Malcolm Archer
Malcolm Archer (born 1952) is an English organist, conductor and composer. He combines this work with a recital career. Archer was formerly Organist and Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral [1] and Director of Chapel Music at Winchester College. Malcolm Archer's website may be viewed at www.malcolmarcher.com
Education and early career
Malcolm Archer was educated at King Edward VII School, Lytham before studying at the Royal College of Music (as an RCO scholar). He was later organ scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge. His organ teachers include Ralph Downes, Gillian Weir, and Nicolas Kynaston and he studied composition with Herbert Sumsion and Alan Ridout.[1]
Later career
First posts
Malcolm Archer's first posts were at Norwich Cathedral as Assistant Organist (1978-1983), and Bristol Cathedral (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 Wells Cathedral 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 back to North American, 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.
St Paul's Cathedral (2004-2007)
Malcolm Archer took over as organist and Director of Music at St Paul's from John Scott 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 Winchester College, where he was in charge of the Winchester College Chapel Choir and 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, and Mozart's Requiem, accompanied by the London Mozart Players. Malcolm Archer retired from Winchester College in 2018 at the age of 66. Asked in a recent interview about the choir, he commented that: “They are equally as good as any of the choirs I’ve worked with actually and one of the great privileges for me is to be able to work with young people and see young people achieve those fantastic standards. A lot of our older boys, our [altos, tenors], and basses are all in the sixth form in our college and a good number of them will go on to choral scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge, in choirs like Kings College Cambridge, St Johns College Cambridge and so on.”[2]
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.' [3] 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.'[4]
Archer's major works include ‘Requiem’, ‘Vespers’ and the one-act opera, ‘George and the Dragon’.
He also has over 200 published compositions,[1] including:
- 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
Chelmsford
In August 2019, he was totally cleared of all charges brought about as part of an investigation into a Chelmsford music teacher. The verdict was that it was a case of mistaken identity.[5]
References
- ^ a b c Matthews, Anya. "St. Pauls Cathedral - New Organist and Director of Music". Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 28 September 2007 suggested (help) - ^ "News. The Organ magazine". www.theorganmag.com. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
- ^ "Anthems of Malcolm Archer (SATB Singer's Edi | J.W. Pepper Sheet Music". www.jwpepper.com. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
{{cite web}}: no-break space character in|title=at position 32 (help) - ^ "Malcolm ARCHER: Cathedral Music LAMM 165D [JQ]: Classical CD Reviews- March 2004 MusicWeb(UK)". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
- ^ Sandra Perry (3 August 2019). "Chelmsford teacher Kenneth Francis found guilty of sexually abusing four boys". Essex Chronicle. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
External links
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