DIAPASONSCOTHERN

I first met PM on a visit to Lincoln in January 1974 when I was a Lay Clerk at Windsor.He and his wife Margaret,stayed with me at Windsor.I had always wanted to `end up` at Lincoln and in 1977,after being engaged to sing in the St Matthew Passion,he offered me a Lay Vicarate `without any stupid audition as we won`t get better than you`! Thus I moved to Lincoln in 1978.In 1980,in celebration of the 800th anniversary of the completion of St Hugh`s Quire,he wrote the Cantata `In Laudem Sancte Hugonis' for Orchestra,choir, echo choir and solo Countertenor[the latter two being for the chamber choir I directed and me.] He subsequently wrote `Four Spiritual Songs` dedicated to me,which were never published and I have lost the original sadly. I have several compositions,published and not in mss and a wonderful video of the local News shortly before he retired.Again, alas the one of him and David Flood is no longer available. I was away on holiday when he passed over,but his widow lives in a Nursing Home here in Scothern,Lincs and I visit every day and am her P.O.A. Besides being a musical genius, he was also a gifted artist,made steam locos from scratch,buit organs and made wonderful wooden items, a wall coat rack made from organ stops I am looking at as I type this !!.