Dr Nigel H Day

Does anyone know who runs this YouTube channel ? I have some old recordings which might be worth uploading, but I can't see any contact / messaging details for this channel on the YouTube page.

Here is the actual vacancy link. The post is still subject to a 6 month probationary period ! https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/your-cathedral/vacancies

From the St Albans job pack: Work is currently underway to identify the most suitable location for a new section of the Nave Organ to be installed, following design proposals by Harrison & Harrison.

I think an HR expert would have a lot to say about this sequence of events. It's rather obvious what is going to happen - and if it does - they have done it in the wrong order. I hope the HR folk have made 100% certain her work permit is permanent (not my area, just a comment).

David Butterworth played the Wedge and the Madsen. He then handed over to (what I assume was) the resident organist. (Ed posted just as I was posting. I can't delete the duplicate.)

I did attend the Requiem Mass on Thursday. St Paul's Church - a very short walk from the Vicarage and Stanley's 'retirement' home - was very full with a wide spectrum of friends from his various 'careers'. There was no Mass setting as such - simply a spoken service. It was a very moving service and the eulogy was both thoughtful and - at times - humorous, as it recounted so many of Stanley's behaviours and beliefs. The Monkhouse family have committed to maintaining Stanley's 'Rambling Rector Retired' blog, so we will have this to reminisce upon for many years to come.

I write a week on from hearing this tragic news. I first met Stanley in the organ loft of St Mary’s Nottingham in 1975. He immediately struck me as one of life’s ‘characters’. He was a gifted polymath in so many ways – musical, medical and spiritual. We shared our musical interests and also trained together for a half-marathon when our paths crossed at the University of Nottingham in the early 80’s. He was President of the local Organists’ Society in ’84-’85 and I had the privilege to be his successor. Not surprisingly he had little time for some of the older members of the Society Committee. When the 1876 Bishop organ in High Pavement Unitarian Chapel (Nottingham) was about to be removed, Stanley was quick to accept my invitation to make a private professional recording. His long list of qualifications has already been noted, but I should add he also attained LRAM and ARCM. The list of post-nominals became too long to fit on the Society membership card. He was very proud of his Nigel Church house organ (from his mother’s bequest) which he subsequently moved to Ireland when he took up the Chair in Anatomy at the RCSI. We kept in touch over the years – even more so when electronic messaging became popular. It was a terrible shock to hear of his passing, and so unexpected. If I could recount one anecdote to sum up Stanley it would be this. When Vicars retire, they are ‘expected’ to leave the Parish to enable the new incumbent to settle in without their predecessor looking over their shoulders. Stanley and Susan had plans to retire back to their roots near Penrith, and a cottage had been purchased, but then these plans were reversed. When Stanley retired he simply purchased his own house almost opposite the Vicarage on Rangemore Street. That was so typical of Stanley. He continued to be Licensed in the Diocese of Lichfield. His last service was at St John the Divine Horninglow on the Sixth Sunday after Trinity. Fortunately it was live-streamed on YouTube and I have a downloaded copy to forever remember this remarkable man and a trusted friend for so many years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M45fVKCh4z0&t=2238s

It will be very interesting to see if Dr David Flood is awarded an xBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021, and if so what will be the x ?

Many institutions - King’s included - have supporting ‘vocal coaches’. These can be a valuable addition where the DoM is perhaps a stronger organist than a choir trainer.

The ‘forward facing’ rôle of the DoM is mostly choir training. The ADoM does most of the playing. There are many highly talented (non-organist) choir trainers who could do a DoM job at least as good as our best DoMs. Where there is substantial support in the ‘playing department’ it does not make sense to be over-restrictive in requiring FRCO standard DoMs.

This is all part of the debate as to whether a DoM is actually better placed if s/he is a top class choir trainer rather than an ‘Organist and Choirmaster’. If there is a significant back-up of assistant organists to always provide cover, then the ‘top choir trainer’ appointment can make sense.

Thanks for the licence clarification. The whole application seems be shrouded in some degree of secrecy. You express an interest in 1000 words, and only if they think you are a viable candidate, do you get the full application pack. This is unusual.

Westminster. “Accommodation near the Cathedral is provided on licence.” Any idea what this means ? It will be interesting to see who applies, if the shortlist ever leaks out.

Ian Keatley is the new DoM replacing PW as of Summer 2019.

Not encouraging news for Leeds. Paul lasted less than three years. I did hear there is an 'issue' in the Diocese because Ripon and Wakefield Cathedrals (naturally) want to support their traditional music foundations, and Leeds may therefore have to 'cater' for the less traditional forms of music and worship. If this is true, it is a sad end to the long tradition of music at 'Leeds Parish Church' (sorry, I can't get used to calling it Leeds Minster).

Did anyone record this concert off Radio 3 ? I intended to do this, but I've missed the '30 day' time limit.

I did not appreciate my original posting would create such a discussion. We can probably all cite examples to support the 'cost arguments' either way. I suspect on grounds of musicality we are united in supporting pipes. I would like to offer the following example from Nottinghamshire which dates back to the early 1980's. It's interesting, so read on. Beeston, St John the Baptist. http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N13530 In 1983 the pipe organ was replaced by a 3-manual Makin. My late friend Brian Tennyson was appointed organist shortly after this date. He was horrified to see the array of rotaphon speakers in the old organ chamber. Brian was a colourful character, and his words were choice ! I believe the cost of this organ was about £16,500. It has NOT lasted. In 2008 (25 years from new), it was replaced by a new 2-manual Rodgers. http://www.beestonparishchurch.co.uk/choir/page4/ I wonder if this Rodgers organ will be replaced in around 2033 ? Chilwell, Christ Church. http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N01414 This is a Nigel Church installation from 1984. It cost in the region of £20,000. It is still there. Some of you might be wondering so what ? Well, it is precisely 0.5 miles (10 minutes walk) between these two churches. They both faced the same problem in 1983/84 in needing to replace/repair their existing pipe organs. They chose totally different routes. The most important point to note is that the spend in 1983/84 was virtually the same. Granted, the Nigel Church organ has no enclosed division, but I know which I would rather play. The economic argument for an electronic is simply unsustainable when the electronic costs approximately the same as an alternative pipe organ. Quantity or quality ? Now, 2015 comparative costs may well be different from 1983/84, but there are still churches today who will spend serious money on 'toasters' when they could -- with very careful design -- make the case for a small pipe organ. On the other issue of some trackers being not particularly reliable, I think we are probably past this problem. In the early days of UK tracker organ design and build, there were shortcuts and cost savings made which, today, are recognised as having being false economy. The established Continental builders generally have a better track record, the Nottingham Marcussens from 1973/74 being one example of quality by design. UK builders have learnt the early lessons of tracker design and are now fully able to compete for business world-wide.

This most certainly cannot apply if you are comparing electronic organs to modern tracker organs. Perhaps the electrical contacts on an electric action keyboard will be a susceptible to dust as the 'similar' contacts on a 'toaster', but for tracker action -- NO.

The discussion over stop lists has been interesting, but of course the final verdict must await completion in 2017. It is not just the stop list however, but also the scaling, voicing and tonal finishing within the Abbey. In my view it is to be celebrated that we have the first UK installation of a Ruffatti organ. The budget of £2.5m (is this actually true, or a rumour ?) is substantial. The final results will be the responsibility of Ian Bell, Philip Arkwright and Ruffatti. There have been some examples of foreign organ builders installing wonderful organs of their own style which have not been altogether too successful when judged for suitability as vehicles for accompanying the English choral tradition. Now Buckfast perhaps comes a little outside this 'tradition', but nonetheless the final verdict will be to judge how it delivers against the requirements of the build specification (this being a small 's' and not a stop list !). I wish the team well and look forward to 2017.

Thanks all for your replies, some 'cryptic', some more open. I was only asking because of the nature of the FB posting where the author really didn't want to name the Cathedral in question. I'm not sure why. If it's a dud toaster, then let the world know. I respect this Forum is not for discussion of toasters, but what I do strongly believe is that churches need to be 'educated' on the matter of longevity of electronic instruments. They have been successfully employed as short-term solutions during dedicated fund-raising for a pipe organ rebuild / replacement, but as a permanent replacement for a pipe organ, no. You are merely passing the replacement cost on to the next generation. Far better to bequeath a pipe organ.

I've just read a FB comment regarding an 'un-named' Cathedral where the 2-manual Victorian organ has been replaced (but not removed - it is still played) by a 3-manual electronic. The author did not want to name the said Cathedral. Apparently the electronic is not too successful. Does anyone know where this is ? Nothing springs to mind, but it could be an RC Cathedral, which tend to be less well-known. It could be overseas, of course, but the author is UK-based.