Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson (9 February 1875 – 30 May 1947) was an English

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

director,

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, now chiefly remembered as the founder of the

Royal School of Church Music The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is a Christian music education organisation dedicated to the promotion of music in Christian worship, in particular the repertoire and traditions of Anglican church music, largely through publications, tr ...

(RSCM) and the compiler of ''The Parish Psalter''.

Life

Nicholson was born in London to Sir Charles Nicholson, 1st Baronet, and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Nicholson ( Keightley). His elder brother was architect Sir Charles Nicholson; his younger brother was the stained-glass artist Archibald Keightley Nicholson.Godfrey, W. H
Nicholson, Charles Archibald, second baronet
''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', Oxford University Press, 2004, 23 September 2004, retrieved 10 May 2020. He was educated at

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

and the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

. At this last-named institution, he studied the organ. He then served as organist at Barnet Parish Church (1897–1903),

Carlisle Cathedral Carlisle Cathedral is a grade-I listed Anglican cathedral in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria, England. It was founded as an Augustinian priory and became a cathedral in 1133. It is also the seat of the Bishop of Carlisle.Tim Tatton-Brown and John ...

(1904), Lower Chapel,

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 ...

(1904–1908), Manchester Cathedral (1908–1919), and

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

(1919–1928). Along with maintaining his organist posts, he edited the ''

Hymns Ancient and Modern ''Hymns Ancient and Modern'' is a hymnal in common use within the Church of England, a result of the efforts of the Oxford Movement. The hymnal was first published in 1861. The organization publishing it has now been formed into a charitable ...

'' supplement that was published in 1916; he did not live to see the 1950 revised edition. Something momentous would have to occur to persuade most away from playing the organ at the prestigious Westminster Abbey, but such was the case with Nicholson who was so concerned at the sad state of choral music in the parish churches throughout the country that in 1927 he founded the School of English Church Music (now the RSCM), in the hope of rectifying the problem. The School's members initially met at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate. One of Nicholson's most successful compositions for parish choirs was his ''Communion Service in G'', which was widely sung, especially in Anglo-Catholic churches, until recent times. He was warden of St Nicholas College, Chislehurst (1928–1939). In addition to having edited ''Hymns Ancient and Modern'', still the standard

hymn book A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chri ...

in many

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 ...

churches today, Nicholson wrote several hymn tunes. Of these, the most famous are ''Crucifer'' for the popular

processional hymn A processional hymn is a chant, hymn or other music sung during the Procession, usually at the start of a Christian service, although occasionally during the service itself. The procession usually contains members of the clergy and the choir walki ...

Lift High the Cross "Lift High the Cross" is a 19th century English Christian hymn. It was written in 1887 by George Kitchin and revised in 1916 by Michael R. Newbolt. History Kitchin wrote "Lift High the Cross" in 1887, while he was the Church of England Dean of ...

'' and ''Totteridge''. In 1928 he received the Lambeth DMus, and a decade later he was knighted for his services to Church music. He died at

Ashford, Kent Ashford is a town in the county of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Great Stour at the southern or Escarpment, scarp edge of the North Downs, about southeast of central London and northwest of Folkestone by road. In the ...

at the age of 72, and was buried at

Works

Books on Church Music

* ''Church Music'' (1920) London: Faith Press * ''Boy's Choirs'' (1922) Glasgow * ''Church Music A Practical Handbook'' (1927) London: Faith Press * ''In Quires and Places where they sing'' (1932) London: Bell * ''Peter: Adventures of a chorister 1137-1937'' (1944) London: SPCK (fiction) * ''Practical Methods of Choir Training'' (1947) London: SPCK (now RSCM) * ''The Elements of Extemporisation'' (n.d.) Croydon: RSCM

Anthems

* An Ode on the Birth of our Saviour * Cleanse us, O Lord * God be in my head * Let us with a gladsome mind * Love divine, all loves excelling * My song is love unknown * Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee (boys' voices)

Cantata

* The Saviour of the World

Canticles

* Evening Service in D-flat major * Evening Service on Parisian Tones * Communion Service in G major * Jubilate in F major (boys' voices)

Hymn tunes

* AIRLIE * BOW BRICKHILL * CHISLEHURST * CRUCIFER * FENITON * HOSANNA IN EXCELSIS * LYTLINGTON * TOTTERIDGE * TRAFALGAR

Opera

* The Boy Bishop: an Opera for Boys (1926)

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, Sydney 1875 births 1947 deaths English classical organists British male organists Cathedral organists English classical composers People from Ashford, Kent People educated at Rugby School Alumni of New College, Oxford Alumni of the Royal College of Music Classical composers of church music Knights Bachelor Composers awarded knighthoods Musicians awarded knighthoods Burials at Westminster Abbey Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey Members of the Royal Victorian Order Musicians from Kent Younger sons of baronets English male classical composers Male classical organists