Malcolm Archer (born 1952) is an English composer, conductor and organist. He combines this work with a recital career. Archer was formerly Organist and

Director of Music A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the di ...

Bristol Cathedral Bristol Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is the Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England. Founded in 1140 and consecrated in 1148, it was originally St Augustine's Abbey but after the Dissolu ...

Wells Cathedral Wells Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England, dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, whose cathedra it holds as mother church of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Built as a ...

and at

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

and Director of Chapel Music at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

. He married Alison (an artist and musician) in 1994, and they have a son (b.1997) and a daughter. (b.1999)

Education and early career

Malcolm Archer was educated at King Edward VII School, Lytham before studying at 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 ...

(as an

RCO RCO may refer to: *Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office *Recovery Consistency Objective, in computing * Regional Currency Office *Remote Communications Outlet *Rifle combat optic *Royal College of Organists *Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra The Roy ...

scholar). He was later

organ scholar An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at a cathedral, church or institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and adm ...

at Jesus College, Cambridge. His organ teachers include

Ralph Downes Ralph William Downes CBE KSG (16 August 1904 – 24 December 1993) was an English organist, organ designer, teacher and music director and was Professor of Organ in the Royal College of Music. Biography Downes was born in Derby and studied ...

Gillian Weir Dame Gillian Constance Weir (born 17 January 1941) is a New Zealand-British organist. Biography Weir was born in Martinborough, New Zealand, on 17 January 1941. Her parents were Clarice Mildred Foy ( Bignell) and Cecil Alexander Weir. She re ...

, and Nicolas Kynaston and he studied composition with

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 associations ...

Bernard Stevens and

Alan Ridout Alan Ridout (9 December 1934 – 19 March 1996) was a British composer and teacher. Life Born in West Wickham, Kent, England, Alan Ridout studied briefly at the Guildhall School of Music before commencing four years of study at the Royal C ...

Later career

First posts

Malcolm Archer's first posts were at

Norwich Cathedral Norwich Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Norwich, Norfolk, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. It is the cathedral church for the Church of England Diocese of Norwich and is one of the Norwich 12 heritage sites. The cathedral ...

as Assistant Organist (1978–1983), and

(1983–1990) leaving to spend time living and working in the US.

Wells Cathedral (1996–2004)

Archer was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at

in 1996 where he directed and trained the Cathedral choir for its daily services in the cathedral, as well as being the musical director for Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society. In April 2000 he and choir members participated in a tour to North America, which included concerts in Ottawa, Ontario; Albany, New York; Richmond, Virginia; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Washington, DC; Lancaster, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; St. Paul, Minnesota; Chattanooga, Tennessee and Augusta, Georgia. He has made several recordings with the choir to critical acclaim, recording with the labels Hyperion and Lammas.

St Paul's Cathedral (2004–2007)

Malcolm Archer took over as organist and

at St Paul's from

John Scott John Scott may refer to: Academics * John Scott (1639–1695), English clergyman and devotional writer * John Witherspoon Scott (1800–1892), American minister, college president, and father of First Lady Caroline Harrison * John Work Scott (180 ...

in 2004. He directed the choir for several important state services, including the service to celebrate the 80th birthday of HM the Queen, for which he composed a special anthem.

Winchester College (2007–2018)

In August 2007 he took up a position as Director of Chapel Music and Organist at

, where he was in charge of the

Winchester College Chapel Choir Winchester College Chapel Choir is an historic British boys choir that sings in the Chapel of Winchester College. It contains boys under age 12 as well as older students from Winchester College. The Choir has performed on the radio and on intern ...

and the College Quiristers as well as teaching composition and the organ. Important recordings with the choir include Stanford's choral music, Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, Three Wings (Warner Classics) and Mozart's Requiem, accompanied by the London Mozart Players. Malcolm Archer moved from Winchester College in 2018 to pursue his career as a choral and orchestral conductor and composer. Asked in a recent interview about his College choir, he commented that: “They are equally as good as any of the choirs I’ve worked with, and one of the great privileges for me is to be able to work with talented young musicians and see them achieve fantastic standards of choral singing. Most of our older boys in the choir, our altos, tenors and basses, are in the sixth form and a good number of them will go on to choral scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge, in choirs such as King’s College Cambridge, St John’s College Cambridge and the fine Oxford choirs’’.

