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Rowland Wateridge

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Everything posted by Rowland Wateridge

  1. Would it be possible to have a brief summary of the order of service: other hymns and voluntaries? I assume “Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer” was sung to ‘Cwm Rhondda’. Stanley was passionate about the hymns of Charles Wesley. I recall his saying that one of the finest catholic Marian hymns was written by Wesley.
  2. I was not able to attend Stanley’s funeral at Burton upon Trent yesterday. It was a Requiem Mass, and the only report of it I have is from a non-musician. The final hymn was “Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer” and, unfortunately, no details of other music, such as the Mass setting. There was an impressive attendance by clergy and laity alike. The Bishop of Lichfield was represented by the Bishop of Stafford who spoke at the end of the service. A lengthy eulogy was given by a priest and former colleague of Stanley’s in the neighbouring diocese of Derby, literally the other side of the river from Stanley’s last parish. It says much about Stanley that his former diocesan bishop in Ireland travelled all the way to Burton to be present yesterday. Another indicator: this thread has already received 1,500 ‘views’. There is to be a further commemoration, a memorial service in Ireland.
  3. This further announcement, sadly the final one on his personal blog website, with a wonderful photograph which captures Stanley’s character to perfection: https://ramblingrector.me/2023/08/25/the-death-has-occurred-of-reverend-dr-stanley-monkhouse/
  4. Just announced in the Irish Times: MONKHOUSE - Reverend Dr Stanley, passed away suddenly on August 11, 2023, aged 73. He is survived by his wife Susan, daughter Victoria, son Edward and granddaughter Abigail, predeceased by his eldest son Hugh. A funeral service will be held at St Paul's Church, St Paul's Square, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 2FZ on Thursday, September 7 at 2.15pm. A memorial service in Ireland will follow with a date to be confirmed. Family flowers only please. All further enquiries to Wellings Funeral Service. Tel: 0044 1283 563555.
  5. Thomas Trotter (doubtless among others) has especially championed performance of her organ works.
  6. In the interests of accuracy, the Church Times article was linked by S_L. Yes, his ‘Rambling Rector’ website was full of interest (but will it be preserved?). As well as his final offering which you mention, I think his homily which immediately precedes it “Self and Social”, beginning with his response to horrendous murders, coincidentally in Nottingham, of people known to him is worth reading for a picture of his compassion and anger over injustice.
  7. Thank you to S_L for filling out further details of Stanley’s remarkable life. Interesting to learn that three of us (and doubtless many others) regularly corresponded with Stanley by email without having met him. In my case the introduction began when I wrote something on the ‘Thinking Anglicans’ website to which Stanley responded by referring to my contributions on the Mander board. That led, unexpectedly, to an exchange of literally hundreds of emails; Stanley did not always agree with my public - or private - pronouncements and was always direct, but invariably kind, in saying so! I happen to know that he had an enormous circle of correspondents and they included the Bishop of Lichfield. My impression is that this was one bishop who understood Stanley and ‘went along’ with his sometimes unorthodox procedures: notably by baptising infants from a neighbouring parish ‘the other side of the river’ in Burton, and hence in a different diocese, where the incumbents denied baptism to some children whose parents did not fulfil their necessary criteria. Stanley regularly made good this unchristian behaviour with his own special enhanced baptism liturgy, and said that his bishop both knew this and was not stopping him!
  8. I have just heard the sad news of the death of William Stanley Monkhouse, universally known as Stanley, and a member and regular contributor here. Stanley was a man of many gifts. As a boy he was a chorister of Carlisle Cathedral. I believe Carlisle was his home city. He later graduated as a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, benefiting he told me from lessons with Noel Rawsthorne. Stanley held church appointments at Nottingham among other places. He was also distinguished in the medical and surgical worlds, again in Nottingham, and in Dublin where he was the Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Relatively late in life he had a call to the Christian ministry, serving incumbencies both in the Church of Ireland and the Church of England, latterly as Vicar of Burton upon Trent where he had responsibility for three churches, two of them large, and one particularly magnificent of almost cathedral proportions, including work by G F Bodley. He is survived by family in this country, Ireland and USA. He will be particularly remembered for his sense of fun and enjoying pricking pomposity, which some people were unable to comprehend, while being a deeply spiritual person who baulked at some of what he saw as modern superficiality. May he rest in peace. https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/4195/news/109630/former-vicar-dies/
  9. The organ is by E H Lawton of Aberdeen, as you say, 1934, and further worked on by J W Walker & Sons in 1955. I can’t offer a specification but this link provides considerably more information, and the YouTube video includes close-up views of the three-manual console with ‘sharks teeth’ tab stops (are these Walker’s? - that was my first reaction). Refreshingly, the console retains the builder’s plates of both Lawton and Walker. https://www.allsaintsnairobi.org/the-organ-restoration-project/
  10. A further unexpected treat. The other side of the record, “Offertoire sur Deux Noels”, Guilmant, again remastered I believe in Australia, and issued three days ago by Vintage Sounds, to whom grateful acknowledgment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG-0N6kLuCI I make no comment (I don’t feel competent to do so!) about the accuracy of Dr Prendergast’s playing. These performances were recorded approximately six years before his death at the age of 65. Incidentally, the organ was then 76 years old! He was only two organists removed from Wesley and, I believe, a grandpupil of the great man: Winchester organists in succession, 1849 Wesley, 1865 Dr Benjamin Arnold and 1902 Prendergast. He had in common with Wesley being offered, and declining, a knighthood.
