Walter Hussey

Walter Hussey (15 May 1909 – 1985) was an English priest of the Church of England who had a great fondness for the arts, commissioning a number of musical compositions and visual art for the church as well as amassing his own collection.

Hussey was born in Northampton and was educated at Marlborough College. After studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Keble College, Oxford, he studied at Ripon College Cuddesdon and was ordained in 1932. His first ministry was as assistant curate of St Mary Abbots, Kensington. Within five years he was vicar of St Matthew's Northampton, a position he held from 1937 to 1955. As vicar of St Matthew's he celebrated the church's 50th anniversary by commissioning Rejoice in the Lamb from Benjamin Britten. He later organised a concert by Kirsten Flagstad. Other commissions included Henry Moore's Madonna and Child sculpture, a Litany and Anthem for St Matthew's Day from W. H. Auden, Lo, the full, final sacrifice from Gerald Finzi, Crucifixion from Graham Sutherland, and The Outer Planet from Norman Nicholson.

Hussey left Northampton to become Dean of Chichester Cathedral, holding the position until he retired in 1977. Whilst there he commissioned Graham Sutherland to paint an altarpiece, asked Leonard Bernstein to compose the Chichester Psalms and also worked with John Piper, Geoffrey Clarke, Cecil Collins, Ceri Richards, William Walton and Marc Chagall.

A documentary about the life of Walter Hussey, 'Patron of the Arts', was written and presented by Robert Walker and directed by Christopher Swann. It was broadcast on BBC2 shortly after his death in 1985.

Hussey's own collection of art was bequeathed to the City of Chicester and is now housed in Pallant House Gallery.

References

Church of England titles
Preceded by Arthur Stuart Duncan-Jones	Dean of Chichester 1955 – 1977	Succeeded by Robert Tinsley Holtby

Deans of Chichester

High Medieval	Odo Richard Matthew Richard John de Greneford Jordan de Meleburn Seffride Matthew de Chichester Nicholas de Aquila Seffride Simon de Perigord Walter Thomas de Lichfield Geoffrey Walter de Glocestria Thomas de Berghstede

Late Medieval	William de Grenefeld John de St Leophardo Henry de Garland Walter de Segrave William Lenn Roger de Freton Richard le Scrope William de Lullyngton John de Maydenhith John Haselee Henry Lovel Richard Talbot William Milton John Patten/Waynflete John Crutchere John Waynfleet John Cloos

Early modern	John Prychard Geoffrey Symson John Young William Fleshmonger Richard Caurden Giles Eyre Bartholomew Traheron Thomas Sampson William Pye Hugh Turnbull Richard Curteys Anthony Rushe Martin Culpepper William Thorne Francis Dee Richard Steward George Aglionby Bruno Ryves Joseph Henshaw Joseph Gulston Nathaniel Crew Thomas Lambrook George Stradling Francis Hawkins William Hayley Thomas Sherlock John Newey Thomas Hayley James Hargraves William Ashburnham Thomas Ball Charles Harward

Late modern	Combe Miller Christopher Bethell Samuel Slade George Chandler Walter Hook John Burgon Francis Pigou Richard Randall John Hannah Arthur Duncan Jones Walter Hussey Robert Holtby John Treadgold Nicholas Frayling Stephen Waine

Authority control	VIAF: 42917965 GND: 129467030 ULAN: 500319832