[1] He remained at St Michael Cornhill until 1966,[5] except for a brief war-time interregnum in 1941 to deputise for Boris Ord as Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge.

His midday recitals each Monday, playing Bach in the legato style of Schweitzer, made him a City institution.

[6] The series has flourished under his successors Richard Popplewell 1966–1979 and the present organist, Jonathan Rennert, from 1979.

[1] Darke's work as Conductor of St Michael's Singers was crowned in 1956 (on the occasion of the Choir's 40th Anniversary) with first performances of a number of now well-established works composed especially for the occasion – notably An English Mass by Herbert Howells,[7] Hierusalem by George Dyson,[8] and A Vision of Aeroplanes by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

He recorded Elgar’s Organ Sonata in his early 70s and gave recitals at the Royal Festival Hall to mark his 75th, 80th and 85th birthdays.

[10][11] In a poll of choral experts and choirmasters that was published in BBC Music Magazine on 7 December 2008, "In the Bleak Midwinter" was voted the greatest Christmas carol of all time.