My Story
Daryl Bichel was awarded Master of Music degrees in performance of early music and in organ performance from the New England Conservatory, where he studied organ with Yuko Hayashi and Robert Schuneman. His BA degree in music is from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Holding a strong interest in singing, he has been a member of several church choirs, including Old South Church in Boston and the choir of men and boys at The Parish of All Saints, Ashmont. For many years he has sung in the bass section with The Seraphim Singers, and has sung for Night Song since its inception.
Night Song, founded in 2008 by Bichel, was inspired by the practice of compline at St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle. As a composer of sacred music, Bichel has contributed modern chant used at Night Song, as well as hymns, psalm settings, and choral works. To date he has written four unique chant settings for compline that are used as the basic structure for Night Song, where every portion of the liturgy is sung. Significantly contemplative, Night Song offers an ideal opportunity for respite and reset.
He has served on the board of directors for Blue Heron Renaissance Choir, Capella Clausura, and the Old West Organ Society, and is currently in his sixth year as president of the board for Seraphim. Association with Seraphim has been an important influence. In performing sacred music of all periods and commissioning new pieces, Seraphim opens a window on the Divine through exploring spiritual themes of divine transcendence, human longing, suffering, and protest.
Throughout his career he has been an active member of the American Guild of Organists, and has served on the Executive Committee of the Boston Chapter in many capacities, currently as treasurer. Bichel's sacred music posts have included Lutheran churches, Episcopal parishes, an Episcopal cathedral, and an Episcopal monastic community. He is currently organist at St. Joseph's Parish (Catholic) in Needham, Massachusetts.
Daryl Bichel
organist . . . singer . . . composer
beyond that . . . some personal information . .
Like many musicians, over the years I had employment in other areas. I worked at the Harvard School of Pubic Health in the dean’s office and various academic departments. Toward the end of that employment I became co-owner of Taylor House Bed and Breakfast in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, where for many years we hosted a salon for artists to display their work and classical and jazz musicians to perform. Later there came my catering company, Persimmon. Both the B&B and Persimmon closed during the COVID pandemic.
Beyond that I’ve always enjoyed gardening, and developed an expansive collection of abstract art over the years. One of the great joys of my life has been being a dog dad to five gorgeous golden retrievers and a magnificent Bernese mountain dog.
