{{Short description|British priest (1938–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Colin Douglas Semper''' (5 February 1938 – 13 April 2022)<ref>Who's Who 2008: London, A & C Black, 2008 {{ISBN|978-0-7136-8555-8}}</ref><ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/04/20/rev-colin-semper-anglican-cleric-brought-enthusiasm-gospel-role/ The Very Rev Colin Semper, Anglican cleric who brought enthusiasm for the Gospel to his role as head of religious programmes on BBC radio – obituary]</ref> was an English Anglican priest.

==Early life== He was the elder son of William Semper, a greengrocer, of 54 Eastbrook Road. He attended Mount Street School and Westgate School. He was a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral.<ref>''Lincolnshire Echo'' Tuesday 20 June 1972, page 7</ref>

Semper was educated at Lincoln Grammar School and Keble College, Oxford, and was ordained in 1963.<ref>Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975-76 Lambeth, Church House, 1975 {{ISBN|0-19-200008-X}}</ref>

==Career== He began his ordained ministry as a curate at Holy Trinity with St Mary's in Guildford.<ref>[http://www.holytrinityguildford.org.uk/ Church website]</ref> He was Recruitment and Selection Secretary for the Advisory Council for the Church's Ministry until 1969 when he became Head of Religious Programmes for BBC Radio and Deputy Head of Religious Broadcasting for the BBC, positions he held for 13 years. He then became Provost of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, Coventry.<ref>The Times, 19 July 1982, p10, "Latest appointments"</ref> and after that Treasurer of Westminster Abbey. In retirement he continued to serve as a non-stipendiary priest at St Mary's Frensham.<ref>[http://www.frenshamchurches.org.uk/vicarsoffrensham.htm List of clergy]</ref>

===BBC=== He started the ''Sunday'' Radio 4 weekly programme. He produced the ''Speakeasy'' radio discussion programme hosted by Jimmy Savile.<ref>''Lincolnshire Echo'' Wednesday 11 June 1975, page 6</ref> He introduced ''Songs of Praise'' from Lincoln Cathedral, which was recorded on 20 June 1972.

==Personal life== He lived in Guildford.<ref>''Lincolnshire Echo'' Thursday 18 May 1972, page 6</ref>

==Notes== {{Portal|Christianity}} {{Reflist}}

{{S-start}} {{S-rel|en}} {{S-bef|before=Harold Claude Noel Wiliams}} {{S-ttl|title=Provost of Coventry Cathedral|years=1982&ndash;1987 }} {{S-aft|after=John Fitzmaurice Petty}} {{End}}

{{Provosts/Deans of Coventry}} {{Office holders in the Diocese of Coventry}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Semper, Colin Douglas}} Category:1938 births Category:2022 deaths Category:Alumni of Keble College, Oxford Category:BBC people Category:Clergy from Lincoln, England Category:People educated at Lincoln Grammar School Category:Provosts and Deans of Coventry Category:Religious broadcasting in the United Kingdom

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