Sir Stephen Cleobury CBE (/ˈkliːbəri/ KLEE-bər-ee; 31 December 1948 – 22 November 2019)[1][2][3] was an English organist and Director of Music, most noted for his connection with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge where he music director from 1982 to 2019, and the BBC Singers
Life
Early years
He was born Stephen John Cleobury in Bromley, Kent, the son of John F Cleobury and Brenda J Randall.[5] He sang as a chorister at Worcester Cathedral under Douglas Guest then Christopher Robinson.[5] He was organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge under the musical directorship of George Guest, and sub-organist of Westminster Abbey before becoming the first Anglican Master of Music at the Catholic Westminster Cathedral in 1979.[5][6] In the 1970s, he was head of music at both St Matthew's Church, Northampton, and at Northampton Grammar School.[5]
King's College, Cambridge
In 1982 he took up the position of Director of Music for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he also taught music.[5] He was conductor of Cambridge University Musical Society (CUMS) from 1983 to 2009, and made many recordings with that group, including Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Goehr's The Death of Moses. As part of the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University, he premiered Peter Maxwell Davies' The Sorcerer's Mirror. He was chief conductor of the BBC Singers from 1995 to 2007, and was then their Conductor Laureate.[5] His most notable contribution with the choir was the incorporation of modern works, frequently through commissions, to complement the traditional repertoire.[6] Such contemporary pieces were often controversial, such as Birtwistle’s The Gleam, which requires the choristers to stamp their feet and shout.[6]
His last major project there was Bach's St Matthew Passion in 2019, in a sequence of performing it alternating with the St John Passion every year. The choir performed with the Academy of Ancient Music and James Gilchrist as the Evangelist.[7] He retired on 30 September 2019, and was succeeded at King's College by Daniel Hyde.[5][8]
Beyond Cambridge
Cleobury was president of the Royal College of Organists from 1990 to 1992.[5] Cleobury served as Visiting Fellow at the Louisiana State University School of Music, for 2013-2014.[9]
Personal life
His brother Nicholas Cleobury is also a conductor. His cousin Stephen Dean is a composer.[10] He lived with his wife Emma and their two daughters.[5][11] Cleobury died on 22 November 2019, in his hometown of York, after a long illness.[2]
Honours and awards
In 2008 Cleobury was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal School of Church Music.[5][12] He was an Honorary Doctor of Music from Anglia Ruskin University. Cleobury was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[13][14] He was knighted in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to choral music.[2][15][16]
Recordings
CD
As conductor
2019 – Evensong Live 2019: Anthems and Canticles[17]
2019 – Howells: Cello Concerto & An English Mass[18]
2019 – The Music of King's: Choral Favourites from Cambridge [19]
2018 – 100 Years of Nine Lessons and Carols[20]
2018 – Byrd: Motets[21]
2018 – 再别康桥 (Second Farewell to Cambridge)[22]
2017 – Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem & Bernstein: Chichester Psalms[23]
2017 – Bach: St John Passion[24]
2016 – Evensong Live 2016[25]
2016 – Hymns from King's[26]
2015 – 1615 Gabrieli in Venice[27]
2015 – Evensong Live 2015[28]
2015 – English Hymn Anthems[29]
2014 – Favourite Carols from King's[30]
2014 – Fauré Requiem[31]
2013 – Britten: Saint Nicolas (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[32]
2013 – Mozart: Requiem Realisations (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[33]
2012 – Nine Lessons & Carols (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[34]
2007 – I Heard a Voice – Music From the Golden Age, Works by Weelkes, Gibbons and Tomkins (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Oliver Brett, Peter Stevens)[35]
2006 – Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with Susan Gritton, Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Evgenia Rubinova and Jose Gallardo)[36]
2003 – Bach: Johannes-Passion (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with John Mark Ainsley, Stephen Richardson, Catherine Bott, Michael Chance, Paul Agnew, and Stephen Varcoe)[37][38]
2002 – Vivaldi: Gloria, RV 589 / Dixit Dominus, RV 594 / Magnificat, RV 610 (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with the Academy of Ancient Music)[39]
2001 – Howells: Te Deum & Jubilate (Choir of King's College Cambridge)[40]
2000 – Handel: Israel in Egypt (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Ian Bostridge, Michael Chance, Susan Gritton, Stephen Varcoe)[41][42][43]
2000 – Best Loved Hymns (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[44]
1999 – Rachmaninov: Vespers (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[45]
1998 – John Rutter: Requiem (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[46]
1997 – Stanford: Evening Services in C and G (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[47]
1996 – The King's Collection (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[48]
1996 – Allegri: Miserere (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[49]
1995 – Handel: Dixit Dominus (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[50]
1994 – Ikos (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[51]
1994 – Handel: Messiah (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with Lynne Dawson, Hilary Summers, John Mark Ainsley and Alastair Miles)[52]
1994 – Bach: St Matthew Passion (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with Rogers Covey-Crump, Michael George, Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Martyn Hill, David Thomas)[53]
1990 – Tallis: Spem in alium, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Responsaries (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[54]
1989 – Fauré: Requiem; Duruflé: Requiem (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Olaf Bär, Ann Murray)[55]
1984 – O Come All Ye Faithful (Favourite Christmas Carols) (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[56]
As organist
1993 – Organ Favourites from King's College, Cambridge[57]
2004 – British Organ Music from King's[58]
2007 – Organ Classics from King's[59]
2009 – The Grand Organ of King's College[60]
2017 – The King of Instruments: A Voice Reborn [61]
2019 – Herbert Howells’ An English Mass [62][63]
DVD
As conductor:
Anthems from King's (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[64]
Carols from King's (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[65]
