Edward Higginbottom

Edward Higginbottom, DPhil (Oxon), BMus (Cantab), FRCO (born 16 November 1946, Kendal) is a music scholar, organist, choirmaster and conductor.[2] Most of his career has been as organist at New College, Oxford, where he led their choir for more than 35 years and produced a large number of choral recordings.

Edward Higginbottom
Born (1946-11-16) 16 November 1946
Kendal[1]
GenresChoral music
Occupation(s)Musicologists, Organist, Choirmaster
Instrument(s)Pipe Organ
Years active1970-
LabelsNovum

Musical biography
Montiverdi Vespers New College

Before moving on to St Mary’s Church in Warwick, Edward was a chorister at his local parish church where he started playing the organ.[3] Edward completed his undergraduate and graduate training as organ scholar of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he developed a particular interest in French baroque music[4] and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He toured regularly in France at that time as director of the Cambridge University Purcell Society.[2] As a graduate student, he spent time in France (1970-1972), studying the organ with Marie-Claire Alain while working on his doctoral thesis.[5]

He was appointed as the Organist and Director of Music at New College, Oxford in 1976. While the main role of the choir is to provide liturgical music for worship, Edward went further, organizing economically viable choir tours and a broad set of musical recordings. By doing so, he "has helped the cause of such institutions through a period when financial constraints and changes in social attitudes have threatened choral foundations".[1]

In 1990 he was made an officer,[1] and subsequently a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture for "his role in the revival of choir schools in France and support of French cultural activities".[2]

In 2010 he formed a new recording label for the Choir, novum, and the choir began experimenting with weekly webcasting of their Evensong services.[6]

Retiring from New College in 2014, he continues his musical career as a freelancer.[3] He is the principal conductor of an Oxford ensemble called Instruments of Time and Truth.[7] In spite of his retirement, however, he was named in March 2019 as the Director of Chapel Music at St Peter's College, Oxford for the 2019/20 academic year, pending the appointment of a successor to Jeremy Summerly in 2020.[8]

Personal life

Edward and his wife Caroline have 7 adult children,[3] including his son (who was also a chorister) Orlando, better known professionally as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, an animal chiropractor, a jeweller, a doctor, a teacher, a timpanist, and a writer.

An early episode of ITV’s Inspector Morse featured a character based on Edward Higginbottom (although the suspect, and his obsession with Spangles and Trebor Mints, bears no similarity to the real Edward Higginbottom).

Recordings

Recent recordings include:

TitleComposerPerformersYear
Music for Salzburg CathedralMozartChoir of New College Oxford, Collegium Novum2013
Musique sacréeCharpentierChoir of New College Oxford, Oxford Baroque2013
Britten, The Sacred Choral MusicBenjamin BrittenChoir of New College Oxford2013
Haydn, Nelson MassJoseph HaydnChoir of New College Oxford, New Century Baroque, Jonty Ward, Hugh Cutting, Nick Pritchard, Tom Edwards2012
Illumina: Music of LightMahler, Rutter, Bach and othersChoir of New College Oxford2012
Francois Couperin, Exultent superiFrancois CouperinSoloists of the Choir of New College Oxford, Collegium Novum2011
W. A. Mozart, RequiemMozartChoir of New College Oxford, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment2011
Claudio Monteverdi, Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610Claudio MonteverdiNicholas Mulroy, Thomas Hobbs, Thomas Raskin, Choir of New College Oxford, Charivari Agreable2010
J S Bach, MotetsBachChoir of New College Oxford2009
The Victorian and Edwardian AnthemElgar, Parry, Stainer and othersChoir of New College Oxford, Nicholas Wearne, David Newsholme2008
Nicholas Ludford, Missa Benedicta & antiennes votivesNicholas LudfordChoir of New College Oxford2008
Haydn, The CreationJoseph HaydnLawson, Muller, Stout, Choir of New College Oxford, Oxford Philomusica2008
Evensong at New College OxfordHarris, Coward, Stanford and othersChoir of New College Oxford, Nicholas Wearne, Robert Patterson, Jane Shaw2008
The Art of the ChoristerMendelssohn, Couperin, Mozart and othersThe Choristers of New College Oxford, Collegium Novum String Ensemble, Collegium Novum Baroque Strings2008
Poulenc and his French ContemporariesPoulenc, Francis/Messiaen, Olivier/Villiette, PierreChoir of New College Oxford, David Newsholme, Nicholas Wearne2006
Macmillan and his British ContemporariesMacmillan, Anderson, Dove and OthersChoir of New College Oxford, Robert Patterson, Nicholas Wearne2006
Handel, Messiah (1751 Version)HandelJenkinson, Jones, Brookes, Davies, Spence, Dougan, Choir of New College Oxford, The Academy of Ancient Music2006
Copland and his American ContemporariesCopland, Hailstork, Stravinsky and othersChoir of New College Oxford2006
The Georgian AnthemWesley, Crotch, Battishill and othersChoir of New College Oxford2004
J S Bach, St John PassionBachGilchrist, Bernays, Dougan, Bowman, Beale, Baldy, Littlewood, Choir of New College Oxford, Collegium Novum2003

Edward Higginbottom has edited music by François Couperin and Michel Corrette, and written articles on French Baroque music.[1]

  • "Organ Music and the liturgy", Cambridge Companion to the Organ[9]
  • "The French classical organ school", Cambridge Companion to the Organ

References
  1. Carson, Ian. "Higginbottom, Edward". Grove Music Online. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  2. "Professor Edward Higginbottom Emeritus Fellow, New College". New College Oxford. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. Woodforde, Giles (24 April 2014). "Choir director Edward Higginbottom to step down after 38 years". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  4. "Edward Higginbottom (Conductor)". Bach Cantatas. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  5. Higginbottom, Edward. "The liturgy and French classical organ music: a study of the liturgical background to organ music in France during the 17th and 18th centuries". idiscover.lib.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  6. Smith, Charlotte (26 July 2010). "Edward Higginbottom and the Choir of New College, Oxford announce new recording label". Gramophone. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  7. Lisle, Nicola (2 July 2015). "Frustration spurred on new Oxford orchestra". The Oxford Times. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  8. "Edward Higginbottom appointed new Director of Music". St Peter's College, Oxford. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  9. Thistlethwaite, Nicholas; Webber, Geoffrey, eds. (1998). The Cambridge companion to the organ. Cambridge Companions to Music (7th print. ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521575842.
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