Boris Ord
Boris Ord CBE | |
---|---|
Born | Bernhard Ord 9 July 1897 |
Died | 30 December 1961 | (aged 64)
Occupation(s) | Choirmaster, organist, composer |
Era | 20th-century |
Parent(s) | Clement Ord and Johanna Anthes |
Boris Ord (born Bernhard Ord),
Early life and education
Bernhard Ord was born at Clifton, Bristol, the youngest son of Clement Ord, a lecturer at the University of Bristol, and Johanna Anthes. Having a German mother, Ord's given name was Bernhard, but he was later universally known by his nickname, Boris.[1][2]
Ord was educated at
Ord graduated from Clifton in 1914 aged 17, and he went to study at the Royal College of Music on an organ scholarship as a pupil of Walter Parratt. His studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I and Ord went to serve as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. After the war, he returned to the Royal College to continue his musical studies. In 1920, Ord won an organ scholarship at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. During his time there, he was very active in the musical life of the university and founded the Cambridge University Madrigal Society, in recognition of which he was awarded a Cambridge Fellowship in 1923.[2]
Career
Ord spent a year working at the Cologne Opera in 1928, before returning to Cambridge as a conductor. In 1936, Ord became director of the Cambridge University Musical Society.[1]
In 1929, Boris Ord took the position of Organist of King's College, Cambridge, a role which placed him in charge of the chapel choir.[5] He was assisted by an organ scholar, a role held from 1939 by David Willcocks.[6]
During his tenure at King's, Ord began to introduce more
After the outbreak of World War II, both Ord and Willcocks left King's to join the armed forces. Ord served in an administrative role in the Royal Air Force, now being considered too old to fly. The composer Harold Darke deputised for Ord during that period.[5][2]
In the mid 1950s, Ord began to suffer from
Personal life
Ord was widely known within the music profession to be homosexual, and he never married.[9]
Death
Ord died on 30 December 1961, aged 64, and was cremated on 5 January 1962 at Cambridge Crematorium. His ashes were interred in King's College Chapel.[10]
Composition
Ord is known for his only published piece of music, a choral setting of a medieval text, Adam lay ybounden, written in 1957.[11] Ord's carol is frequently performed at the popular annual service Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's,[12] sometimes alternating with the other settings by Peter Warlock and Philip Ledger.[13]
References
- ^ a b "Ord, Boris". Oxford Music Online. OUP. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9780334048138. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ "Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. p288: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948
- ^ "Sir David Willcocks, choirmaster - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ a b c "History of the Choir". King's College Cambridge. Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ "Sir David Willcocks: Charismatic conductor and organist who raised". The Independent. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ Humphreys, Garry (20 May 2012). "The Choir of King's College, Cambridge made world-famous by Boris Ord". www.semibrevity.com. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ISBN 9781473530515. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ISBN 9780241352182.
- ^ "Bernhard "Boris" Ord". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ISBN 9780198608844. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
boris ord adam lay 1957.
- ^ "King's College Chapel Choir 100 Years of Nine Lessons & Carols KING'S COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE KGS0033 [MR] Classical Music Reviews: November 2018 - MusicWeb-International". MusicWeb International. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ Sinden, David. "2017 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols: Adam's Fall – Richard Elfyn Jones | blog.sinden.org". Retrieved 2 October 2019.
Further reading
Jacobs A. A New Dictionary of Music 3rd edition. Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1973.