25 Facts About Herbert Sumsion

Herbert Whitton Sumsion was an English musician who was organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967.

Herbert Sumsion's compositions include works for choir and organ, as well as lesser-known chamber and orchestral works.

Herbert Sumsion was born in Gloucester, a cathedral city on the River Severn.

Herbert Sumsion passed the Associateship exam of the Royal College of Organists in 1915, and in July 1916 joined Howells in passing the Fellowship exam; though he was only 17, Herbert Sumsion was awarded the Turpin prize for the second-highest marks in the practical component.

From 1917 to 1919 Herbert Sumsion served in 16th Battalion, London Regiment and spent time in the trenches of the Western Front.

Herbert Sumsion earned an undergraduate degree in music from Durham University in 1920 and continued in his post at Gloucester until 1922, when he embarked for London to become organist of Christ Church, Lancaster Gate.

Herbert Sumsion studied conducting with Adrian Boult at the Royal College of Music, though Boult observed that Sumsion's conducting technique was already well-developed.

At the Royal College of Music Sumsion met R O Morris, professor of counterpoint and composition.

When Morris accepted a position at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, he asked Herbert Sumsion to serve as his assistant; the two, along with Morris's wife Emmie, departed for America at the end of September 1926.

Herbert Sumsion had been introduced to Alice through her uncle, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania whom Herbert Sumsion had met on board the ship to America.

On 1 March 1928, Herbert Sumsion Brewer died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving the post of organist at Gloucester vacant only a few months before the cathedral was to host the Three Choirs Festival.

Brewer had expressed a desire that Herbert Sumsion succeed him, so although Herbert Sumsion had just accepted the position of organist at Coventry cathedral, the Dean and Chapter at Gloucester negotiated his release from this commitment.

From 1928 until his retirement in 1967, Herbert Sumsion was responsible for planning and serving as the principal conductor for eleven festivals held at Gloucester.

At the first festival following Elgar's death, Herbert Sumsion proposed that the three cathedral organists each conduct one of the Elgar works on the program, a welcome division of labour for the host conductor that would later become standard practice.

Outside the realm of English music, Herbert Sumsion helped sustain a festival connection with Kodaly by inviting him back to Gloucester in 1937 and programming his works at six Gloucester festivals.

Herbert Sumsion maintained personal friendships with many of the well-known composers who frequented the festival, particularly Vaughan Williams, Finzi, and Howells.

Herbert Sumsion was considered part of Finzi's intimate circle and was a frequent guest at Finzi's home at Ashmansworth in Hampshire; the Herbert Sumsion and Finzi families went on holiday together.

Herbert Sumsion had begun composing as a young man and continued to accept commissions when he was well into his eighties.

Herbert Sumsion composed many works for organ and choir, as well as chamber and orchestral pieces and a book of piano exercises.

Herbert Sumsion taught piano, organ, and composition privately, adjudicated at competitions, accompanied vocalists and played with chamber groups, and performed as an organ recitalist.

Concurrent with his post at the cathedral Herbert Sumsion served as director of music at Cheltenham Ladies' College and directed the Gloucester Choral and Orchestral Societies.

Herbert Sumsion was honoured with a Lambeth Doctorate in 1947 and was appointed CBE in 1961.

Herbert Sumsion died at Frampton-on-Severn in 1995 at age 96.

David Lloyd-Jones and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia have recorded an attractive work for strings called A Mountain Tune, which Herbert Sumsion originally wrote for cello and piano.

The work, which was suspected to have been lost, was rediscovered in the archive of Herbert Sumsion's works following correspondence between Marshall-Luck, Dr Donald Hunt and the composer's grandson, Paul Herbert Sumsion.