Peter Hurford
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Peter Hurford OBE is a British organist, born St Cecilia's day (November 22) 1930 in Minehead, Somerset.
He studied both music and law at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating with dual degrees, subsequently obtaining an enviable reputation for both musical scholarship and his organ playing.
He is best known for his interpretations of Bach, having recorded the complete Bach organ works for Decca over a period of twelve years. His expertise is not limited to Bach, however - he has made recordings of the Romantic literature for organ that are excellent in attention to stylistic detail. His playing style is noted for clean articulation, and a sense of proper tempi.
Hurford was appointed organist and choirmaster at St Albans Cathedral in 1958. He conceived the idea of an organ competition in 1963, partly to celebrate the new Harrison & Harrison organ designed by Ralph Downes and himself. This venture was successful mainly because of the young Hurford's rapidly growing stature in Britain and overseas as a result of his refreshing notions of authentic performing style. This has grown into the St Albans International Organ Festival, a world-renowned festival of organ music with competitions whose past winners include many of the great names in modern organ music including Dame Gillian Weir, David Sanger, Thomas Trotter and Kevin Bowyer.
He was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College in 2006 and has also been awarded an OBE.
Hurford has also written a book: Making Music on the Organ (1998, OUP, ISBN 0-19-816207-3)
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