Dennis Townhill

Who was Dennis Townhill?

Dennis William Townhill OBE was an English organist and composer.

Born in Lincoln, he was educated at Lincoln School and studied under Dr Gordon Archbold Slater at Lincoln Cathedral.

Townhill composed a set of responses for use at Anglican evensong.

In 1970, Townhill became the driving force of a plan not only to safeguard the future of the Choir School of St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh but to transform it into a new and vibrant entity. In 1972, the school was expanded into a specialist music school on the lines of the Yehudi Menuhin School, with Lord Menuhin becoming patron and referring to it as "my younger sister-school in Scotland".

He was organist and choir master at:

St Paul's Church, Burton on Trent. 1942–1943

St. Mary le Wigford’s Church, Lincoln 1943–1947

St. Mary Magdalene, Bailgate, Lincoln, Lincoln 1947–1949

St James Church, Louth 1949–1956

Grimsby Parish Church 1956–1961

St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh 1961–1991

He retired in 1991.