News

Composer of Palace Green hymn tune dies

(1 March 2006)

Michael Fleming, a Durham graduate and a key figure in Anglican church music, has died aged 77.

While he was still a music student at Durham he was organist of St Oswald's Church and composed a hymn tune, Palace Green, for the words of 'Sing praise to God who reigns above'. Mr Fleming was organist and choirmaster of a series of churches in Cambridge, Essex and London. In 1968 he joined the Royal School of Church Music, where worked as a Staff Tutor and, later, Warden for 25 years. The RSCM held its 75th anniversary international summer school in Durham in 2002.