- Stephen Bicknell
Stephen Bicknell (
20 December 1957 –18 August 2007 ) was a leading Britishorgan builder and writer about the organ.Early and family life
Bicknell was born in Chelsea. His grandfather was an amateur
violin ist, and his mother, Sally, was a pianist. She married historian and former BBC executiveLeonard Miall in 1975. He was educated atWestminster School ,Winchester College , and read Arts General atSt. Chad's College ,Durham University . [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2200936,00.html Obituary, "The Guardian", 29 October 2007] ]Career
Bicknell's career in pipe organ building started with N.P. Mander Ltd. in east London in 1979. He worked with the company's founder, Noel Mander, and his son, John Mander. One of his projects was the rebuilding of the organ in the chapel at
Mill Hill School .He left Mander Ltd. in 1987 to work for
J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd in Brandon inSuffolk , where he worked on projects forOriel College, Oxford , a one-manualchamber organ for the quire atCarlisle Cathedral , and the parish church inKesgrave , nearIpswich . He returned to N.P. Mander Ltd. as head designer in 1990, working on rebuilding the organ in the chapel atSt John's College, Cambridge , on two organs forChelmsford Cathedral , and a four-manual mechanical-action organ Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan. He was directly involved with the design and construction of some of the most significant recent new instruments to be built in Britain. In 1993, he left full-time organ building to pursue a varied freelance career.Organs associated with Bicknell
In 1986, he collaborated with his architect brother
Julian Bicknell on the casework of the organ atMagdalen College, Oxford . In 1989, Bicknell surveyed the organ in the ballroom ofBuckingham Palace , expressing his horror at the state of the organ. The outside appearance was fine, but the woodwork and pipes were "broken, dented and collapsing". The organ was eventually overhauled and restored in 2002. He was particularly associated with the 1993 Mander organ inGray's Inn Chapel, where he led the team of builders, and the two 1994 Mander organs installed inChelmsford Cathedral , which he designed.Publications and associations
His interests in organ history were expressed in his membership of the
British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) since soon after its conception in 1976. He served BIOS as a Council Member, as its Membership Secretary, and as editor of the quarterly BIOS Reporter (1986-1992). He contributed essays to the annual BIOS Journal and to other publications, and read papers at conferences in Britain, France, Germany and the USA. He also lectured on organ history at theRoyal Academy of Music . [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article2492040.ece Obituary, "The Times", 20 September 2007] ]In 1996,
Cambridge University Press published his 400-page "The History of the English Organ", a work which has received wide critical acclaim. It is regarded as the leading work on the topic. He was awarded theNicholas Bessaraboff Prize by theAmerican Musical Instrument Society for the best book in English on musical instruments published in the two year period 1996-97.He gave a lecture in 2001 on the restored organ at the
Royal Festival Hall , writing "A Concert-Goer's Guide to the Organ" for visitors. He also contributed to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and to the "Cambridge Companion to the Organ".Later career
In 2005 Bicknell took a permanent post as an administrator with the
Association of Accounting Technicians in London. Outside work, he enjoyed gardening at the house inLondon Fields ,Hackney that he shared with Jon Vanner, his partner of 11 years with whom he had entered acivil partnership in 2006. [http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2976647.ece Obituary, "The Independent", 19 September 2007] ]Death
Bicknell was found dead at his house in London at the age of 49. He had been diagnosed as
HIV positive in 1992, and had also suffered fromclinical depression .cite web| url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/29/db2901.xml| title=Stephen Bicknell| publisher=The Daily Telegraph | date=31 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-03] He is survived by his civil partner, Jon Vanner, as well as his mother and three brothers.External links
* [http://www.stephenbicknell.org Stephen Bicknell Homepage]
References
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