Sydney Nicholson


Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson was an English choir director, organist, composer, and founder of the Royal School of Church Music and the compiler of The Parish Psalter.

Life

Nicholson was born in London to Sir Charles Nicholson, 1st Baronet, and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Nicholson. His elder brother was the architect Sir Charles Nicholson; his younger brother was the stained-glass artist Archibald Keightley Nicholson.
Sydney was educated at New College, Oxford before going on to study the organ at the Royal College of Music. He then served as organist at Barnet Parish Church, Carlisle Cathedral, Lower Chapel, Eton College, Manchester Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey. Along with maintaining his organist posts, he edited the Hymns Ancient and Modern supplement that was published in 1916; he did not live to see the 1950 revised edition.
In 1927 Nicholson founded the School of English Church Music. The School's members initially met at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate.
One of Nicholson's most successful compositions for parish choirs was his Communion Service in G, which was widely sung, especially in Anglo-Catholic churches, until recent times. He was warden of St Nicholas College, Chislehurst, Kent.
In addition to having edited Hymns Ancient and Modern, still the standard hymn book in many Anglican churches today, Nicholson wrote several hymn tunes. Of these, the most famous are Crucifer for the popular processional hymn Lift High the Cross and Totteridge. In 1928 he received the Lambeth DMus, and a decade later he was knighted for his services to Church music. He died at Ashford, Kent at the age of 72, and was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Works

Books on Church Music

Church Music London: Faith PressBoys' Choirs GlasgowChurch Music A Practical Handbook London: Faith PressIn Quires and Places where they sing London: BellPeter: Adventures of a chorister 1137-1937 London: SPCK Practical Methods of Choir Training London: SPCK The Elements of Extemporisation Croydon: RSCM

Other books

British Songs for British Boys. A collection of one hundred and eight national songs. Macmillan and Company, London.

Anthems

Cantata

Canticles

  • Evening Service in D-flat major
  • Evening Service in F for Two Trebles Voices
  • Evening Service on Parisian Tones
  • Communion Service in G major
  • Jubilate in F major

Hymn tunes

  • AIRLIE
  • BOW BRICKHILL
  • CHISLEHURST
  • CRUCIFER
  • FENITON
  • HOSANNA IN EXCELSIS
  • LYTLINGTON
  • TOTTERIDGE
  • TRAFALGAR

Opera

  • The Boy Bishop: an Opera for Boys