Prohibition Order (2022)

At a hearing of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) in July 2022, Archer was judged by the panel to have engaged in sexual activity with a pupil, while employed as assistant director of music at Magdalen College School, Oxford, between 1977 and 1978. The TRA heard evidence from the pupil detailing the sexual abuse, which Archer had been separately acquitted from at a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court. Subsequently, he received a prohibition order banning him from teaching in England, without the ability to apply for the order to be revoked.

Compositions

'Malcolm Archer's talent for writing for voices is legendary. His are marvellously singable melodies with a fine sense of rhythm and an organ part which really helps the singers.' He has 'a fine ear for choral sonority, an admirable sensitivity to words, and a genuine and distinctive melodic voice. His harmonic language is accessible and traditional (in the best sense of the word) but it is never bland. Above all, I think, his music conveys a genuine atmosphere and uplifts the listener.' Archer's major works include ‘Requiem’, ‘Vespers’, ‘Three Psalms of David’, ‘The Coming of the Kingdom’, the musical, ‘Walter and the Pigeons’, the one-act opera, ‘George and the Dragon’, ‘Sinfonietta’ for orchestra, ‘Concerto for Trumpet and Strings’ and ‘Sonata for Cello and Piano’. He has over 250 published compositions, and he is published by Oxford University Press and RSCM Publications amongst other companies. His choral works are performed by church, college and cathedral choirs throughout the world, and include: * A Hymn to the Virgin * A Hymn to St Cecilia * Alleluia, Who Is This Who Comes in Triumph? * A New Commandment * At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners * Ave Verum Corpus * Before the End of the Day * Bless the Lord * Blessed Are the Pure in Heart * Bread of Heaven On thee We Feed * Brightest and Best * Christ Be Beside Me * Christ Is Our Cornerstone * Christ Who Knows * Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies * Come My Way * Creator of the Stars of Night * Dance My Heart * Exsultet * Give Us the Wings * God Be in My Head * God Who Made the Earth * Holy Is the True Light * How Like an Angel * Hymn to the Holy Spirit * Jesu My Truth My Way * Jubilate Deo * Judge Eternal * Lead Kindly Light * Let All the World * Light's Abode Celestial Salem * Little Lamb Who Made thee * Lord of All * Lord of All Hopefulness * Love Bade Me Welcome * Love Is Not Feeling * Love's Redeeming Work Is Done * Missa Omnes Sancti * O Breath of God * O Clap Your Hands * O Praise God in His Holiness * O Sacrum Convivium * O Salutaris * Pie Jesu * Praise to the Lord the Almighty * Rejoice the Lord Is King * Set Me as a Seal * Sing Praise and Thanksgiving * Sweet Music Sweeter Far * Tantum Ergo * The Lord's My Shepherd * There Is No Rose * Thou God of Truth * When I Survey * Who Is This Who Comes? * Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem The Berkshire Service The Clifton Service The Wells Service The Chichester Service The St. Martin's Service The St. Mark's Service Missa Montis Regalis Missa Omnes Sancti Missa Brevis (a Capella) Benedicite Jubilate The Pembroke Te Deum (written for Pembroke College, Cambridge)

References

External links

Website of Malcolm ArcherPrinted Notes by OUP
{{DEFAULTSORT:Archer, Malcolm 1952 births Living people Cathedral organists English classical organists British male organists Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Alumni of the Royal College of Music People educated at King Edward VII and Queen Mary School 21st-century organists 21st-century British male musicians Male classical organists