Brierley, John Michael

Composer

b Leicester 1932. London Univ (BD 1971) and Lichfield Theol Coll; ordained (CofE) 1960. Parish ministries in Worcs as curate and vicar; also an organist who while a student assisted Gordon Hartless at Malvern Link, and later teamed up with Patrick Appleford, Geoffrey Beaumont and others to spearhead the ‘20th Century Church Light Music Group’ from the 1950s onwards. He retired to Cradley Heath, Warley, W Midlands, in 1992. The pioneering Thirty 20th Century Hymn Tunes (1960) included several of his compositions, the most popular of which has been in wide use ever since. No.287.