Dennis Townhill

Dennis William Townhill OBE (29 May 1925 – 18 July 2008) was an English organist and composer.

Born in Lincoln, he was educated at Lincoln School and studied under Dr Gordon Archbold Slater at Lincoln Cathedral.

Townhill composed a set of responses for use at Anglican evensong.

In 1970, Townhill became the driving force of a plan not only to safeguard the future of the Choir School of St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh but to transform it into a new and vibrant entity.^[1] In 1972, the school was expanded into a specialist music school on the lines of the Yehudi Menuhin School, with Lord Menuhin becoming patron and referring to it as "my younger sister-school in Scotland".^[2]

He was organist and choir master at:

• St Paul's Church, Burton on Trent. 1942 - 1943^[3]
• St Mary le Wigford, Lincoln 1943 - 1947^[3]
• St Mary Magdalene, Bailgate, Lincoln, Lincoln 1947 - 1949^[3]
• St James Church, Louth 1949^[3] - 1956
• Grimsby Parish Church 1956 - 1961
• St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh 1961 - 1991

He retired in 1991.^[4]

References

1. ^ Obituary (Times) of Dr Denis Townhill retrieved 2009-11-02
2. ^ Obituary (Scotsman) of Dr Denis Townhill retrieved 2009-11-03
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Who's Who in Music. Shaw Publishing Co. Ltd. London. First Post-War Edition. 1949-50
4. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article4812668.ece

Persondata
Name	Townhill, Dennis
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	29 May 1925
Place of birth
Date of death	18 July 2008
Place of death