![Gloucester cathedral full](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Gloucester_cathedral_full.jpg)
Alfred Melville Cook (18 June 1912 – 22 May 1993) was a British organist, conductor, composer and teacher.
Early life and education
Cook was born in
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
. He was a chorister at
Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishment of a minster dedicated to S ...
(1923–1928) and articled pupil there under
Herbert Sumsion
Herbert Whitton Sumsion (14 January 1899 – 11 August 1995) was an English musician who was organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967. Through his leadership role with the Three Choirs Festival, Sumsion maintained close association ...
(1929–1932). He also studied with
Herbert Brewer
Sir Alfred Herbert Brewer (21 June 18651 March 1928) was an English composer and organist. As organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1896 until his death, he contributed a good deal to the Three Choirs Festival for 30 years.Edwards, F.G. 'Brew ...
and
Edward Bairstow
Sir Edward Cuthbert Bairstow (22 August 18741 May 1946) was an English organist and composer in the Anglican church music tradition.
Life and career
Bairstow was born in Trinity Street, Huddersfield in 1874. His grandfather Oates Bairstow was ...
. He held the
ARCO
ARCO ( ) is a brand of gasoline stations currently owned by Marathon Petroleum after BP sold its rights. BP commercializes the brand in Northern California, Oregon and Washington, while Marathon has rights for the rest of the United States an ...
(1931) and the
FRCO with the Harding Prize (1931). He studied at
Durham University
, mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1)
, established = (university status)
, type = Public
, academic_staff = 1,830 (2020)
, administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19)
, chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen
, vice_chan ...
, receiving the B.Mus. in 1934 and D.Mus. in 1940.
Career
Cook was assistant organist of Gloucester Cathedral (1932–1937)
The Three Choirs Festival: A History
'. Boydell & Brewer; 2017. . p. 221–. and was also organist of
All Saints' Church, Cheltenham
All Saints Church, Cheltenham, is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of EnglandThe Buildings of England : Gloucestershire: Nikolaus Pevsner. in Cheltenham.
All Saints stands in the Traditional Catholic tradition of the Church of E ...
(1935–1937). In 1937 or 1938, aged 25, he was appointed choirmaster and organist at
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Minster, or the Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds (formerly Leeds Parish Church) is the minster church of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the site of the oldest church in the city and is of architectural and l ...
. (See also
Choir of Leeds Parish Church). During the war he served with the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
in the Orkney Islands, East Africa, India and the Far East, and it was during this period that he met his wife Marion in Scotland.
By 1946 he had returned to
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
, during which time he performed on national radio both as a solo organist and choirmaster. He worked as director of the Parish Church Choir where he broadened the musical repertoire of Leeds Parish Church, introducing more unaccompanied music. He was also organist at the Leeds Triennial Festivals in the late 1940s and early to mid-1950s. He became conductor of the
Halifax Choral Society
Halifax Choral Society is a choir based in the town of Halifax in the English county of West Yorkshire. It is notable for being the oldest amateur choral society in Britain (and possibly in the world) with an unbroken record of performance.
...
in 1948, and founded th
Leeds Guild of Singersin the same year. In December 1956 he took up the post of
Organist and Master of the Choristers at
Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Hereford in Hereford, England.
A place of worship has existed on the site of the present building since the 8th century or earlier. The present building was begun in 1079. S ...
, where he was principal conductor at the Hereford
Three Choirs Festival
200px, Worcester cathedral
200px, Gloucester cathedral
The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester) and originally featu ...
in 1958, 1961 and 1964.
In 1966 he emigrated to Canada to become director of the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir
[Peter Letkemann. ]
The Ben Horch Story
'. Old Oak Publishing; 2007. . p. 370. and organist and choirmaster at All Saints' Anglican Church, Winnipeg.
[Don Ewing. ]
As I Recall
'. Lulu.com; August 2009. . p. 528–. He was the organist and choirmaster (1967–1986) at the
Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church is a historic Neo-Gothic style church in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest and most prominent churches of the United Church of Canada. It is located at 56 Queen Street East, between Bond and ...
, Toronto, where he organized organ recitals, chamber concerts, choral performances, and presented a number of oratorios with the Metropolitan Festival Choir and Orchestra. He taught organ (1974–1977) at
McMaster University
McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...
in Hamilton.
Retirement and death
Melville Cook retired to Cheltenham in 1986 and remained there until his death in 1993. A memorial service for Dr Cook was held at Leeds Parish Church in the autumn of 1993.
The Organ
'. Vol. 72 - Issue 290, Volume 73. Musical Opinion; 1992. p. 121.
Compositions
* I Love All Beauteous Things (Stainer & Bell 1935)
* West Sussex Drinking Song (TTBB chorus a cappella, Curwen 1956)
* Antiphon of Darkness and Light (Novello 1973)
* The Character of a Happy Life (Leslie 1990)
Arrangements
* The Secret Flower. Harmonized by Martin Shaw, Accompaniment and Descant by Melville Cook
Recordings
* Leeds Parish Church (RCA VICS 1624)
* Hereford Cathedral (RCA LVLI 5019, RCA VPS 1065)
* Great Cathedral Organ Series. Record Number 11: Hereford Cathedral. Melville Cook, Organist. His Masters Voice/EMI: HMV Q CLP3565 0 CSD3565. Recorded 1968. John Bull (Ed. Glyn): Pavana Sinfoniae. S. S. Wesley: Larghetto in F sharp minor.
Joseph Jongen
Joseph Marie Alphonse Nicolas Jongen (14 December 1873 – 12 July 1953) was a Belgian organist, composer, and music educator.
Biography
Jongen was born in Liège, where his parents had moved from Flanders. On the strength of an amazing precocity ...
: Sonata Eroica, Op. 94. Jean Langlais: Incantation pour un jour saint. Flor Peeters: Aria, Op. 51. Maurice Duruflé: Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain, Op. 7.
* Selections from EMI Great Cathedral Organ Series, Volume Two. Hereford Cathedral. Melville Cook, Organist. PHI CD 161. Maurice Duruflé: Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain, Opus 7. S. S. Wesley: Larghetto in F sharp minor. Joseph Jongen: Sonata Eroica, Op. 94.
* Selections from EMI Great Cathedral Organ Series, Volume Four. Hereford Cathedral. Melville Cook, Organist. PHI CD 163. Melville Cook (Hereford Cathedral). Flor Peeters: Aria.
* Toronto: Metropolitan Silver Band and the Danforth Citadel Band (Cathedral Brass, 1973, Metropolitan Silver Band STM-0473)
* Stabat Mater by Joseph Haydn. Metropolitan Festival Choir and Orchestra, Janet Stubbs, mezzo-soprano, tenor Ronald Murdock (1988?, Stereodyne/Audio Ideas) (The performance was on October 28, 1978)
Literature
* ''The Organists and Organs of Hereford Cathedral'': Watkins Shaw and Roy Massey. Hereford: Hereford Cathedral Organ Committee, 2005. First published in 1976.
References
External links
"Melville Cook"''The Canadian Encyclopedia''.
Melville Cook in the National Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Melville
1912 births
1993 deaths
Military personnel from Gloucestershire
British classical organists
British male organists
Cathedral organists
British male conductors (music)
Fellows of the Royal College of Organists
20th-century British conductors (music)
20th-century British composers
20th-century organists
20th-century British male musicians
Alumni of Durham University
British Army personnel of World War II
Royal Artillery personnel
Male classical organists