August 2026
Bruno Turner obituary
Bruno Turner, who died on 9 June 2026 at the age of 95, made a profoundly significant contribution to the world of performing polyphony. In the days before musical scores could be found on the internet but had to be sourced in library collected editions, or transcribed in cathedral libraries themselves. Bruno’s publishing enterprise Mapa Mundi (founded in 1977 and now run by Martyn Imrie) enabled and facilitated vocal groups to explore interesting new sacred-text repertoire in scholarly but affordable paper editions.
We have so much to thank him for, not least his kindness to us all in generously sharing his knowledge. Born in London, he might have followed a reasonable business career in the family firm Turner Wallcoverings, but instead found a way to divert some of its profit into the music that was his passion. Active as a conductor, scholar, editor, publisher and engaging speaker, his activities linked up all those worlds and combined them to good result. He was involved in the Renaissance Singers from 1950 onwards, eventually as Honorary President, and he conducted the ensemble Pro Musica Sacra, and the men’s group Pro Cantione Antiqua which was especially successful touring in Europe. He directed many recordings for BBC Radio 3, as well as commercial ones, and in 1963 a pioneering liturgical reconstruction of the Sarum Missa in Gallicantu, for a significant PMMS anniversary.
Prevented from taking up a place at Cambridge by his strict Catholic- convert father, who declared it to be full of the Church of England and atheists, he was largely and painstakingly self-educated in music, with some input from Thurston Dart, Henry Washington and Frank Harrison, among others. His early conducting repertoire took in Masses by Sheppard and Taverner, as well as Ockeghem and Stravinsky, then in the 1970s after studying Robert Stevenson’s trailblazing Spanish Cathedral Music, he turned to serious exploration of Hispanic music, which is the area in which Mapa Mundi came to specialise. Amongst a substantial catalogue of sacred music he introduced to us Alonso Lobo’s Versa est in luctum, much loved by many, as well as presenting Victoria’s six-part Requiem in an accessible performing format.
His musical interests were wider than we might have imagined – he had a particular affinity with Sibelius, following an inspiring concert that he heard as a teenager, and travelled in Finland. He and his wife Doreen lived for some years in Spain before returning to UK. He is survived by his three sons.
Sally Dunkley
The 23rd June 2026 episode of the Choral Chihuahua podcast was recently dedicated to Bruno Turner’s life, including conversations with those who worked closely with him for many years.