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Stephen Austin Wilkinson (29 April 1919 – 10 August 2021"Stephen Wilkinson, composer and conductor with a rare poetic vision who turned the BBC Orchestras and Singers, BBC Northern Singers
into one of the finest choirs – obituary"], ''The Daily Telegraph'', London, 11 August 2021 ) was a British choral conductor and composer.


Early life

Born in Little Eversden, Eversden Rectory, Cambridgeshire, on 29 April 1919, he was a chorister at
Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
, under Sir
William Henry Harris Sir William Henry Harris (28 March 1883 – 6 September 1973) was an English organist, choral trainer and composer. Early life and education Harris was born in Fulham, London and became a chorister at Holy Trinity, Tulse Hill. At the age o ...
and then went on to St. Edward's, Oxford, having whilst there a few composition lessons with Sir Thomas Armstrong. He went up to
Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...
as Organ Scholar in 1937 and was active as a pianist at the University Music Club, of which he was secretary in his third year. He also refounded the Echo Club for aspiring student composers. His tutors were Edward Dent,
Cyril Rootham Cyril Bradley Rootham (5 October 1875 – 18 March 1938) was an English composer, educator and organist. His work at Cambridge University made him an influential figure in English music life. A Fellow of St John's College, where he was also or ...
, Hubert Middleton, Henry Moule, Philip Radcliffe,
Boris Ord Boris Ord (born Bernhard Ord), (9 July 1897 – 30 December 1961) was a British organist and Director of music, choirmaster of Choir of King's College, Cambridge, King's College, Cambridge (1929-1957). During World War II he served in the Royal ...
, and
Patrick Hadley Patrick Arthur Sheldon Hadley (5 March 1899 – 17 December 1973) was a British composer. Biography Patrick Sheldon Hadley was born on 5 March 1899 in Cambridge. His father, William Sheldon Hadley, was at that time a fellow of Pembroke Co ...
.


War service

He served in the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, first on
Atlantic convoys A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
, then for two years as mine disposal officer in the
Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
. He was then on the staff of the enemy mining section of until, following an accident in 1944, he was invalided out and returned to Cambridge to complete his degree in music in 1946. He was
mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
"for courage and undaunted devotion to duty" in August 1944.


Career

From 1947 to 1953, Wilkinson was director of the Hertfordshire Rural Music School at Hitchin, conducting the Hertford Choir, who celebrated the
Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...
by commissioning "Cutty Sark" for voices and strings from the young
Antony Hopkins Antony Hopkins CBE (21 March 1921 – 6 May 2014) was a composer, pianist, and conductor, as well as a writer and radio broadcaster. He was widely known for his books of musical analysis and for his radio programmes ''Talking About Music'', br ...
. He had always retained a keen interest in working with amateurs. While in Hitchin he also studied singing with George Parker. From 1953 to 1979, he was on the music staff of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, first in Leeds, then from 1961 in Manchester. He first worked with the BBC Northern Singers in 1954 and between then and 1993, by which time they had "gone private" as the Britten Singers, he achieved a notable ''succès d'estime'' with them. They appeared at the major festivals: frequently at
Aldeburgh Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town in the English county, county of Suffolk, England. Located to the north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the composer Benjamin Britten and remains the centre of the int ...
, Bath, Cheltenham, Edinburgh and several times at
The Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
, where
Edward Greenfield Edward Harry Greenfield OBE (3 July 1928 – 1 July 2015) was an English music critic and broadcaster. Early life Edward Greenfield was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. His father, Percy Greenfield, was a manager in a labour exchange, while his ...
described them as "a choir to equal, or even outshine, any in this country" (''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''). They also travelled widely abroad, to Ireland, Belgium, France, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Thailand, Australia and Hong Kong. Wilkinson had always been a great champion of new music, commissioning many works and giving many "Proms Premières" and other first performances with the BBC Northern Singers. The first of these commissions was a work by
Wilfrid Mellers Wilfrid Howard Mellers (26 April 1914 – 17 May 2008) was an English music critic, musicologist and composer. Early life Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, Mellers was educated at the local Leamington College and later won a scholarship to Dow ...
; among his successors are
Richard Rodney Bennett Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (29 March 193624 December 2012) was an English composer of film, TV and concert music, and also a jazz pianist and occasional vocalist. He was based in New York City from 1979 until his death there in 2012.Zachary Woo ...
, Michael Ball, Judith Bingham, Stephen Dodgson,
Geoffrey Burgon Geoffrey Alan Burgon (15 July 194121 September 2010) was an English composer best known for his television and film scores. Among his most recognisable works are ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' for film, and ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' and '' ...
,
Peter Dickinson Peter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson OBE FRSL (16 December 1927 – 16 December 2015) was an English author and poet, best known for children's books and detective stories. Dickinson won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association ...
, John Gardner,
Kenneth Leighton Kenneth Leighton (2 October 1929 – 24 August 1988) was a British composer and pianist. His compositions include church and choral music, pieces for piano, organ, cello, oboe and other instruments, chamber music, concertos, ...
,
John McCabe John McCabe may refer to: *John McCabe (composer) (1939–2015), British composer and classical pianist *John McCabe (writer) (1920–2005), Shakespearean scholar and biographer *Christopher John McCabe Christopher John McCabe (born 20 Oc ...
,
Elizabeth Maconchy Dame Elizabeth Violet Maconchy LeFanu (; 19 March 1907 – 11 November 1994) was an Irish-English composer. She is considered to be one of the finest composers Great Britain and Ireland have produced. Biography Elizabeth Violet Maconchy was b ...
,
Nicholas Maw John Nicholas Maw (5 November 1935 – 19 May 2009) was a British composer. Among his works are the operas '' The Rising of the Moon'' (1970) and ''Sophie's Choice'' (2002). Biography Born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, Maw was the son of Clarence ...
,
Alan Bullard Alan Bullard (born 4 August 1947) is a British composer, known mainly for his choral and educational music. His compositions are regularly performed and broadcast worldwide, and they appear on a number of CDs. Early career and education He was ...
,
Robin Orr Robert Kemsley (Robin) Orr (2 June 1909 – 9 April 2006) was a Scottish organist and composer. Life Born in Brechin, and educated at Loretto School, he studied the organ at the Royal College of Music in London under Walter Galpin Alcock, and pi ...
and
William Walton Sir William Turner Walton (29 March 19028 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include ''Façade'', the cantat ...
(''Cantico del Sole''). They gave the first concert performance of
Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...
's ''Nunc Dimittis'', now a staple of the repertoire. They recorded widely; their disc ''Spring Song'' was listed as Critic's Choice in ''
The Gramophone ''Gramophone'' is a magazine published monthly in London, devoted to classical music, particularly to reviews of recordings. It was founded in 1923 by the Scottish author Compton Mackenzie who continued to edit the magazine until 1961. It was a ...
''. Warm reviews followed: "In the field of choral music, Stephen Wilkinson is a genius" (''
The Yorkshire Post ''The Yorkshire Post'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds in Yorkshire, England. It primarily covers stories from Yorkshire although its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". It was previously owned by ...
''); "Simply a great choral conductor" (''
South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
''); "No praise could overstate the merits of Stephen Wilkinson's direction" (
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
). Wilkinson also performed with other professional choirs – the
BBC Singers The BBC Singers are a British chamber choir, and the professional chamber choir of the BBC. One of the six BBC Performing Groups, the BBC Singers are based at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London. The only full-time professional British c ...
in London, the RTE Singers in Dublin and the
Nederlands Kamerkoor The Netherlands Chamber Choir (Dutch ''Nederlands Kamerkoor'') is a full-time and independent professional Dutch choir. It was founded in 1937 by a :nl:Felix de Nobel as the ''Chorus Pro Musica'' to perform Bach cantatas for the Dutch radio.
. However, he remained active in amateur music as well, directing for many years the choral course of the Ernest Read Music Association, now closed down but happily taken over by Canford; also those of the Benslow Music Trust, Manchester and Bristol Universities, and 'Chorale' in Chester. For ten years he conducted yearly week-long choral courses in Italy, based around the Preggio Music Festival. He also established a series of singing days, workshops and study days in Manchester. His principal work in this field was undoubtedly as conductor for nearly forty years of the William Byrd Singers of Manchester, becoming a much-admired figure on the Manchester music scene (described by Robert Beale of the ''
Manchester Evening News The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 201 ...
'' as "one of the most extraordinary men I have ever met"). Under his direction they also gained a string of commissions, foreign tours and festival appearances to their credit. Wilkinson retired as conductor of the William Byrd Singers in May 2009 at the age of 90. In 1991, observing that there was no training orchestra in the Manchester area, Wilkinson founded a companion young string ensemble, Capriccio, as a springboard for the National Youth Orchestra. Choir and strings recorded two CDs together. Some of the group's many alumni now leading national/international careers are: Jonathan Cohen, described as "one of Britain's finest young musicians" (Associate Conductor, Les Arts Florissants), Steven Wilkie (adjudicator, Young Musician of the Year), Clare Duckworth (RPO), Jonathan Martindale (Manchester Camerata), David Adams (leader, WNO orchestra). Continuing his support of new music, Wilkinson ran two composers' competitions, and godfathered ''Earth, Sweet Earth'' by the Bristol composer Alan Charlton and ''Three Poems of Edith Sitwell'' by Graham Redwood.


