This is just to let list members know that Michael Howard died on January
4th of a heart attack.

Michael Howard occupied an important place in both the "early music
movement" and in church music.

He founded the Renaissance Society and Singers in 1944. Through his work
with the Renaissance Singers which included concerts, broadcasts and
recordings, he formed an important link between pre-war figures such as
Edmund Fellowes and the younger generation of musicians such as David
Munrow.

In the 1950s Michael Howard was organist at Ely cathedral for a period where
he was succeeded by Arthur Wills. He subsequently held many other positions
including organist of Farnborough Abbey where he made is Cesar Franck
recordings.

His book "Thine Adversaries Roar ..." was published in 2001 by Gracewing.

The Memorial Service (a requiem mass) is at St Michael's Cornhill on
Wednesday 16th January 2002 at noon.


Alistair Dixon

Chairman, Renaissance Society



>  -----Original Message-----
> From:         Alistair Dixon [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 05 January 2002 00:41
> To:   Edward Wickham; Alistair Dixon; Gary Magill; Tony Damer; Ali
> Burroughes; Belinda Hambling Boulton; Berta Joncus; Jenny Magill; Adrienne
> Martin; Penny Coggill; Helen Price; Lindsay Macaulay; Martin Cunningham;
> Andy Downer; David Till; Michael Oppenheimer; Andrew Hope; Nigel Sharman;
> Nigel Sharman; Stefan Fritsch; Chris Hunter; Michael Procter
> Subject:      Michael Howard
>
> This is just to let you know that the founder of the Renaissance Singers
> and Society, Michael Howard, died yesterday of a heart attack.
>
> He had been frail for a while, but had seemed in good health over the
> Christmas period.
>
> There will be an announcement in the Saturday paper - I guess this means
> the Times since that was the paper he took - and I am pleased to say that
> the nationals have expressed interest in receiving an obituary from the
> Society.
>
> The funeral will be private, but there will be a memorial service at St
> Michael's (appropriately enough) Cornhill. I think the date is Wednesday
> week; I hope this will be confirmed in the announcement.
>
> Alistair