Richard Seal

Richard Seal
Background information
Born 1935
Genres Classical
Occupation(s) Organist, Conductor

Richard Godfrey Seal (born 1935) is an English organist and conductor, who served from 1968–1997 as organist and master of the choristers at Salisbury Cathedral.[1]

Biography

Richard Godfrey Seal was born 4 December 1935 in Banstead, Surrey, England. As a child he was a chorister at New College, Oxford. He continued his education at Cranleigh School, Surrey and then became organ scholar at Christ's College, Cambridge. This was followed with a year's study at the Royal College of Music, London. The same year he served as assistant organist at the Kingsway Hall, London. After doing National Service he became assistant organist at St Bartholomew-the-Great Smithfield, London (1960–1961), and then assistant organist to John Birch at Chichester Cathedral, England (1961–1968).

In 1968 he took up the post of organist and master of the choir at Salisbury Cathedral, a position which he held until 1997.[1] While at Salisbury Cathedral he made many recordings and broadcasts with the Salisbury Cathedral choir.[2][3][4] He was conductor of the Salisbury Orchestral Society (and President) from 1969 to 1994.[1] In 1991 Seal founded the first ever English cathedral girls' choir at Salisbury Cathedral. At the time of its recruitment it consisted of 18 singers aged between 8 and 11 years. When singing in the cathedral, the girls' choir is completely independent of the boys' choir.[5] In recognition of his distinguished service to English cathedral music Seal was awarded a Doctor of Music Lambeth degree in 1992.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Salisbury Orchestral Society. "Salisbury Orchestral Society Programme (1992)". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  2. ↑ All Music Guide, 2011. "All Music Guide Richard Seal Overview (2011)". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  3. ↑ David Vernier, Classics Today. "Classics Today review". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  4. ↑ OCLC, Online Computer Library Center, Inc. "WorldCat Identities Richard Seal". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Of Choristers – ancient and modern, Salisbury Cathedral School. "Salisbury, The Cathedral School". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
Cultural offices
Preceded by
?		 Assistant Organist of Chichester Cathedral
1961–1968 		Succeeded by
Michael Davey
Preceded by
Christopher Hugh Dearnley		 Organist and Master of the Choristers of Salisbury Cathedral
1968-1997 		Succeeded by
Simon Lole
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