Richard Seal

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Richard Seal

| image =

| birth_name =

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| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|12|04|df=y}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|07|19|1935|12|04|df=y}}

| genre = Classical

| occupations = Organist, conductor

| years_active =

| website =

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Richard Godfrey Seal (4 December 1935 – 19 July 2022) was an English organist and conductor. From 1968 to 1997 he served as organist and master of the choristers at Salisbury Cathedral,[https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/dr-richard-seal/ Salisbury Cathedral, "Dr Richard Seal"], 20 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022. which in 1991 established a separate girls choir in addition to the existing boys cathedral choir, the first cathedral to do so.{{Cite web|url=https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/9273589.cathedral-welcomes-back-girl-choristers/|title=Cathedral welcomes back girl choristers|website=Salisbury Journal|date=27 September 2011 |accessdate=10 August 2020|archive-date=25 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425074613/https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/9273589.cathedral-welcomes-back-girl-choristers/|url-status=live}}

Family and education

Seal was born Banstead, Surrey,{{Cite news |date=2022-07-20 |title=Richard Seal, organist and choirmaster who introduced girls to the Salisbury Cathedral choir – obituary |language=en-GB |newspaper=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/07/20/richard-seal-organist-choirmaster-who-introduced-girls-cathedral/ |access-date=2022-07-21 |url-access=subscription |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=20 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720111337/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/07/20/richard-seal-organist-choirmaster-who-introduced-girls-cathedral/ |url-status=live }} and was a boy chorister at New College, Oxford, under Herbert Kennedy Andrews. He continued his education at Cranleigh School in Surrey and was an organ scholar at Christ's College, Cambridge. This was followed by a year's study at the Royal College of Music in London, while also serving as assistant organist at Kingsway Hall.

In 1975 he married Dr. Sarah Hamilton, with whom he had two sons.

Career

After completing National Service in Malaya, Seal was briefly assistant organist at St Bartholomew-the-Great in Smithfield, London (1960–1961), before serving as assistant organist to John Birch at Chichester Cathedral (1961–1968).

In 1968 he took up the post of organist and master of the choristers at Salisbury Cathedral, a position which he held until 1997.{{cite web|url=http://www.salisburysymphonyorchestra.org.uk/seal|title=Salisbury Orchestral Society Programme (1992)|website=Salisburysymphonyorchestra.org.uk|accessdate=21 July 2011|archive-date=29 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929200928/http://www.salisburysymphonyorchestra.org.uk/seal|url-status=live}} In 1991 he established a separate girls’ choir in addition to the existing boys' cathedral choir, the first English cathedral to do so.[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/06/it-was-unheard-of-salisbury-cathedral-first-girls-choir-30-years Steven Morris, "'It was unheard of': first Anglican cathedral girls' choir marks 30 years", The Guardian], 6 October 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022. A controversial move at the time, it led to a transformation in Anglican choral singing. The girl and boy choristers usually sing separately.{{cite web|url=http://www.ofchoristers.net/Chapters/Salisbury.htm|title=Salisbury, The Cathedral School|website=Ofchoirsters.net|accessdate=21 July 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720010057/http://www.ofchoristers.net/Chapters/Salisbury.htm|archivedate=20 July 2011}}

While at Salisbury, Seal made many recordings and broadcasts with the cathedral choir.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/richard-seal-q52172|title=All Music Guide Richard Seal Overview (2011)|website=AllMusic|accessdate=21 July 2011|archive-date=28 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528072054/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/richard-seal-q52172|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=8434|title=Classics Today review|last=David Vernier|website=Classicstoday.com|accessdate=21 July 2011|archive-date=18 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118071555/http://classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=8434|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79-33898|title=WorldCat Identities Richard Seal|website=Worldcat.org|accessdate=21 July 2011|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207074149/http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79-33898/|url-status=live}}

He was also conductor and president of the Salisbury Orchestral Society from 1969 to 1994.