Walter Hussey (1909-1985)

Walter Hussey's autobiography is very aptly titled 'Patron of Arts', for during his lifetime he was responsible for commissioning some iconic works of twentieth century music and visual art, first as Vicar of St Matthew's Church Northampton and subsequently as Dean of Chichester Cathedral, from likes of William Albright, Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten, Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland and William Walton.

Hussey was born on 15 May 1909 at Northampton, the younger son of the Reverend Canon John Rowden and Lilian Mary Hussey. He was educated at Marlborough College, a public school noted for its production of soldiers and statesmen, rather than those with artistic interests, though amongst his near contemporaries can be numbered John Betjeman, Anthony Blunt and the poet Louis MacNeice. He went on to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Keble College, Oxford. He stayed at Oxford until 1931, studying at Cuddleston Theological College and was ordained in 1932, when he began his ministry as Assistant Curate at St Mary Abbots, Kensington. From 1937 to 1955 he was Vicar of St Matthew's, Northampton, as his father had been before him. He then became Dean of Chichester Cathedral, an appointment that may well have been influenced by the fact that the Bishop, Dr George Bell, was also a great patron of the arts, and obviously made the appointment with a view to preserving the artistic continuity. Bishop Bell retired in 1958, but Hussey remained as Dean until his retirement in 1977.

It was while he was Vicar of St Matthew's that Hussey decided to celebrate the church's 50th anniversary by organising a musical concert. Seizing the opportunity given by CEMA (Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts), the forerunner of the Arts Council, he invited the BBC Symphony Orchestra to play and commissioned 'Rejoice in the Lamb' from Benjamin Britten. Despite a great many obstacles and in the face of reactionary opposition his tenacity of vision enabled him to get his way. He went on to organise a concert by the great soprano Kirsten Flagsted, and commission Henry Moore's 'Madonna and Child' sculpture, which was unveiled in February 1944, a 'Litany and Anthem for St Matthew's Day' from W.H Auden in 1945, Graham Sutherland's 'Crucifixion' in 1947 and in 1949 'The Outer Planet' from the poet Norman Nicholson.

After he arrived in Chichester Hussey gave further commissions to contemporary artists and composers, guided by the principle that, "Whenever anything new was required in the first seven hundred years of the history of the cathedral, it was put in the contemporary style." In 1961 Sutherland painted an altarpiece for the Chapel of St Mary Magdalen. Hussey later approached Leonard Bernstein, who he had briefly met in New York, to compose a piece of music for the Cathedral, the result being the 'Chichester Psalms' (1965), which were set to the original Hebrew. The following year John Piper was approached to design a Tapestry for the screen behind the High Altar. Other commissions include furnishings by the sculptor Geoffrey Clarke, an altar frontal by Cecil Collins, a set of Copes by Ceri Richards and a stained glass window by Marc Chagall. Kenneth Clark memorably described him as 'the last great patron of art in the Church of England.'

During his career Hussey was given works by the artists he had commissioned, and he also bought a number of works himself, thus amassing an important and unique collection. Hussey decided to offer his art collection as 'blackmail' in order to get Pallant House restored and opened as an art gallery. Hussey did not wish for his paintings to be shown in a 'municipal art gallery', but in a domestic furnished setting and believed that as long as the quality is right, there is no incongruity in setting the art of different periods side by side.