Dennis William Townhill (29 May 1925 – 18 July 2008) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

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

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 ...

. Born in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...

, he was educated at Lincoln School and studied under Dr

Gordon Archbold Slater Gordon Archbold Slater D.Mus. FRCO (1896–1979) was an English cathedral organist, who served in Leicester Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral. He was a composer of organ, piano and choral music. Hymn Tunes Three hymn tunes appear in well-known ...

Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Minster, or the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln and sometimes St Mary's Cathedral, in Lincoln, England, is a Grade I listed cathedral and is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Lincoln. Constructio ...

. Townhill composed a set of responses for use at

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

evensong Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. In origin, it is identical to the canonical hour of vespers. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which became ...

. 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. In 1972, the school was expanded into a specialist music school on the lines of the

Yehudi Menuhin School The Yehudi Menuhin School is a Specialist school, specialist music school in Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey, England, founded in 1963 by violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin. The current director of music is the British classical pianist Ashley Wass. ...

, with

Lord Menuhin Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

becoming patron and referring to it as "my younger sister-school in Scotland". He was organist and choir master at: * St Paul's Church, Burton on Trent. 1942–1943Who's Who in Music. Shaw Publishing Co. Ltd. London. First Post-War Edition. 1949–50 * St. Mary le Wigford’s Church, Lincoln 1943–1947 * St. Mary Magdalene, Bailgate, Lincoln, Lincoln 1947–1949 * St James Church, Louth 1949–1956 * Grimsby Parish Church 1956–1961 * St Mary's Cathedral,

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

1961–1991 He retired in 1991.

References

1925 births 2008 deaths Officers of the Order of the British Empire English classical organists British male organists Cathedral organists People from Lincoln, England People educated at Lincoln Grammar School 20th-century organists 20th-century British conductors (music) 20th-century British male musicians St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal) Male classical organists {{organist-stub