Composition

Following his retirement from conducting, Wilkinson was increasingly active as a composer. A CD of a selection of his choral music entitled ''Dover Beach'' was released in 2012 on the label Deux-Elles. ''A Phoenix Hour'', settings of Irish poets, was premiered at the
Aldeburgh Festival The Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on Snape Maltings Concert Hall. History of the Aldeburgh Festival Th ...
by the BBC Northern Singers. The Manchester Chamber Choir commissioned two pieces entitled ''Fanfare'' and ''Envoi'', now augmented by a setting of
Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...
to create the tripartite set ''The singing will never be done''; Tarira, a Faroese choir, two ''Tempest'' settings. ''Juno's Song'' and ''Summer Floods'' were written for
I Fagiolini I Fagiolini is a British vocal ensemble specialising in early music and contemporary music. Founded by Robert Hollingworth at Oxford in 1986, the group won the UK Early Music Network’s Young Artists’ Competition in 1988 and a Royal Philharmon ...
. Many solo songs of widely varying character have also appeared from the 1930s to the present day. ''At the Manger'' and ''The Garden'', for voice and viols, were written for his daughter, mezzo-soprano
Clare Wilkinson Clare Wilkinson (born in Manchester, England) is an English mezzo-soprano specialising in Baroque and Renaissance music. Her recent CD recordings are *''Mynstrelles with Straunge Sounds'' with the Rose Consort of Viols *''Anne Boleyn's Songboo ...
, and
Fretwork Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly used ...
, and feature on their disk ''The Silken Tent''. Several volumes of solo songs and choral music are in print: choral collections ''The Other Carol Book'' and ''Grass Roots'' (folk song arrangements), and two solo song collections ''The Sunlight on the Garden'' and ''Eternal Summer'' are available from Forsyth of Manchester. Choral works ''Rorate Coeli'' (Eboracum Choral Series) and ''The Singing World'', both for
SATB SATB is an initialism that describes the scoring of compositions for choirs, and also choirs (or consorts) of instruments. The initials are for the voice types: S for soprano, A for alto, T for tenor and B for bass. Choral music Four-part harm ...
, are published as separate scores, available from Banks of York.


Recognition and last years

Manchester University gave him an honorary MA in 1982 and he was awarded an
MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...
for services to choral music in the
1992 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1992 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries ...
. Wilkinson's 70th birthday was marked by his appearance as "Artist of the Week" on
BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
; also, choral compositions were written for him in honour of the occasion by Michael Ball,
Alan Bullard Alan Bullard (born 4 August 1947) is a British composer, known mainly for his choral and educational music. His compositions are regularly performed and broadcast worldwide, and they appear on a number of CDs. Early career and education He was ...
, Stephen Dodgson,
David Gow David James Gow CBE (born 1957) is the inventor of the i-Limb prosthetic hand. He was made an honorary Doctor of Science in November 2018 by the University of Edinburgh. Biography He was born in Dumfries in 1957 and was educated at Breconbeds ...
, John Joubert,
John McCabe John McCabe may refer to: *John McCabe (composer) (1939–2015), British composer and classical pianist *John McCabe (writer) (1920–2005), Shakespearean scholar and biographer *Christopher John McCabe Christopher John McCabe (born 20 Oc ...
and
Elizabeth Maconchy Dame Elizabeth Violet Maconchy LeFanu (; 19 March 1907 – 11 November 1994) was an Irish-English composer. She is considered to be one of the finest composers Great Britain and Ireland have produced. Biography Elizabeth Violet Maconchy was b ...
. His 80th birthday was celebrated with a pair of concerts in
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
. In 1945 Wilkinson married Anna Dam, whom he had met in the Faroe Islands and he learnt Faroese especially for her. They had four children, David, Christina, Bernard and Andrew. Anna died in 1975, and later that year he married Delyth Jones, a psychotherapist and soprano, with whom he had two daughters, Clare and Stella. He lived in Altrincham, Cheshire for over 50 years until his death. Of his six children, four of them followed him into the music profession. During his final years he embarked on a new career as reader for concerts given by his daughter Clare's early music ensemble, Courtiers of Grace, with whom he has appeared at the Trigonale Festival (Austria), Trinity College, Cambridge, the Brighton and York Early Music Festivals and Stour Music. He died on 10 August 2021, aged 102.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, Stephen 1919 births 2021 deaths English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century British male musicians English centenarians Men centenarians Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Members of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century British conductors (music) 20th-century British male musicians Musicians from Cambridgeshire Royal Navy officers of World War II Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II