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
Concert Overture in F |
Alfred Hollins (1865-1942) |
Clair de Lune
Hymne au Soleil |
Louis Vierne (1870-1937) |
Choral No. 3 |
César Franck (1822-1890) |
|
|
Prelude & Fugue in B minor |
J. S. Bach (1685-1750) |
A Fantasy |
Harold Darke (1888-1976) |
Sonata No. 2 |
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) |
A Maggot |
Thomas Arne (1710-1778) |
Postlude in D |
C. V. Stanford (1852-1924) |
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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