Colin Mawby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colin Mawby
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Colin Mawby at
St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden, in 2011 |
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| Born | 9 May 1936 Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
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| Died | 24 November 2019 (aged 83) |
| Education | Royal College of Music |
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Colin Mawby (born May 9, 1936 – died November 24, 2019) was a talented English musician. He was an organist, a conductor who led choirs, and a composer who wrote music.
He worked as the Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral starting in 1961. Later, in 1981, he became the choral director at Radio Telefís Éireann, which is Ireland's national broadcaster. Colin Mawby wrote many pieces of music, including special masses for different choirs, even some in Germany. In 2006, he was honored with a Knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory.
Early Life and Music Training
Colin Mawby was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, on May 9, 1936. He started his music journey early at the Westminster Cathedral choir school. From the age of 12, he helped George Malcolm play the organ.
The choir boys at the school were very busy. They sang in about 14 or 15 church services each week. They also spent 10 hours a week practicing. During this time, they learned old music styles like plainchant and polyphony. Later, Colin Mawby studied at the Royal College of Music. He learned from famous teachers like Gordon Jacob and John Churchill. He also worked with well-known conductors such as Adrian Boult and Malcolm Sargent.
A Career in Music
Colin Mawby first became an assistant at Westminster Cathedral. In 1961, he became the Master of Music there. This meant he was in charge of all the music. While at the Cathedral, he led the first performance of a group called Pro Cantione Antiqua, which specialized in early music.
He also worked with many other famous music groups. These included the London Mozart Players, the Wren Orchestra, the Belgian Radio Choir, and the BBC Singers. Mawby performed for important people and events. He played for the Queen of the United Kingdom at St Paul's Cathedral. He also performed for President John F. Kennedy at Westminster Cathedral. He even played at St. Peter's Basilica for two Popes, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II.
In 1976, Colin Mawby moved to Dublin, Ireland. By 1981, he was the choral director at Radio Telefís Éireann. He started several new choirs there. These included the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir and the RTÉ children's choir (RTÉ Cór na nÓg) in 1985. He also created the RTÉ Chamber Choir.
Mawby retired in 2001 and moved to East Anglia. However, he later moved back and forth between Ireland and London. In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI gave him the Knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory. This award was given to thank him for his many contributions to church music.
Musical Works
Colin Mawby wrote a lot of music for the English Catholic services. He composed many different types of pieces. These included several masses, motets, antiphons, and hymn settings.
One of his famous pieces is Ave verum corpus for choir. Another well-known work is his setting of Psalm 23. Both of these became very popular after being recorded by singer Charlotte Church. He also wrote a longer piece called Requiem of Hope between 1995 and 2002. This work was for a soprano singer, a mixed choir, and organ.
In 2002, his piece Prayer of Forgiveness won "Top Honors" in a competition in Oregon, USA. A special Te Deum for a soprano solo, chorus, organ, and brass was first performed in Cambridge in 2006. This was to celebrate his 70th birthday. His setting of Laudate Pueri Dominum was first performed in 2011 at Westminster Cathedral Hall.
Mawby also wrote music that was not for church. He composed two operas for young people. These were The Torc of Gold (1996) and The Quest (2000). Both had stories written by Maeve Ingoldsby. They were first performed in Dublin under his direction.
In 2011, he was asked by St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden, a church in Germany, to write a special mass. This was the Missa solemnis Bonifatius-Messe. It was for a soprano, choir, children's choir, oboe, and organ. It was first performed on October 3, 2012, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Chor von St. Bonifatius. Colin Mawby was there for the performance, which was led by Gabriel Dessauer.
Colin Mawby once said about his music in 2006: "I cannot write choral music unless I work with choirs." This shows how much he enjoyed working directly with the groups who would perform his music. His works are published all over the world.
Colin Mawby passed away on November 24, 2019.
