Arthur Wills

Arthur Wills was a distinguished English organist, composer, and academic, renowned for his long and influential tenure at Ely Cathedral. His career, spanning over half a century, was marked by significant contributions to the repertoire of church music, numerous acclaimed recordings, and dedicated service to musical education. He is remembered as a central figure in the English cathedral music tradition of the twentieth century.

Early life and education

Born in Coventry, his early musical training was profoundly shaped by the city's then Organist at Coventry Cathedral, Harold Rhodes. Following service in the Royal Air Force during the latter stages of the Second World War, he pursued formal studies at the Royal College of Music in London. There, he was a pupil of the eminent organist and composer William H. Harris, who was then the Organist at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. His education provided a rigorous foundation in both performance and composition within the Anglican choral tradition.

Career and compositions

Following his studies, he initially served as the Assistant Organist at Ely Cathedral under the direction of Noel Ponsonby. His compositional output is extensive and varied, encompassing major works for organ, orchestra, and choir. Significant pieces include the dramatic Ely Cathedral organ sonata, the Missa Elyensis, and the evocative The Herefordshire Landscape for orchestra. His style often blended modern harmonic language with a deep respect for traditional forms, earning him performances at venues like the Royal Festival Hall and broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.

Organist at Ely Cathedral

In 1958, he was appointed to the prestigious post of Organist and Master of the Choristers at Ely Cathedral, a position he held with great distinction for thirty-three years. In this role, he was responsible for the cathedral's renowned choir, overseeing its daily singing of services and its extensive schedule of recordings, broadcasts, and tours. He maintained the cathedral's high musical standards while also championing new music, commissioning works from contemporaries and enriching the liturgical repertoire. His leadership cemented the choir's international reputation.

Recordings and publications

He made a substantial number of recordings, primarily with the Ely Cathedral Choir for labels such as EMI and Hyperion. These recordings covered a vast range of the Anglican choral canon, from works by William Byrd and Thomas Tallis to those of Herbert Howells and Benjamin Britten. As an author, he published several important pedagogical works, including Organ in the illustrated Yehudi Menuhin Music Guides series and the comprehensive The Organ: An Illustrated History. These books are regarded as key texts for students of the instrument.

Honours and legacy

In recognition of his services to music, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1981. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Open University. After retiring from Ely Cathedral in 1991, he remained active as a composer, examiner, and teacher, holding a professorship at the Royal Academy of Music. His legacy endures through his expansive body of compositions, his influential recordings, and the generations of organists and choristers he taught and inspired, securing his place in the history of English cathedral music.

Category:1926 births Category:2020 deaths Category:English organists Category:English composers Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire