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The King's Legacy


Jeremy Jones

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I have a liking for compiling lists, and over the weekend, at a loose end, I put together a list of the King's College Cambridge Organ Scholars over the past 30-40 years. With a few exceptiops, where your response may well be to ask: "Where are they now?", it really does read as a veritable Who's Who of the organ world in the UK, and is a remarkable testament to the consistent quality of organists that Stephen Cleobury and before him Philip Ledger and David Willcocks have produced out of the King's conveyor belt.

 

Oliver Brett

Tom Winpenny

Ashley Grote

Benjamin Bayl

Thomas Williamson

Robert Quinney

James Vivian

David Goode

Christopher Hughes

Peter Barley

Richard Farnes

Stephen Layton

David Briggs

Thomas Trotter

James Lancelot

John Butt

Francis Grier

Simon Preston

Andrew Davis

 

No doubt I have probably missed out a few - there is no such list on the web that I could find.

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King's always has been the top banana, so this is no more than you would expect really.

 

Coincidentally, Andrew Davis is the first King's organ scholar of whom I ever became aware. Were he and Simon Preston the ones who gave the post real kudos? Who preceded them? I vaguely remember someone telling me that Garth Benson (organist of St Mary Redcliffe back in the 60s) had been organ scholar at King's, but most of my recollections these days seem to be vague so I've probably got that completely wrong!

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David Liddle and Ian Hare are both former King's organ scholars. Wasn't John Bertalot, too? Daniel Hyde, now director of music at Jesus, gave a brilliant recital (Bach, Mendelssohn and Wammes) at the Klosterkirche, Steinfeld as part of the IAO congress last week.

 

The list for John's would include:

 

John Scott

Adrian Lucas

David Hill

Stephen Cleobury

David Lumsden

Brian Runnett

Jonathan Bielby

Andrew Lumsden

Andrew Nethsinga

Philip Scriven

Iain Farrington

Robert Houssart

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King's always has been the top banana, so this is no more than you would expect really.

 

Coincidentally, Andrew Davis is the first King's organ scholar of whom I ever became aware. Were he and Simon Preston the ones who gave the post real kudos? Who preceded them? I vaguely remember someone telling me that Garth Benson (organist of St Mary Redcliffe back in the 60s) had been organ scholar at King's, but most of my recollections these days seem to be vague so I've probably got that completely wrong!

Perhaps not as well-known is John Langdon, who presided at King's, I believe, between the tenures of Preston and Davis. For the last 38 years he has lectured at the RSAMD in Glasgow where he is held in great esteem by colleagues and generations of students.

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I vaguely remember someone telling me that Garth Benson (organist of St Mary Redcliffe back in the 60s) had been organ scholar at King's

 

Might have been me - I sang there for a couple of years at the end of the 1960s. The story was that he had indeed been OS of King's, but had left without taking a degree. (I also remember that during the winter at Redcliffe he played in overcoat and mittens!)

 

It was said that GB wasn't particularly interested in choir training - to the extent that shortly I arrived there had been a Lay Clerks' revolt and a demand that a Choirmaster be appointed. Bryan Anderson arrived shortly thereafter. [Anyone with a better memory or more inside info, please feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken!]

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I have a liking for compiling lists, and over the weekend, at a loose end, I put together a list of the King's College Cambridge Organ Scholars over the past 30-40 years. With a few exceptiops, where your response may well be to ask: "Where are they now?", it really does read as a veritable Who's Who of the organ world in the UK, and is a remarkable testament to the consistent quality of organists that Stephen Cleobury and before him Philip Ledger and David Willcocks have produced out of the King's conveyor belt.

 

...

Benjamin Bayl

...

Did Benjamin Bayl return to Sydney after his time at King's College, or remain in England (where there are undoubtedly more opportunities in this area)?

 

Rgds,

MJF

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Did Benjamin Bayl return to Sydney after his time at King's College, or remain in England (where there are undoubtedly more opportunities in this area)?

 

Rgds,

MJF

Putting the King's list together involved a bit of Googling and Benjamin Bayl's name did crop up in connection with recitals etc in Sydney, so you are probably right.

 

I agree with Vox that the lists for St John's Cambridge and Christchurch Oxford contain just as illustrious a group of organists - by the way I think you can add Jonathan Vaughn, now at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, to the St John's list.

 

Post Oxbridge organ scholarship, it is interesting how the holders of the Sub-Organist posts at both Winchester Cathedral and Westminster Abbey have proved to be the pre-curser of either becoming a Cathedral Organist or illustrious concert career:

 

WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL

James Lancelot

Timothy Byram-Wigfield

Stephen Farr

Philip Scriven

David Dunnett

 

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Robert Quinney

Andrew Lumsden

Simon Preston

Christopher Herrick

Martin Baker

Andrew Reid

Harry Bicket

Stephen Cleobury

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Guest Andrew Butler

Garth Benson was indeed at Kings, but I can't say when. I recall Martin How telling me he had sat in the loft with him for services.

 

GB did indeed play in fingerless gloves in winter. I am sure VH knows many GB stories.......... !

 

PS - Am on "holiday" in France, twixt Angouleme/Limoges. Any organ info from anyone? Playing "toaster" (Allen) in local church next 4 suns!

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I have a liking for compiling lists, and over the weekend, at a loose end, I put together a list of the King's College Cambridge Organ Scholars over the past 30-40 years. With a few exceptiops, where your response may well be to ask: "Where are they now?", it really does read as a veritable Who's Who of the organ world in the UK, and is a remarkable testament to the consistent quality of organists that Stephen Cleobury and before him Philip Ledger and David Willcocks have produced out of the King's conveyor belt.

 

Oliver Brett

Tom Winpenny

Ashley Grote

Benjamin Bayl

Thomas Williamson

Robert Quinney

James Vivian

David Goode

Christopher Hughes

Peter Barley

Richard Farnes

Stephen Layton

David Briggs

Thomas Trotter

James Lancelot

John Butt

Francis Grier

Simon Preston

Andrew Davis

 

No doubt I have probably missed out a few - there is no such list on the web that I could find.

 

 

==============

 

Wasn't Gerre Hancock there also?

 

MM

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Did Benjamin Bayl return to Sydney after his time at King's College, or remain in England (where there are undoubtedly more opportunities in this area)?

 

Rgds,

MJF

 

 

No - Ben lives in London and amongst many things runs an orchestra, The Orchestra of the City and the Saraband Consort.

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I have a liking for compiling lists, and over the weekend, at a loose end, I put together a list of the King's College Cambridge Organ Scholars over the past 30-40 years. With a few exceptiops, where your response may well be to ask: "Where are they now?", it really does read as a veritable Who's Who of the organ world in the UK, and is a remarkable testament to the consistent quality of organists that Stephen Cleobury and before him Philip Ledger and David Willcocks have produced out of the King's conveyor belt.

 

Oliver Brett

Tom Winpenny

Ashley Grote

Benjamin Bayl

Thomas Williamson

Robert Quinney

James Vivian

David Goode

Christopher Hughes

Peter Barley

Richard Farnes

Stephen Layton

David Briggs

Thomas Trotter

James Lancelot

John Butt

Francis Grier

Simon Preston

Andrew Davis

 

No doubt I have probably missed out a few - there is no such list on the web that I could find.

 

Adrian Partington is missing from the list too.

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David Liddle and Ian Hare are both former King's organ scholars.  Wasn't John Bertalot, too?  Daniel Hyde, now director of music at Jesus, gave a brilliant recital (Bach, Mendelssohn and Wammes) at the Klosterkirche, Steinfeld as part of the IAO congress last week.

 

The list for John's would include:

 

John Scott

Adrian Lucas

David Hill

Stephen Cleobury

David Lumsden

Brian Runnett

Jonathan Bielby

Andrew Lumsden

Andrew Nethsinga

Philip Scriven

Iain Farrington

Robert Houssart

 

I don't think you are quite right about Liddle or Bertalot. Liddle read music at St John's College and was what they called an assisting organ scholar at Kings, but I think that his blindness precluded him from having an accompanying role.

 

I'm pretty sure that Bertalot was not at Kings.

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I can find no kind of listing for Christ Church, Oxford. My initial searching finds (in no particular order):

 

Christopher Robinson, Stephen Darlington, Paul Morgan, Robert Bottone (who gave up the organ but is a notable piano teacher), Clive Driskill-Smith, Timothy Noon, Timothy Byram-Wigfield, Lawrence Cummings, Simon Williamson, Elizabeth Burgess, Neil Gaston-Nash.

 

Paul

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I can find no kind of listing for Christ Church, Oxford.  My initial searching finds (in no particular order):

 

Christopher Robinson, Stephen Darlington, Paul Morgan, Robert Bottone (who gave up the organ but is a notable piano teacher), Clive Driskill-Smith, Timothy Noon, Timothy Byram-Wigfield, Lawrence Cummings, Simon Williamson, Elizabeth Burgess, Neil Gaston-Nash.

 

Paul

Colin Walsh was another.
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PS - Am on "holiday" in France, twixt Angouleme/Limoges.  Any organ info from anyone?  Playing "toaster" (Allen) in local church next 4 suns!
Nice area. We had a holiday down that way the year before last - on the river at St Simeux, just west of Angoulême. Didn't get to hear any organs, but it sounds as if the one at Saintes Cathedral is worth a look. There's a brief note about the instrument on this page: http://www.orgel.com/vlm/f2-e.html Presumably you already know of the 55/IIIP Beuchet-Debierre at Angoulême Cathedral? http://www.uquebec.ca/musique/orgues/france/angoulemesp.html No idea how you'd go about getting your mitts on them, I'm afraid.
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Guest Barry Oakley
Ian Hare should be added to the list of Kings Organ Scholars. Ian went up to Kings in 1968 and has held posts at Cartmel Priory and Carlisle Cathedral. He is currently Director of Music at Crosthwaite Church, Keswick. More details about Ian can be found here.

 

I believe you can also add the names of Roy Goodman and (Sir) Andrew Davis to the list of former organ scholars at King's.

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I believe you can also add the names of Roy Goodman and (Sir) Andrew Davis to the list of former organ scholars at King's.

 

Roy Goodman was head chorister and the soloist in the famous old recording of the Allegri Miserere. Now he's a world famous violinist. But I don't think he was ever Organ Scholar of Kings as he was an RCM student (though he is an FRCO!)

 

(Davis is already on the original list btw)

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  • 8 months later...
Found this on Flickr.

 

And, more completely, but less legibly, this.

 

 

=====================

 

 

Is there a comparable Oxford list?

 

Perhaps a "Christ Church List" or a "Queen's List?"

 

Oh God! On second thoughts..........

 

MM

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Guest Cynic
=====================

Is there a comparable Oxford list?

 

Perhaps a "Christ Church List" or a "Queen's List?"

 

Oh God! On second thoughts..........

 

MM

 

 

Don't forget New College!

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