Wills, Arthur

Wills, Arthur, English organist, teacher, and composer; b. Coventry, Sept. 19, 1926. He was educated at the Coll. of St. Nicholas, Canterbury, and at the Univ. of Durham (D.Mus.). In 1949 he became asst. organist at Ely Cathedral, and then was organist and director of music there from 1958 to 1990. From 1964 to 1992 he was also a prof. at the Royal Academy of Music in London. As a recitalist, he toured throughout Europe, the U.S., and the Far East. He was the author of the vol. Organ (1984; 2^nd ed., 1993). In 1990 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Works

dramatic: Opera: Winston and Julia (1988). ORCH.: Sym. (1957); Concerto for Organ, Timpani, and Strings (1969); The Fenlands for Organ and Brass Band (1981); A Muse of Fire, overture for Brass Band (1983). CHAMBER: Guitar Sonata (1972); Sonata 1984 for Piano (1984); Sacrae symphoniae: Veni Creator Spiritus for Double Wind Quintet (1987); Concerto for Guitar and Organ (1988); Oration for Tenor Trombone and Piano (1993). Organ: Over 60 pieces, including a Sonata (1963); Symphonia Eliensis (1976); Transcription of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (1980); Bhagavad Gita, sym. (1995-98). VOCAL: An English Requiem for Soprano, Bass, Chorus, and Orch., after Dylan Thomas, Donne, and Shakespeare (1971); The Gods of Music for Chorus, Brass, Percussion, and Organ (1992); A Toccata of Galuppi’s, scena for Countertenor and String Quartet (1993); The Shining Sea for Tenor, Chorus, Strings, Percussion, Piano, and Organ (1994-96); 85 liturgical pieces (1958-96).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire