1. Sir Stephen John Cleobury was an English organist and music director.
19 Facts About Stephen Cleobury
1. 2.
Stephen Cleobury worked with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he served as music director from 1982 to 2019, and with the BBC Singers.
3.
Stephen John Cleobury was born in Bromley, Kent, the son of John F Cleobury and Brenda J Randall.
4.
Stephen Cleobury sang as a chorister at Worcester Cathedral under Douglas Guest then Christopher Robinson.
5.
Stephen Cleobury 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.
6.
In 1982 Stephen Cleobury succeeded Philip Ledger as Director of Music for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he taught music.
7.
Stephen Cleobury led the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at the King's College Chapel on Christmas Eve, which was established in 1918 and broadcast live by the BBC from 1928.
8.
Stephen Cleobury introduced singing lessons for the choristers and expanded the repertoire to include more singing in Latin, and composers such as Kodaly, Janacek and Arvo Part.
9.
Stephen Cleobury established the Festival of Easter at King's and Concerts at King's, a concert series throughout the year.
10.
Stephen Cleobury was conductor of Cambridge University Musical Society from 1983 to 2009, and made many recordings with that group including Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Goehr's The Death of Moses.
11.
Stephen Cleobury retired on 30 September 2019, and was succeeded at King's College by Daniel Hyde.
12.
Stephen Cleobury was president of the Royal College of Organists from 1990 to 1992.
13.
Stephen Cleobury was chief conductor of the BBC Singers from 1995 to 2007, and was then their conductor laureate.
14.
Stephen Cleobury performed with them themed concerts such as Shostakovich, Stalin and Soviet Russia in 2014, Creation songs in 2015, Tallis Lamentations in 2016, and for Remembrance Day 2017, Songs of Farewell.
15.
Stephen Cleobury's brother Nicholas is a conductor and his sister is a musician and teacher.
16.
Stephen Cleobury lived with his second wife, Emma Disley, whom he married in 2004, and their two daughters.
17.
Stephen Cleobury died of cancer in his hometown of York, on 22 November 2019, the liturgical feast day of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of organ players and musicians.
18.
Stephen Cleobury had two children from his first marriage to Penny Holloway.
19.
Stephen Cleobury was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2009 Birthday Honours and was knighted in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to choral music.