Christopher Tambling (13 May 1964 – 3 October 2015) was a British

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

and choirmaster. From 1997 to 2015 he was Director of Music at

Downside School Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the English public school tradition for pupils aged 11 to 18. It is located between Bath, Frome, Wells and Bruton, and is attached to Downside Abbey. Originall ...

and organist and Choirmaster of the Schola Cantorum at

Downside Abbey Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in England and the senior community of the English Benedictine Congregation. Until 2019, the community had close links with Downside School, for the education of children aged eleven to eighteen. Both t ...

, leading the choir to international success.

Life

He received his musical education from Malcolm McKelvey at

Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The school was founded in 1552 and received its first royal charter in 1553 ...

Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

, Sussex and at

St Peter's College, Oxford St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is located in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom. It occupies the site of two of the university's medieval halls, dating back to at least the 14th c ...

. He later became the city organist and conductor of the Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of

Glenalmond College Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. T ...

Perth, Scotland Perth (Scottish English, locally: ; gd, Peairt ) is a city in central Scotland, on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire. It had a population o ...

. His organ pupils have gone on to continuing success, including scholarships to Oxford and Cambridge. Tambling died in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

in 2015 and was survived by his wife and two sons, both of whom are professional musicians.

Works

Tambling established himself as a composer and arranger of choral and organ works especially, well beyond the borders of his country. His compositions are often characterized by a romantic, expressive and an easy to get style. His main publisher in the UK was Kevin Mayhew and in German-speaking countries Dr. J. Butz. Tambling published books for students of various instruments, including a hugely successful 4 four-volume series, The Church Organist: A New Method, which, combining technical studies, improvisation, hymn-playing and a broad purview of repertoire, offers an approachable method to mastering the organ and has been lauded as a must-have for any aspiring organist. Tambling also wrote a number of pieces for children, including two children’s musicals with Michael Forster, which have been performed all over the world. His works include, with the years indicating publication: * Missa brevis in E flat for choir and organ (wind instruments ad lib.)(2017) * Mass in A for choir and organ (strings ad lib.) (2015) * ''Pastoralmesse'' for choir, orchestra and organ (2014) * Missa brevis in B-flat for choir and organ, with optional brass and tubular bells (2013) * '' Messe in G'' for choir, orchestra and organ (2013) * Missa Festiva for choir and organ (2013) * '' Messe in A'' for one or two soprano choral voices, with organ and optional strings (2010) * ''Festmesse in F'' for choir and organ (wind instruments ad lib.) * Arrangement of Mass in B flat for choir and organ by

Charles Villiers Stanford Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Anglo-Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Romantic music, Romantic era. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was ed ...

* Arrangement of Missa brevis. Mass of St Gregory for SATB, organ and winds ad. lib. by

Richard Runciman Terry Sir Richard Runciman Terry (3 January 1864 – 18 April 1938) was an English organist, choir director and musicologist. He is noted for his pioneering revival of Tudor liturgical music. Early years Richard Terry was born in 1864 in Ellington, ...

* ''British Album'', ten pieces for organ (2009) * ''Very British'', eight pieces for organ (2013) * ''Best of British'', ten pieces for organ (2016) * ''Six Pieces'' for flute (or oboe) and organ (2012) * ''Ein Haus voll Glorie schauet'', for choir, orchestra and organ, on the hymn "

Ein Haus voll Glorie schauet "Ein Haus voll Glorie schauet" (A house full of glory looks) is a popular German Catholic hymn, frequently sung for the consecration of churches (''Kirchweihe'') and their anniversaries. Text and tune were created by Joseph Mohr in 1875. It was cha ...

", 2012 for the millennium of

Bamberg Cathedral Bamberg Cathedral (german: Bamberger Dom, official name Bamberger Dom St. Peter und St. Georg) is a church in Bamberg, Germany, completed in the 13th century. The cathedral is under the administration of the Roman Catholic Church and is the se ...

References

External links

*
Christopher Tambling
Butz-Verlag

Kevin Mayhew {{DEFAULTSORT:Tambling, Christopher Alumni of St Peter's College, Oxford People educated at Christ's Hospital Classical composers of church music British classical organists 21st-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers Deaths from pancreatic cancer 1964 births 2015 deaths 20th-century British composers