Richard Seal
Born(1935-12-04)4 December 1935
Died19 July 2022(2022-07-19) (aged 86)
GenresClassical
OccupationsOrganist, conductor

Richard Godfrey Seal (4 December 1935 – 19 July 2022) was an English organist and conductor. From 1968 to 1997 he served as organist and master of the choristers at Salisbury Cathedral,[1] which in 1991 established a separate girls choir in addition to the existing boys cathedral choir, the first cathedral to do so.[2]

Family and education

Seal was born Banstead, Surrey,[3] and was a boy chorister at New College, Oxford, under Herbert Kennedy Andrews. He continued his education at Cranleigh School in Surrey and was an organ scholar at Christ's College, Cambridge. This was followed by a year's study at the Royal College of Music in London, while also serving as assistant organist at Kingsway Hall.

In 1975 he married Dr. Sarah Hamilton, with whom he had two sons.

Career

After completing National Service in Malaya, Seal was briefly assistant organist at St Bartholomew-the-Great in Smithfield, London (1960–1961), before serving as assistant organist to John Birch at Chichester Cathedral (1961–1968).[3]

In 1968 he took up the post of organist and master of the choristers at Salisbury Cathedral, a position which he held until 1997.[4] In 1991 he established a separate girl’s choir in addition to the existing boys' cathedral choir, the first English cathedral to do so.[5] A controversial move at the time, it led to a transformation in Anglican choral singing.[3] The girl and boy choristers usually sing separately.[6]

While at Salisbury, Seal made many recordings and broadcasts with the cathedral choir.[7][8][9]

He was also conductor and president of the Salisbury Orchestral Society from 1969 to 1994.[4]

Awards and later life

In recognition of his distinguished service to English cathedral music Seal was awarded the Lambeth degree of Doctor of Music in 1992.[4]

Seal retired to Bishopstone, near Salisbury, and continued to play the organ at services in local churches. He died on 19 July 2022 at the age of 86.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Salisbury Cathedral, "Dr Richard Seal", 20 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "Cathedral welcomes back girl choristers". Salisbury Journal. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Richard Seal, organist and choirmaster who introduced girls to the Salisbury Cathedral choir – obituary". The Telegraph. 20 July 2022. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Salisbury Orchestral Society Programme (1992)". Salisburysymphonyorchestra.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Steven Morris, "'It was unheard of': first Anglican cathedral girls' choir marks 30 years", The Guardian, 6 October 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "Salisbury, The Cathedral School". Ofchoirsters.net. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  7. ↑ "All Music Guide Richard Seal Overview (2011)". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 May 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  8. ↑ David Vernier. "Classics Today review". Classicstoday.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "WorldCat Identities Richard Seal". Worldcat.org. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
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