Simon Lindley

Simon Lindley (10 October 1948 – 25 February 2025) was an English organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He was Organist and Master of the Music at Leeds Minster from 1975 until his retirement in 2016, and Leeds City Organist from 1976 to 2017. He also played organ recitals and recorded with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic. He was Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Polytechnic and president of the Royal College of Organists, and served as master of music for several choirs and as editor of church music.

Life and career Lindley was born in London on 10 October 1948. His father Geoffrey Lindley was vicar at St Margaret's Church, Oxford, from 1956 until 1972, After early education at Magdalen College School, Oxford, and graduation from the Royal College of Music in London, Lindley began an organ career in 1969, playing at various London churches and recording organ music.

Lindley served as an organ tutor at the Royal School of Church Music and later as assistant master of music at St Albans Cathedral to Peter Hurford and director of music at St Albans School. In 1975 he became organist and master of the music at Leeds Minster (then called Leeds Parish Church), and directed the Choir of Leeds Parish Church until his retirement in 2016. From 1977 to 2020, he served as music director of Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds, a mixed adult chamber choir that he founded with his friend Harry Fearnley. The group performed major works such as Bach's Passions and Mass in B minor, and Handel's Messiah and other oratorios in the church. He also programmed works such as Jackson's A Time of Fire.

Awards and honorary posts Lindley was president of the Royal College of Organists from 2000 to 2003, having first served on its council in 1977; he was then its vice-president until his death. He was president of the Incorporated Association of Organists from 2003 to 2005. and a similar distinction from the University of Huddersfield in 2012. He was the recipient of the "Spirit of Leeds" award from Leeds Civic Trust presented in 2006 and a Leeds Award from Leeds City Council in 2016. and arranged carols. He recorded as organ soloist with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic and Northern Sinfonia (the Handel Organ Concertos), with Huddersfield Choral Society, and as accompanist to such musicians as violinists David Greed and Marat Bisengaliev and cornett virtuoso Phillip McCann. His disc of English organ music contains rarely-heard works by Basil Harwood, Percy Whitlock and Norman Cocker.