He was a concert organist, choral director and composer born in Bournemouth, England, who started his musical career as a chorister at King’s College, Cambridge, where he also studied organ and would later become an organ scholar.
From 1962 to 1967 he held the position of sub-organist at Westminster Abbey, and three years later became organist, at Christ Church, Oxford. He return to Westminster in 1981 where he was Master of Choristers and organist. Changing the path of his career, he left Westminster to become an international concert organist in 1987.
Working as a composer he wrote several works for the organ, with his best known possibly being Alleluyas. His works were recorded on vinyl in the 1960s and have since been re-issued. Very involved with the Edington Music Festival he commissioned Psalm 119 verses 73-104 in 1965 and further commissioned a set of 5 proper anthems in 1966. In 1967 he wrote a setting of Missa Brevis and in 1968 he composed a Nunc Dimittis and a Magnificat for the festival.
His recordings are known to be well over a hundred and have made him one of the most recorded organists of all time. They include the complete organ concertos of Handel with the Bath Festival Orchestra and the English Concert and also the complete organ works of Bach, and his Edison Classique Award winning Les Corps Glorieux by Messaien and Organ Sonatas by Hindemith.
He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) before becoming a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)in 2009.
He died suddenly in May 2022 wen he was 83 years old.
Hokan Hardenberger and Simon Preston recordings
Adagio in G minor (Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni)
Philips 434 074-2 (CD: Trumpet and Organ Spectacular)
Trumpet – Hokan Hardenberger
Organ – Simon Preston
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Preston
- https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-news/abbey-mourns-former-organist-and-master-of-the-choristers-1
- https://deathobits.com/2022/05/16/simon-preston-death-english-organist-and-composer-simon-preston-has-passed-away-at-83/
- https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/articles/4708–obituary-simon-preston-1938-2022
- https://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical%20music%20news/article/the-organist-and-conductor-simon-preston-has-died
- http://www.concertorganists.com/htdocs/Publicity/Preston%20Publicity/Biography.htm
- http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Preston-Simon.htm
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/252872-Simon-Preston