contact me
Welcome
to my Website
.......................................................................................................................
I hope you find this site useful and that it gives you some idea of the things that I do!
If you contact me you will find me approachable and always helpful - there are three ways to get in touch on my Contact Page.
Stephen Lansberry
© Stephen Lansberry2010.
Biography
I gave one of my first real performances here in Hull City Hall
Ph.D studies
The Choir of Erdington Abbey were frequent visitors to St. Chad's
Aged 16 and still at school -we gave a performance of the Debussy String Quartet. Dr. Gordon Slater was so kind about our performance - made us feel really special!
The Abbey choir's annual visit to Liverpool was always fun! Memories of performances of: Durufle 'Cum jubilo' Mass Britten 'Hymn to the Virgin' Monteverdi 'Mass a 4 - 1640 and many others!!!
Birmingham's Anglican Cathedral - the choir of Erdington Abbey, a Roman Catholic choir, sang Evensong here as a frequent occurance.
Singing High Mass in the Sorbonne University was an interesting experience.
We travelled to perform in Sens for the weekend for the wedding of a friend.
Sunday morning Mass
Conducting Byrd - 4 part Mass - a wonderful experience!
Britten - 'Hymn to the Virgin' - late at night
Here we sang Victoria - 'Missa Oquam gloriosum' - to a full congregation of Maltese and English - who served us with the most wonderful cake afterwards!!!
Ancient and Venerable!!
Home!
Home for a hard-working 10 years!
Playing 'cello continuo in here at Christmas - so cold I played with gloves on!!!
Dr. Stephen Lansberry,
Ph.D., M.A., B.Mus., F.R.S.A., A.R.C.M.
Growing Up and Work
Born in 1952 in the East Riding of Yorkshire I was fortunate to have been influenced as a teenager by inspirational, forward-looking musicians in a decade of change and questioning values. I played 'cello at school and in youth orchestras and was lucky to be able to play a considerable amount of chamber music.
In 1974, after Music College and a PGCE, I came to work in teaching, in the West Midlands, and, 36 years later, in August 2010, I retired as Head of Music at St. Peter’s School in Solihull, a post I held for 33 years. Appointed there in 1977 I have a wide variety of musical experiences as a teacher, conductor, ‘cellist and composer.
My musical interests are also wide and varied. I am interested in early music – but also the music of the late 20th century, I rarely now play the ‘cello, but do a lot of conducting. I also play the organ. In my time at St. Peter’s I have enjoyed working with youngsters of considerable musical ability as well as those who, perhaps, do not find the subject easy.
'Big' School Projects
School productions have included performances as diverse as Bernstein's 'West Side Story' and John Gay's 'Beggars Opera' - the latter in an edition I prepared based on a 'continuo' together with the orchestral forces of the early 18th century.
In 33 years, at St. Peter's, I have performed Britten's 'Noyes Fludde' three times - it is the most wonderful piece!! The latest performance - and the most spectacular, in September 2006, included a cast drawn from St. Peter's School and its five partner feeder schools. A cast of 400 students (there were 250 'animals' in the ark!), together with professional musicians, gave three performances in the Friary church in Olton. A spectacular musical occasion - and a logistical nightmare!!
In December 2006 the Music department asked Prof. Michael Finnissy to write a new work for us. His opera 'Mankind' was premiered in 2008, again in Olton Friary with a cast of 300 students, and again drawn from St. Peter's school and four of its partner Primary schools together with professional musicians. More logistical nightmares!!
Away from School
Heart of England Singers (Chelmsley Wood Choral Society)
For a brief three years I was conductor of the 'Heart of England Singers', initiating their 'twinning' with the 'Stadtkantorei' of Barsinghausen, Nr. Hanover, with a performance of 'Messiah' in the amazing acoustic of the ancient Klosterkirche there.
Erdington Abbey
From 1981 to 1991 I was Director of Music at the Abbey Church in Erdington, founding and conducting the 40 strong Abbey choir, playing the organ and writing a good deal of music for the Sunday High Mass and for the ceremonies in the Abbey church. I directed the choir in visits to Paris in 1988, singing in the Sorbonne University, and to Rome in 1990 where the highlights of the week's visit included performing a Palestrina Mass in the wonderful acoustic of the Cathedral at Palestrina, an audience with Pope John II and a simply magnificent performance of William Byrd's four part Mass in the Basilica of San Clemente. During my 10 years at Erdington I directed the Abbey choir singing in York Minster, both the Anglican and RC Cathedrals in Birmingham as well as being regular visitors to the RC cathedral in Liverpool. I also commissoned a number of new works, among them a first performance of Martin Doernberg's setting of Psalm 150.
