Michael Perry (hymnwriter)
| Michael Perry | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born |
8 March 1942 Beckenham, Kent |
| Died |
9 December 1996 (aged 54) Tonbridge, Kent |
| Education |
Dulwich College University College London Oak Hill Theological College Ridley Hall, Cambridge |
| Spouse(s) | Beatrice Mary (m. 1967; his death 1996) |
| Children | Helen Perry Simon Perry |
| Church | Church of England |
| Writings | The Dramatised Bible |
Michael Arnold Perry (8 March 1942 – 9 December 1996) was a Church of England clergyman and one of the leading British hymnodists of the 20th century. He was closely associated with Jubilate Hymns.
Michael Perry was born in Beckenham, Kent on 8 March 1942. He was educated at Dulwich College and went on to study at University College London; Oak Hill Theological College, London; Ridley Hall, Cambridge; and University of Southampton.
It was during his student days at Oak Hill in 1964 that Perry wrote his best-known hymn, the Calypso Carol, the first line of which is "See him lying on a bed of straw". He wrote this for a college concert, and it only became famous by accident when Cliff Richard substituted it for a missing recording in a radio show.
After ordination in the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool, Perry ministered at St Helens, Merseyside. He moved to Bitterne, Southampton, Hampshire, where he was curate and then vicar. During his time at Bitterne he was on the committees that produced the popular hymn books Psalm Praise (1973) and Hymns for Today's Church (1982).
From 1981 to 1989 Perry served as Rector of Eversley, Hampshire. In 1982 he became Secretary of Jubilate Hymns, and was involved in editing most of their books. In addition, he worked as Chaplain and lecturer at the National Police Staff College, Bramshill. He was also elected to the Church of England's General Synod in 1985.
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