Neary, Martin (Gerard James)

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Neary, Martin (Gerard James)

Neary, Martin (Gerard James), English organist and conductor; b. London, March 28, 1940. He was an organ scholar at Gonville and Caius Coll., Cambridge, and also held a conducting scholarship to the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood (summer, 1963). He was asst. organist (1963–65) and organist and master of music (1965–71) at St. Margaret’s, Westminster. From 1963 to 1972 he was prof, of organ at Trinity Coll. of Music in London. He was conductor of the Twickenham Musical Soc. (1966–72) and founder-conductor of St. Margaret’s Westminster Singers (1967–71). In 1972 he became founder-conductor of his own Martin Neary Singers. He also was organist and master of music at Winchester Cathedral (1972–87) and conductor of the Waynflete Singers (1972–88). In 1988 he became organist and master of the choristers at Westminster Abbey. As both an organist and conductor, Neary has made numerous appearances in England and has toured extensively abroad. As a conductor, he has led performances of a vast repertoire, conducting premieres of many scores by English composers.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire