Just in: Cambridge names Stephen Cleobury’s successor
mainMedia release:
The Provost and Fellows of King’s College, Cambridge are delighted to announce the appointment of Daniel Hyde as Director of Music at King’s, to take office on 1 October 2019. Mr Hyde will succeed Stephen Cleobury CBE, who has held the post with great distinction since 1982.
Instant second release:
The Rector, Wardens and Vestry of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue announce that Daniel Hyde has been called back to the United Kingdom to succeed Stephen Cleobury as Director of Music at King’s College, Cambridge, under whose tutelage he studied as an organ scholar from 2000-2003. This is a prestigious appointment; The Choir of King’s College was founded by King Henry VI in 1441 but, remarkably, since 1799, Daniel will be only the ninth person to hold that title.
Social media update: Stephen Cleobury has posted: ‘Delighted at this news’.
A really excellent appointment of a first-rate musician. Dan’s name was frequently mentioned by respected church musicians as being an outstanding director who could succeed to this post. More widely, the main Oxbridge choirs have a particularly strong team of music directors leading them at present, which is great for the continued wider success, growth and reputation of British choral singing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/arts/music/the-new-wizard-teaching-at-the-hogwarts-for-choir.html
‘During his time at Cambridge, he said, he sometimes found the King’s College Choir stifled by the weight that rested on such a storied ensemble, its work familiar to millions through annual Christmas radio broadcasts. He found himself attracted to the choir of St. John’s, a neighboring college. “It wasn’t just the buildings,” he said of the difference in sound between the two choirs. “I think there was a freedom of expression at St. John’s because there wasn’t the pressure of expectation. So I tried to soak both those things up, and wherever I’ve gone since I’ve tried to mix that detail and accuracy of King’s with that more open-throated, expressive, musically phrased singing of John’s.”’
A Jesus man!
Indeed (as was James O’Donnell): and Dan was succeeded at Jesus Cambridge when he moved onto Magdalen Oxford by the equally excellent Mark Williams, who then himself moved to Magdalen Oxford when Dan moved to St Thomas’s, Fifth Avenue. However, the parallel motion surely ends here…
Where’s the diversity – gender and colour? I think we should all demand an answer to this. Now.
Yes, I can see it all now. A black, Oprah at King’s. Please. Just hire the best you can find and get on with it. (On the other hand, Oxbridge – again.)
I was absolutely kidding!!!
He looks a bit weird but I’m sure he’s very good at what he does.
As I’m sure you do too. But without the talent.
Don’t worry FP- I’m very good looking & talented.