Richard Irven Purvis (1913–1994) was an American organist, composer, conductor, and teacher born in San Francisco. He began performing publicly at age 14 and later studied at the Curtis Institute of Music under Alexander McCurdy and Fritz Reiner. During World War II, Purvis served as an Army bandmaster and was held as a prisoner of war; during this time, he composed “A Soldier's Prayer” and an arrangement of “Greensleeves”. In 1947, he was appointed Organist and Master of Choristers at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, where he served until 1971 and established a cathedral school for boys. He was recognized for the “Purvis sound,” influenced by the cathedral’s Aeolian Skinner organ. His compositions include the suite Four Dubious Conceits and Concerto for Organ and Orchestra. Purvis continued to teach and compose into his 70s, leaving a legacy of over 200 works. He died on December 25, 1994.
