The William Leslie Sumner
Memorial Organ Recital

given by Kendrick Partington, Saturday August 3rd 1996

William Leslie Sumner

William Leslie Sumner was born in Airmyn, Yorkshire in 1904, and died in Chilwell, Nottingham in 1973. From an early age he played the organ, and in his boyhood made the acquaintance of the large instruments at Leeds, Hull, Beverley and Doncaster. Before the Second World War he made extensive researches into the history and music of the organ in Germany before much of it vanished forever. He travelled widely on the Continent, acquiring knowledge and playing many famous organs. Here in England he was mainly responsible for the setting up again of the splendid Pearson cases in Westminster Abbey which had been omitted when the organ was rebuilt in time for the 1937 Coronation.

At London University he trained as a physicist and graduated BSc with first-class honours in 1925, the year that he also became an AKC for his studies in theology. From 1922 until 1925 he was organist at King's College, London and at the same time deputy organist at various London churches. After his first appointment as Lecturer in Education at University College, Southampton he taught physics at the King Edward VII School, Sheffield while assisting with the music. He became Lecturer in Education at the then University College, Nottingham in 1930 and was given a Readership by the University in 1955, a position he held with great distinction until his retirement in 1969.

His monumental book "The Organ" which has run into four editions, published in 1952, is the standard work of the century on the subject. For this exhaustive study of the instrument, Nottingham University awarded him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. As well as his books "The Pianoforte", "The Organs of St Paul's Cathedral", and "Father Henry Willis, Organ Builder and His Successors" he was responsible for a new introduction and notes on the plates for the reprint of Hill's "Organ Cases", and an introduction to Carl Locher's "Die Orgel-Register und ihre Klangfarben". He contributed to The Organ with over sixty articles, to The Musical Opinion, to Hinrichson's Music Book Series, and periodicals abroad. Books on statistics and the teaching of mathematics and science are amongst his writings. He contributed to Nature and was a Fellow of the Linnean Society. He was honoured with Fellowships of the Institute of Musical Instrument Technology, the Royal School of Church Music and the Royal College of Organists. He was also a Membre d'honneur des Amies de l'Orgue, Paris.

The three organs in Nottingham University remain a memorial to his genius and devotion to all that is best in the art of organ building.

Aurea Sumner, July 1996

Kendrick Partington

Born in Nottingham, Kendrick Partington was educated at High Pavement School and won from there an Exhibition to Downing College, Cambridge where after war service in the Royal Navy he read Modern Languages and Music and was appointed College Organist. In addition to honours degrees at Cambridge of M.A. and Mus.B., he was awarded the diplomas of F.R.C.O. and L.T.C.L.

His first post was at Malvern College, Worcestershire as Assistant Organist and Director of Music, and in 1953 he was appointed Organist and Director of Music at Wellington School, Somerset. In 1957 he returned to Nottingham to take up posts as Director of Music at the High School (where he remained until 1986) and Organist at St Peter's Parish Church, Nottingham, holding the post until 1994 when he was made Organist Emeritus.

In addition to many recitals in churches in Nottingham and the diocese, he has given concerts in the Albert Hall, Southwell Minster, and Versailles and Worcester Cathedrals, as well as playing in the many cathedrals and minsters visited by St Peter's Church choir singing under his direction. Later this year he is to give a recital on the famous "Father Willis" organ in Oxford Town Hall. As one of the original Founder Trustees, in company with Leonard Webb (who died before he could see the accomplishment of his work) he is very much concerned with the use and maintenance of the great Binns organ in the Albert Hall, Nottingham.

Having often had the great honour of discussing music with Dr Sumner on the latter's frequent visits to services at St Peter's, and having been shown great kindness by him, Mr Partington was especially pleased at being able to play this concert in his memory.

The concert

This was the eighth in the series of annual Memorial concerts arranged by Mr Partington, and the first to be given by him following his appointment as Organist Emeritus of St Peter's in 1994. He chose a mixed programme of music, suited to the English character of the organ but demonstrating the variety of which it is capable.

Programme

It was good to hear the instrument come to life at the hands of the man who has known and nurtured it for nearly forty years. The Hollins Concert Overture, though little known, proved an effective, substantial and stirring beginning with use of the trumpet stop in the finale. The French pieces, though played on a completely different instrument to that for which they were written, were brought to life by the enthusiasm of the recitalist. The Bach, though well played, perhaps suffered a little from lack of tonal definition, but the organ came into its own for the last four pieces of the programme. Darke's Fantasy, a quintessential English Romantic piece was played with style, as was the Mendelssohn Sonata. The large and appreciative audience were particularly enchanted with the delightful Maggot by Arne, and learned afterwards that the recitalist had been given his copy of the music by Dr Sumner. The Stanford Postlude brought the recital to an exciting conclusion. As an encore, Mr Partington played a piece written by one of his organ pupils (and chorister in St Peter's Church choir), the seventeen year old James Randle. "Alla Marcia" once again showed off the trumpet stop to brief but thrilling advantage.

Mike Leuty

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Last revised 5th July 1997