Handel: "Messiah" (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[66]
Bach: "Johannes-Passion" (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)
Life
Early years
He was born Stephen John Cleobury in Bromley, Kent, the son of John F Cleobury and Brenda J Randall.[5] He sang as a chorister at Worcester Cathedral under Douglas Guest then Christopher Robinson.[5] He was organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge under the musical directorship of George Guest, and sub-organist of Westminster Abbey before becoming the first Anglican Master of Music at the Catholic Westminster Cathedral in 1979.[5][6] In the 1970s, he was head of music at both St Matthew's Church, Northampton, and at Northampton Grammar School.[5]
King's College, Cambridge
In 1982 he took up the position of Director of Music for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he also taught music.[5] He was conductor of Cambridge University Musical Society (CUMS) from 1983 to 2009, and made many recordings with that group, including Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Goehr's The Death of Moses. As part of the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University, he premiered Peter Maxwell Davies' The Sorcerer's Mirror. He was chief conductor of the BBC Singers from 1995 to 2007, and was then their Conductor Laureate.[5] His most notable contribution with the choir was the incorporation of modern works, frequently through commissions, to complement the traditional repertoire.[6] Such contemporary pieces were often controversial, such as Birtwistle’s The Gleam, which requires the choristers to stamp their feet and shout.[6]
His last major project there was Bach's St Matthew Passion in 2019, in a sequence of performing it alternating with the St John Passion every year. The choir performed with the Academy of Ancient Music and James Gilchrist as the Evangelist.[7] He retired on 30 September 2019, and was succeeded at King's College by Daniel Hyde.[5][8]
Beyond Cambridge
Cleobury was president of the Royal College of Organists from 1990 to 1992.[5] Cleobury served as Visiting Fellow at the Louisiana State University School of Music, for 2013-2014.[9]
Personal life
His brother Nicholas Cleobury is also a conductor. His cousin Stephen Dean is a composer.[10] He lived with his wife Emma and their two daughters.[5][11] Cleobury died on 22 November 2019, in his hometown of York, after a long illness.[2]
Honours and awards
In 2008 Cleobury was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal School of Church Music.[5][12] He was an Honorary Doctor of Music from Anglia Ruskin University. Cleobury was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[13][14] He was knighted in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to choral music.[2][15][16]
Recordings
CD
As conductor
2019 – Evensong Live 2019: Anthems and Canticles[17]
2019 – Howells: Cello Concerto & An English Mass[18]
2019 – The Music of King's: Choral Favourites from Cambridge [19]
2018 – 100 Years of Nine Lessons and Carols[20]
2018 – Byrd: Motets[21]
2018 – 再别康桥 (Second Farewell to Cambridge)[22]
2017 – Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem & Bernstein: Chichester Psalms[23]
2017 – Bach: St John Passion[24]
2016 – Evensong Live 2016[25]
2016 – Hymns from King's[26]
2015 – 1615 Gabrieli in Venice[27]
2015 – Evensong Live 2015[28]
2015 – English Hymn Anthems[29]
2014 – Favourite Carols from King's[30]
2014 – Fauré Requiem[31]
2013 – Britten: Saint Nicolas (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[32]
2013 – Mozart: Requiem Realisations (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[33]
2012 – Nine Lessons & Carols (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[34]
2007 – I Heard a Voice – Music From the Golden Age, Works by Weelkes, Gibbons and Tomkins (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Oliver Brett, Peter Stevens)[35]
2006 – Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with Susan Gritton, Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Evgenia Rubinova and Jose Gallardo)[36]
2003 – Bach: Johannes-Passion (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with John Mark Ainsley, Stephen Richardson, Catherine Bott, Michael Chance, Paul Agnew, and Stephen Varcoe)[37][38]
2002 – Vivaldi: Gloria, RV 589 / Dixit Dominus, RV 594 / Magnificat, RV 610 (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with the Academy of Ancient Music)[39]
2001 – Howells: Te Deum & Jubilate (Choir of King's College Cambridge)[40]
2000 – Handel: Israel in Egypt (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Ian Bostridge, Michael Chance, Susan Gritton, Stephen Varcoe)[41][42][43]
2000 – Best Loved Hymns (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[44]
1999 – Rachmaninov: Vespers (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[45]
1998 – John Rutter: Requiem (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[46]
1997 – Stanford: Evening Services in C and G (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[47]
1996 – The King's Collection (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[48]
1996 – Allegri: Miserere (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[49]
1995 – Handel: Dixit Dominus (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[50]
1994 – Ikos (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[51]
1994 – Handel: Messiah (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with Lynne Dawson, Hilary Summers, John Mark Ainsley and Alastair Miles)[52]
1994 – Bach: St Matthew Passion (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, with Rogers Covey-Crump, Michael George, Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Martyn Hill, David Thomas)[53]
1990 – Tallis: Spem in alium, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Responsaries (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[54]
1989 – Fauré: Requiem; Duruflé: Requiem (Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Olaf Bär, Ann Murray)[55]
1984 – O Come All Ye Faithful (Favourite Christmas Carols) (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[56]
As organist
1993 – Organ Favourites from King's College, Cambridge[57]
2004 – British Organ Music from King's[58]
2007 – Organ Classics from King's[59]
2009 – The Grand Organ of King's College[60]
2017 – The King of Instruments: A Voice Reborn [61]
2019 – Herbert Howells’ An English Mass [62][63]
DVD
As conductor:
Anthems from King's (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[64]
Carols from King's (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[65]
Handel: "Messiah" (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)[66]
Bach: "Johannes-Passion" (Choir of King's College, Cambridge)
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