Sir Ivor Atkins

Who was Sir Ivor Atkins?

Sir Ivor Algernon Atkins was the choirmaster and organist at Worcester Cathedral for over 50 years. He is well known for editing Allegri's Miserere with the famous top-C part for the treble. He is also well known for The Three Kings, an arrangement of a song by Peter Cornelius as a choral work for Epiphany.

Born into a Welsh musical family at Llandaff, Atkins graduated with a bachelor of music degree from The Queen's College, Oxford in 1892, and subsequently obtained a Doctorate in Music. He was assistant organist of Hereford Cathedral and organist of St Laurence Church, Ludlow from 1893 to 1897.

He composed songs, church music, service settings and anthems. With Edward Elgar he prepared an edition of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Knighted in 1921 for services to music, Atkins was President of the Royal College of Organists from 1935 to 1936. He died in Worcester.

He was a friend of Edward Elgar, who in 1904 dedicated the third of his Pomp and Circumstance Marches to Atkins.