David Willcocks - part two

Third Part - 15th December 2008

0:09:07 Went to Worcester in September 1950; first concert was actually at Gloucester, conducting Elgar's 'Dream of Gerontius', as part of the Three Choirs Festival; met Ralph Vaughan Williams and his future wife at a house party, also Gerald Finzi; when I arrived in Worcester I was welcomed by Ivor Atkins who said he was staying on as librarian; met with the Precentor once a week to determine what should be sung in the following week; often this was unchanged from the year before but occasionally I added new music, particularly Herbert Howells; encouraged him to write pieces for Worcester; first task was preparing for the 1951 Three Choirs Festival which was to be held at Worcester; at the 1954 festival got Douglas Fox, my teacher at Clifton, to perform Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand; distinguished performers at the Three Choirs Festival; had the opportunity to choose my own choristers, many of whom have gone on to do great things; was responsible for three of the festivals in my seven years at Worcester; works performed included the first performance of 'Hodie' by Vaughan Williams, and conducted by him; persuaded them to do Walton's 'Belshazzar's Feast' in 1957

33:13:04 I think it was in 1955 or 56 that I had a letter from Noel Annan, Provost of King's, recalling my interest in coming back to King's; Boris Ord was not in good health and the feeling was that he should retire; to ease the process, I was to be appointed as organist while he was to be Director of Music above me, and by this means I could take over when necessary; agreed to do so and returned to King's in September 1957; at first felt very similar to when I had been an organ scholar; by the end of December Ord's health had deteriorated so much that I took over; Ord's rooms were over the arch in the Gibbs building and a microphone was put above the choir so that choral evensong could be relayed to him; I have never felt the need to change anything that he did; he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University a little before his death; introduced descants into the first carols service that I did in 1958; encouraged to write more with Reginald Jacques which were then published by Oxford University Press and known as the "green book"; very successful throughout the English speaking world; tried to introduce two or three new carols each year; selection of choirboys and their successes

50:32:06 Memories of Fellows of King's; looking for somebody to do a second book of carols as Reginald Jacques had died, chose an organ scholar at Clare, John Rutter

Fourth Part

0:09:07 Recordings and BBC broadcasts made King's College choir so well known; Neville Marriner and David Munro; Thurston Dart; authenticity of sound; Bach; the story of the King's Singers; history of the London Bach Choir; took over from Reginald Jacques; work with the choir over thirty-eight years; conducting techniques; composition for the Royal Wedding and other events

24:36:24 In 1974 left King's for the Directorship of the Royal College of Music; Herbert Howells and Ernest Bullock; financial appeal for the College; Leopold de Rothschild; new Britten Opera Theatre; student accommodation; choir singing expected by every student in their first year; memories of Benjamin Britten; performing at the Snape Maltings concert hall

36:41:24 Since retirement have travelled much more, conducting choirs; honorary doctorates; never enjoyed lecturing; Chairmanship of the National Federation of Music Societies and the Musicians Benevolent Fund; only time I have played jazz was during the War; own favourite pieces are classical; autobiography 'A Life in Music' [Edited by William Owen, Oxford University Press 2008]; I knew my wife from childhood but met again after the War; proposed to her by telegram when I was offered the position at Salisbury; Stephen Cleobury present Director of Music at King's; touring with King's choir