
Alfred Melville Cook (18 June 1912 – 22 May 1993) was a British organist, conductor, composer and teacher.
Early life and education
Cook was born in
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...
. He was a chorister at
Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity and formerly St Peter's Abbey, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishme ...
(1923–1928) and articled pupil there under
Herbert Sumsion (1929–1932). He also studied with
Herbert Brewer and
Edward Bairstow. He held the
ARCO
Arco may refer to:
Places
* Arco, Trentino, a town in Trentino, Italy
* Arco, Idaho, in the United States
* Arco, Minnesota, a city in the United States
* ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California, home of the Sacramento Kings
Companies
* ARCO (b ...
(1931) and the
FRCO with the Harding Prize (1931). He studied at
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
, receiving the B.Mus. in 1934 and D.Mus. in 1940.
Career
Cook was assistant organist of Gloucester Cathedral (1932–1937)
The Three Choirs Festival: A History
'. Boydell & Brewer; 2017. . p. 221–. and was also organist of
All Saints' Church, Cheltenham
All Saints Church, Cheltenham, is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of EnglandThe Buildings of England : Gloucestershire: Nikolaus Pevsner. in Cheltenham.
All Saints stands in the Traditional Catholic tradition of the Church of Engl ...
(1935–1937). In 1937 or 1938, aged 25, he was appointed choirmaster and organist at
Leeds Parish Church. (See also
Choir of Leeds Parish Church). During the war he served with the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
in the Orkney Islands, East Africa, India and the Far East, and it was during this period that he met his wife Marion in Scotland.
By 1946 he had returned to
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
, during which time he performed on national radio both as a solo organist and choirmaster. He worked as director of the Parish Church Choir where he broadened the musical repertoire of Leeds Parish Church, introducing more unaccompanied music. He was also organist at the Leeds Triennial Festivals in the late 1940s and early to mid-1950s. He became conductor of the
Halifax Choral Society in 1948, and founded th
Leeds Guild of Singersin the same year. In December 1956 he took up the post of
Organist and Master of the Choristers at
Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Hereford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Hereford and the principal church of the diocese of Hereford. The cathedral is a grade I listed building.
A place of wors ...
, where he was principal conductor at the Hereford
Three Choirs Festival
200px, Worcester cathedral
200px, Gloucester cathedral
The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester) and originally fe ...
in 1958, 1961 and 1964.
In 1966 he emigrated to Canada to become director of the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir
[Peter Letkemann. ]
The Ben Horch Story
'. Old Oak Publishing; 2007. . p. 370. and organist and choirmaster at All Saints' Anglican Church, Winnipeg.
[Don Ewing. ]
As I Recall
'. Lulu.com; August 2009. . p. 528–. He was the organist and choirmaster (1967–1986) at the
Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church is a historic Gothic Revival architecture, Neo-Gothic style church (building), church in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest and most prominent churches of the United Church of Canada. It is locat ...
, Toronto, where he organized organ recitals, chamber concerts, choral performances, and presented a number of oratorios with the Metropolitan Festival Choir and Orchestra. He taught organ (1974–1977) at
McMaster University
McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...
in Hamilton.
Retirement and death
Melville Cook retired to Cheltenham in 1986 and remained there until his death in 1993. A memorial service for Dr Cook was held at Leeds Parish Church in the autumn of 1993.
The Organ
'. Vol. 72 - Issue 290, Volume 73. Musical Opinion; 1992. p. 121.
Compositions
* I Love All Beauteous Things (Stainer & Bell 1935)
* West Sussex Drinking Song (TTBB chorus a cappella, Curwen 1956)
* Antiphon of Darkness and Light (Novello 1973)
* The Character of a Happy Life (Leslie 1990)
Arrangements
* The Secret Flower. Harmonized by Martin Shaw, Accompaniment and Descant by Melville Cook
Recordings
* Leeds Parish Church (RCA VICS 1624)
* Hereford Cathedral (RCA LVLI 5019, RCA VPS 1065)
* Great Cathedral Organ Series. Record Number 11: Hereford Cathedral. Melville Cook, Organist.
His Master's Voice
His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...
: Q CLP3565 0 CSD3565. Recorded 1968. John Bull (Ed. Glyn): Pavana Sinfoniae. S. S. Wesley: Larghetto in F sharp minor.
Joseph Jongen
Joseph Marie Alphonse Nicolas Jongen (14 December 1873 – 12 July 1953) was a Belgian organist, composer, and music educator.
Biography
Jongen was born in Liège, where his parents had moved from Flanders. He was the elder brother of Léon Jonge ...
: Sonata Eroica, Op. 94. Jean Langlais: Incantation pour un jour saint. Flor Peeters: Aria, Op. 51. Maurice Duruflé: Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain, Op. 7.
* Selections from EMI Great Cathedral Organ Series, Volume Two. Hereford Cathedral. Melville Cook, Organist. PHI CD 161. Maurice Duruflé: Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain, Opus 7. S. S. Wesley: Larghetto in F sharp minor. Joseph Jongen: Sonata Eroica, Op. 94.
* Selections from EMI Great Cathedral Organ Series, Volume Four. Hereford Cathedral. Melville Cook, Organist. PHI CD 163. Melville Cook (Hereford Cathedral). Flor Peeters: Aria.
* Toronto: Metropolitan Silver Band and the Danforth Citadel Band (Cathedral Brass, 1973, Metropolitan Silver Band STM-0473)
* Stabat Mater by Joseph Haydn. Metropolitan Festival Choir and Orchestra, Janet Stubbs, mezzo-soprano, tenor Ronald Murdock (1988?, Stereodyne/Audio Ideas) (The performance was on October 28, 1978)
Literature
* ''The Organists and Organs of Hereford Cathedral'': Watkins Shaw and Roy Massey. Hereford: Hereford Cathedral Organ Committee, 2005. First published in 1976.
References
External links
"Melville Cook"''The Canadian Encyclopedia''.
Melville Cook in the National Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Melville
1912 births
1993 deaths
Military personnel from Gloucestershire
British classical organists
British cathedral organists
British male conductors (music)
Fellows of the Royal College of Organists
20th-century British conductors (music)
20th-century British composers
20th-century British organists
20th-century British male musicians
Alumni of Durham University
British Army personnel of World War II
Royal Artillery personnel
British male classical organists