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Thomas McLelland-Young was an English composer and organist.

He was born on the 9th September 1937 in Catford, South London. His father was a chemist and his mother a singer and entertainer. They later moved to East Ham, where he was a chorister at the parish church of St Mary Magdalene.

Tom studied composition at Trinity College of Music with Arnold Cooke, and won an organ scholarship there with John Webster. During his student days he worked as a pub pianist, which experience probably contributed to a remarkable talent for improvisation on both the piano and the organ.

For most of his working life he was a répétiteur at the Royal Ballet School. He held a succession of appointments as Organist and Director of Music at St Phillip’s Battersea, St Leonard’s Streatham (1970-94), St Augustine’s Tooting (1994-97) and All Saints Warlingham (1997-2007) and for ten years was conductor of the Sutton Symphony Orchestra (1992-2002).

It was during his 24 years at St Leonard’s Streatham, that he composed much of his sacred music. In 1975 the church was gutted by fire and subsequently rebuilt. The two manual, tracker-action Walker organ, installed in 1979, was built to Tom’s specification. He later acted as a consultant for organ restorations at St Michael’s Ledbury, St Augustine’s Tooting and All Saints Warlingham.

The London 20 Chamber Orchestra, the Essex Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Ballet School all commissioned music from him. He won the City of Trieste Prize for Symphonic Composition with his Viola Concerto (1971) and the Richmond Arts Council Prize with his String Quartet (1976). His organ works “Prelude on Vexilla Regis” and “Slains Castle” have featured in the Annual Festival of New Organ Music.

A number of his sacred choral works were published by Novello and Oecumuse and he was a co-contributor, with Malcolm Archer and others, to “Hit the Roof”, a collection of 100 descants to popular hymns.

Tom was married twice, to Gloria Yeldham (1964) and Jill Morgan (1979), with whom he had two children. His later life was marred by three tragedies. In 1996 he suffered a spinal problem which left him confined to a wheelchair - although he continued playing the organ, skillfully adapting the pedal parts to be played on the manuals. His wife Jill died suddenly in 2000 and his son Michael seven years later.

Tom retired to St Leonards on Sea in 2007 and became organist at the Unitarian church in Hastings with its newly rebuilt Snetzler organ.

He died on 11th February 2021.

Compositions

Anthems & Motets: A Celtic Blessing (1976); A prayer of Richard de Castre (1984); A prayer of St Augustine (2000); Ah my dear angry Lord (1984); Anthem for All Saints Day (1967); Be still then (1970); Blow thou cleansing wind (1980); Bow down thine ear o Lord; Bread of the world; Exsultet (1987); Hallowed this dwelling (2000); Hymn to the Holy Spirit (1968); Invocation to the Holy Spirit; Lighten our darkness; Love bade me welcome; Most High Omnipotent God (2008); O Holy Lord God (2008); O Lord our Governor (1971); Out of the depths (2008); Prayer for a World in Need; Set free o Lord (1985); Set me as a seal (1998); Spirit Divine; Throned upon the awful tree (1967); Thy righteousness O God is very high (1978)

Carols: Jesu, son most sweet and dear (1979); Let us gather hand in hand (1978); Of a Rose (1972); Out of your sleep (1981); The Bells of Paradise (2003); The Thornless Rose (1989); White Earth (1972)

Carol Arrangements: A virgin most pure; Past three a’clock; Sussex Carol; The truth from above; This joyful Eastertide; Wexford Carol

Liturgical Settings: All Saints Responses; Antiphon; Communion Service (Common Worship); St Leonards Responses

Hymn & Psalm Settings: A Collection of Chants; Adam (hymn tune); Celebration Day (hymn tune); Descants & Accompaniments; Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis; Psalm 123

Organ Works: Adagio Barocco (2000); Fanfare for the Snetzler (2010); Five Pieces for Organ (2006); Prelude on “Eia Jesu Adorante”; Prelude on “O Lux Beata Trinitas”; Prelude on “Pange Lingua” (2006); Prelude on “Veni Creator Spiritus” (1985); Prelude on “Vexilla Regis” (2004); Reflections from the Organ Loft (2009); Seven Plainsong Preludes; Slains Castle (2006); Two Advent Plainsong Fantasias; Variations on the 2nd Mode Melody of Thomas Tallis

Songs & Song Cycles: Dover Beach; I see the urn against the yew (2008); Longing (1956); Six Songs; Stanzas from Tintern Abbey; The Sun has Set; The Valley of Lovers; Three Chinese Poems

Piano Works: Clare (1990); Piece for piano (1967)

Orchestral & Chamber Works: Adagio Barocco (2000) for string ensemble; Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (1967); Fantasia on “O Lux Beata Trinitas” for strings & harp; Five Haiku for chamber ensemble; Music for Harp; Music for Strings (1970); Music for the Millennium (2000); String Quartet no. 1 (1963); Prosdokia for chamber ensemble; Sonata II for violin & piano The Brass are Restless Tonight for brass quintet; Twelve Haiku (1996) for chamber ensemble and soprano; Two Oriental Dances; Valediction for four cellos; Yorkshire Meditations for chamber orchestra; Yoru nu omowaku (1969) for chamber ensemble and mezzo-soprano

Opera: Ligeia (a 2 act opera based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe)