)

External links

• http://www.leedsparishchurch.org.uk/choir/choirwhole.htm
• http://www.leeds.gov.uk/discover/discovery.asp?page=20031110_356182278&topic=20031110_154781521&subsection=200419_421108425
• http://www.simonlindley.org.uk/a_biography.html
• http://www.simonlindley.org.uk/leeds_parish_church_organ.html
• RSCM Website
• Simon Lindley Website
• http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gegk7qqfYPUC&pg=PA26&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=0_0&sig=0Bn3MF3fbdZmEX72VBKK3CxLVE4
• http://www.northcravenheritage.org.uk/nchtjournal/Journals/1995/J95A12.html