Personal
I am a passionate European and have organised a number of musical and/or cultural exchanges involving students and adults. Visiting or welcoming visitors from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Russia, Lithuania, Sweden, Belgium and Holland has been a thoroughly worthwhile experience.
Leah and I have been married for thirty five years. We have four grown-up children and six grandchildren.
The Introit 'Gaudeamus omnes', scripted in square notation in the 14th - 15th century Graduale Aboense, honours Henry, patron saint of Finland.
La Cathedrale d'Anger
La Madeleine - Paris
Eglise St Sernin de Toulouse
Notre Dame de Paris
Jesuitenkirche Luzern
Antwerpen Dom
Markuskirche Butzbach
Taufers
Burgk Castle
Crostau
Dittersbach
Hofkirche - Dresden
Forchheim
Frauenkirche - Dresden
Fraureuth
Freiberg Dom - Saxony
Helbigsdorf
Nassau
Niederschana
Petrikirche - Freiburg
Pfaffroda
Ponitz
Reichenbach
Reinhardtsgrimma
Ringethal
Schweikershain
St. Jakobkirche - Freiberg
St. Andrew's Holborn - London
Choir organ - Chelmsford Cathedral
St. John's College - Cambridge
St. James Clerkenwell - London
St. Peter's Church - St. Albans
St. Mary at Hill - London
Pembroke College - Cambridge
Great St. Mary's Church - Cambridge
Eton College
West End Organ - Chelmsford Cathedral
Town Hall - Birmingham
Cappel
Faro - Cathedrale
Groningen
Stadtkirche - Lenzen
Martinkerk - Groningen
Mitteiinkirchen
Weddings and Funerals
I no longer hold a full time church position but I have considerable experience of playing the organ for both Weddings and funerals.
I am available to play for Weddings and for Funerals at short, maybe even, very short, notice.
I recognise that both occasions but particularly Funerals are emotionally often very difficult and I will be sensitive and understanding of your needs
Fees
You will find my fees for both Weddings and Funerals are reasonable and moderate.
Important
I can only play the organ for Weddings and Funerals with the agreement of the 'resident' organist or with the clergy concerned. Before asking me to play for you you must have an agreement from these parties. It is a sensitive area and I wouldn't want to cause you, or them any ill-feeling.
A few (quite a few!) favourite organ pictures
- I'll add more in time! - enjoy them!
Compositions &
Arrangements:
Opposite you will find extracts from some of the thousands of arrangements that I have written. If you click on the name of the piece below the extract should show.
Fanfare - Westminster Abbey - a short fanfare to preceed the hymn "Christ is made a sure foundation"
I got rhythm (Page 1, Page 2) - An arrangment for Saxes and Double Bass of Gershwin's famous song.
'I'm getting married' (Page 1, Page 2) - a re-arrangment, originally by Warren Belshaw - of the famous song.
Haydn Baryton Trio - a transcription of a Haydn Baryton Trio (originally in Bb) for Violin/Viola, 'cello and Double Bass.
'Name that tune'- this piece, containing tunes from all over the place, exists in different versions, for flute choir, wind band etc.
Sine Nomine - Brass parts to fit with the 'Alleluyas' to Vaughan Williams' tune to the hymn "For all the Saints"
Telemann Recorder Sonata (Page 1, Page 2)- A Grade VIII recorder player brought this piece to me to ask me to play the keyboard part. Noticing that the Bass part was a canon I arranged the accompaniment for Basso continuo & keyboard.
.Want an arrangement of something?
If you are looking for an arrangement , perhaps for a special occasion, perhaps for a strange combination of instruments or for groups of youngsters of wildly different abilities you are welcome to contact me to discuss this.
Writing arrangements is something I enjoy and something I do well. My, very moderate, fee will include a score and a full set of marked parts.
Conducting:
A view down the Church - animals in the ark - and the waves are starting to engulf the audience.
350 students, aged between 10 and 18, together with professional musicians and friends of the school, took part in this world premiere of Michael Finnissy's opera 'Mankind'
I enjoy conducting and have a wide variety of experience, conducting both professional groups, amateurs and students.
The pictures opposite are taken from school performances I directed of:
Britten - Noyes Fludde - 2006
Michael Finnissy - Mankind - 2008
As well as School productions I have conducted in:
and in Concert Halls in:
as well as in:
Contact me:
E-Mail
lansberrystephen_aol.com
I will always endeavour to respond to an e-mail within 24 hours.
.............................................................
Telephone No.
(00 44) (0) 121 351 3592
This phone will not accept calls from a witheld number and, due to our family circunstances, I would prefer that you don't use this line after 9:30 in the evening. Many thanks.
Mobile No.
(00 44) (0) 7717 829 815
I don't or can't always answer my mobile phone - but I'm happy to receive a text message from you and to call you back as soon as I am free.
