David Salter
was born in Sheffield and
received his first organ lessons from Dr Trevor Slater. Whilst
studying at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he sang in the Chapel
choir, he was also was an organ pupil of Dr Arthur Wills OBE, the then
organist of Ely Cathedral and a noted composer of church and organ
music. Whilst working in Norwich, David was organist and
choirmaster of St Peter’s Church, Cringleford.
He returned to
Yorkshire in 1975 and was appointed organist and choirmaster of St John
the Baptist, Knaresborough in 1986. 2011 marks the Silver Jubilee of
that appointment. During his 25 years at Knaresborough, David has
organised several recordings and many tours for the choir including
foreign tours to Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Czech Republic, France
and Italy.
He has also commissioned a number of new works for the St
John’s Choir from composers such as Colin Hand, Arthur Wills, Simon
Lindley, Peter Aston and Gordon Lawson.
Apart from his role with the choir of St. John's, David is a trustee of
the Harrogate International Festival and Chairman of Leeds
Festival Chorus, and has a wide range of other
interests ranging from classic cars to football (Barnsley
FC). He is also a governor of St Peter’s School, York. David
is a Partner, and Joint Head of Family Law with Mills & Reeve,
based in Leeds. |
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Richard
Darke, a native of Bradford, received his early
musical education including organ lessons from his school’s Director of
Music, Keith
Rhodes who was also
at that time Organist of Bradford Cathedral. He then went on to study
Music at
Bristol University taking two degrees in the subject there under
Professor
Willis Grant.
He returned
north and taught Music at various schools in
Leeds and continued his organ studies with Francis Jackson, the then
Organist and Master
of the Choristers of York Minster.
He was also
Organist and Master of the Choir at St. Edmund’s
Parish Church, Roundhay, Leeds for 22
years during which time he established a Music Department
consisting of a
large Men and Boys’ Choir and an equally proportioned Girls’ Choir. The
Choirs
gained a good reputation for themselves, not only for the performance
of music
for the liturgy but also for the annual Good Friday Concerts that
featured
large scale works such as the Bach Passions and B Minor Mass, Handel’s
Messiah
and others.
After a
short time abroad, Richard joined David Salter at
St. John’s Knaresborough as Director of Music in 1994. One of
Richard’s main roles at St. John’s is the recruitment,
vocal training and general musical education of the Boy and Girl
Trebles who
now enjoy a reputation that goes well beyond the bounds of
Knaresborough and
district.
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