Roy Cyril Massey (born 9 May 1934) is a British organist and conductor.
Early life and education
Born in
Birmingham, Massey was educated at
Moseley Grammar School
Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
and the
University of Birmingham, where he was awarded the degree of
Bachelor of Music (BMus). He also holds the diplomas of
FRCO(CHM) and the Archbishop's Diploma in Church Music (ADCM).
Career
Massey served as organist of
St Alban-the-Martyr,
Bordesley (1953–1960), and of
St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston (1960–1965), before becoming warden of the
Royal School of Church Music and organist of
Croydon Parish Church (1965–1968).
From 1968 to 1974 he was organist of
St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
The Cathedral Church of Saint Philip is the Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham. Built as a parish church in the Baroque style by Thomas Archer, it was consecrated in 1715. Located on Colmore Row in central Birmin ...
, and director of music at
King Edward's School, Birmingham. He was elected Fellow of the
Royal School of Church Music (FRSCM) in 1972 and Fellow of
St. Michael's College, Tenbury
St. Michael's College (the College of St. Michael and All Angels) was founded by Sir Frederick Ouseley in 1856 as a boys Preparatory School. Ouseley created the school to provide a model for the performance of Anglican church music. Choral se ...
, in 1975.
From 1974 to 2001 he was
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 ...
. During this time, he was conductor-in-chief of the
Three Choirs Festival for nine seasons, for which he commissioned and conducted the premieres of several works by British composers.
Later life
Following his retirement from Hereford Cathedral, Massey became President of the
Royal College of Organists (2003–2005). He remained active as a concert organist, and gave the opening recital on the newly rebuilt organ at Hereford Cathedral in 2005.
He was awarded the
Lambeth degree of
Doctor of Music (DMus) in 1990 and appointed a Member of the
Order of the British Empire (MBE) in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
.
His arrangement of the Ukrainian melody "Long the Night, was included in the carol anthology ''Noel!'', published by Novello in 2000.
In 2021 Massey published his autobiography, ''An Organist Remembers: Memories of a Life in Cathedral Music''.
Book review, "An Organist Remembers: Memories of a Life in Cathedral Music"
''Church Times'', 31 December 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Massey, Roy Cyril
1934 births
Living people
Cathedral organists
British male organists
British classical organists
British male conductors (music)
People educated at Moseley School
Members of the Order of the British Empire
21st-century British conductors (music)
21st-century organists
21st-century British male musicians
Male classical organists