Anthony Crossland
Biography
Dr Anthony Crossland was born and educated in Nottingham, England. He studied music with Dr Robert Ashfield, organist of Southwell Minster and obtained the FRCO and ARCM diplomas before going to Christ Church, Oxford, where he read music and took the degrees of MA and BMus.
While at Oxford he was assistant organist of Christ Church Cathedral and accompanist to the Oxford Harmonic Society. He left the University in 1961 when he was appointed assistant organist of Wells Cathedral. He was organist and master of the choristers at Wells Cathedral from 1971 to 1996.
Dr Crossland has made frequent sound and television broadcasts and commercial recordings with choir as well as extensive overseas tours that have included visits to Western Canada, the USA, Singapore, New Zealand, Brazil and Europe.
In addition to his cathedral duties Dr Crossland conducted the Cathedral Oratorio Society and the Wells Sinfonietta, a small professional orchestra he founded in 1985. He was organs adviser to the Diocese of Bath and Wells and has served as president of the Cathedral Organists' Association. In June 1994 Dr Crossland was awarded the degree of Doctor of Music by the Archbishop of Canterbury for services to cathedral music.