Memorial to Malcolm Courtenay Boyle in Chester Cathedral

Malcolm Boyle (1902–1976) was a British

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 ...

Career

He was born in

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, and as a boy served as a chorister at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

. He became an organ pupil of Sir Walter Parratt of

St. George's Chapel St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...

, Windsor. At age 17 he was appointed organist and choirmaster of Holy Trinity Garrison Church, Windsor. After taking his BMus at Queen's College,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, he became Assistant organist to Sir Henry Walford Davies at St George's (1925-1932). He also attended the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

where he had been granted an organ scholarship. In 1932The Musical Times. 1 March 1932. p.251 he became organist of

Chester Cathedral Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Sain ...

. As a divorcee, he was dismissed by the Dean and Chapter when he remarried in 1948. In 1949 he was appointed an Examiner for the

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) is an examination board and registered charity based in the United Kingdom. ABRSM is one of five examination boards accredited by Ofqual to award graded exams and diploma qualification ...

. In this capacity he travelled widely to

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India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

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, and the

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. He was chosen as one of a panel of specially co-opted musical adjudicators from

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

for Expo year in

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. His

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

"Thou, O God, art praised in Sion" still enjoys a place in the musical repertoire of the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...

. For many years no published edition was available, the piece only existing in manuscript form, having been written down from memory by Dr George Guest, who had been a chorister at Chester Cathedral under Boyle. The motet was later published by Paraclete Press. Fittingly, it was the introit at Dr. Guest's memorial service.Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge
For the last decade of his life he was organist and choirmaster at his local church in Sandiway, Cheshire.

References

1902 births 1976 deaths English classical organists British male organists Cathedral organists People educated at Eton College Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century English musicians 20th-century organists 20th-century British male musicians Male classical organists {{Organist-stub