Norman Harper
Composer / Performer
Norman Harper was organ scholar at Gonville & Caius College Cambridge, where he studied composition with Peter Tranchell and organ with Peter Le Huray and Gillian Weir. His career has included director of music posts at churches and schools in the north-west of England and in London. Most of his compositions have been written for choirs he has directed, including Mass for Lower Voices, for the Lay Clerks of St George’s Metropolitan Cathedral Southwark, and Unison Canticles and Mass of St George for the Cathedral Girls’ Choir. Most recently he composed Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis for the Northern Cathedral Consort. Norman has performed widely as organ soloist and accompanist in the UK and abroad, including solo recitals on BBC Radio 3, and he has accompanied or directed numerous broadcast choral services on BBC radio and television. He commissioned two organ works from the composer Thomas Hyde: Præludium (1996) and Lucis Creator (2005). Norman gave Lucis Creator its premiere in a recital at King’s College Cambridge, and has recorded both works on CD together with music by Timothy Craig Harrison. In 2018 he retired from his post as director of music at St George’s Cathedral and remains active as a composer and organist.
Biographical Details
- Year of birth: 1952
- Former director of The Choir of St George’s Cathedral Southwark
Works by Norman Harper
Festival performances of works by Norman Harper
Call for Scores submissionLondon premiere
LFCCM 2021
- Choral Evensong on Sunday 16 May 2021 at St Pancras Parish Church
LFCCM 2019
- Choral Evensong on Sunday 12 May 2019 at St Pancras Parish Church
LFCCM 2018
- Solemn Mass on Sunday 13 May 2018 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
- Confirmation Mass on Sunday 20 May 2018 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
LFCCM 2017
- Sung Mass on Sunday 7 May 2017 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
- Solemn Mass on Sunday 7 May 2017 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
Works performed by Norman Harper
Festival commissionCall for Scores submission
- A Gaelic Blessing John Rutter
- A Prayer of St Richard of Chichester Frederick Stocken
- Carillon de Matin Timothy Craig Harrison
- Church bells beyond the stars Cecilia McDowall
- God is Our Refuge Frederick Stocken
- Hope Frederick Stocken
- Jesus said to His Disciples Timothy Craig Harrison
- Johannesburg Mass John Bertalot
- Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott Johann Sebastian Bach
- Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott Dieterich Buxtehude
- Litany to the Holy Spirit Peter Hurford
- Mass of St George Norman Harper
- Missa Seria Nicholas O’Neill
- O Lord, give thy Holy Spirit Thomas Tallis
- O sacrum convivium Grayston Ives
- Prelude on Kingsfold Norman Harper
- Southwark Service Nicholas O’Neill
- Spirit of Holiness Patrick Larley
- St Anne’s Mass James MacMillan
Festival performances by Norman Harper
Festival commissionCall for Scores submission
LFCCM 2018
- Family Mass on Sunday 13 May 2018 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
- Solemn Mass on Sunday 13 May 2018 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
- Family Mass on Sunday 20 May 2018 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
- Solemn Mass on Sunday 20 May 2018 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
- Confirmation Mass on Sunday 20 May 2018 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
LFCCM 2017
- Sung Mass on Sunday 7 May 2017 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
- Solemn Mass on Sunday 7 May 2017 at St George’s Cathedral Southwark
Recorded performances of works by Norman Harper
LFCCM 2021
- Prelude on Kingsfold performed by Lawrence Thain Organ
LFCCM 2019
- As the apple tree performed by The Choir of St Pancras Parish Church / Christopher Batchelor Conductor