  11. Retired (but still active) priest and organist Stanley Monkhouse has kindly linked this re-mastered and much-improved recording. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gArTkpHTwpk Interesting that a 1927 78 record of Dr Prendergast at Winchester Cathedral found its way to Australia.
  12. With those additional clues, S_L I tracked it down instantly! I have known about the ‘difficulties’ there for some time which were revealed in considerable (and painful) detail, on a Christian discussion board website. That was a while ago, possibly two or three years, and one hopes that the bishop’s intervention and the new priest may have brought some healing. I agree that unless changes for the better are evident, it would be a brave person who applied for the position, quite apart from the other factors which you mentioned. For Mr Bouffant’s benefit, it has a substantial three-manual organ with 46 speaking stops, incorporating some historic pipework, dated to 1793. I have no knowledge of its present condition. Recitals took place there a few years ago, but nothing is currently listed on organrecitals.uk.
  13. Byrd’s death occurred on 4th July 1623, not 5th April (that date, which in any event has already passed, is something of a puzzle?). Evensong on 4th July will be sung by the Choristers and Lay Vicars of the Cathedral with the Tallis Scholars. Isn’t “Sing joyfully” based on Psalm 81? Byrd was Master of the Choristers at Lincoln 1563-1572. This link may be of interest: https://lincolncathedral.com/byrd-400-festival/
  14. Unless things have changed since my day, an Employer’s Liability policy indemnifies the employer (in this case the Church) against claims for personal injury to the employee in the course of his/ her work. There is no element of cover for claims by third parties or for damage caused by the employee. It may well be that your church has arranged liability insurance on a more comprehensive basis than this - certainly worth your checking to see whether it covers your actions for which the church would be vicariously liable. But even that might not be foolproof. Personal liability insurance, properly arranged by a professional, is likely to be the strongest safeguard.
  15. Paul Walton has answered, but it was listed in the Official Order of Service. The ‘Authorised Liturgy’ linked in my original post lacked some details. I see that both it and the official Order of Service, possibly facsimiles, are offered for sale on eBay; only in one case does it admit to being a PDF copy. The Royal Family clearly have great affection for the music of Sir William Harris, which has been included in all recent royal services.
  16. Doubtless today’s order of service will also turn up on eBay in due course. Away from home, I watched the BBC television broadcast, and contrary to my earlier misgivings I have to say that the commentary for the Coronation Service by Huw Edwards and others was exemplary as, of course, were the music and ceremony.
  17. Thank you. I agree that Sky were more restrained at the late Queen’s committal, so I will probably record them (I’m not at home for the live broadcast).
  18. I realise that this question has been asked more than once, but can any of our technically-skilled members say whether one can programme Sky in advance to record on BBC red button and, more to the point, that this will not include commentary (a formidable panel of ‘experts’ has been lined up by the BBC)? It was possible for the late Queen’s funeral. I’m afraid I can’t seem to penetrate anything on the BBC website dealing with this: I hope it doesn’t mean that there is an automatic assumption that we need a continuous commentary.
  19. Well spotted, S_L! It is described as The Authorised Coronation Liturgy, i.e, is not a draft, and is probably considered adequate for most people, but for those like us (!) there is a second version The Authorised Coronation Liturgy with Commentary: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/23-24132 Coronation Liturgy Commentary.pdf Some of your questions are answered. I haven’t had time to check everything. One change is the inclusion of a sermon by the Archbishop of Canterbury. To save two further separate replies, the timing has been extended twice and the latest (an estimate, I guess) is two hours. I also hope that there will be a ‘red button’ or similar facility to dispense with unwanted broadcast commentary.
  20. The complete Order of Service for the Coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May 2023. https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/23-24132 Coronation Liturgy.pdf Updated: An extended version with ‘Commentary’ and further details of music and musicians included: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/23-24132 Coronation Liturgy Commentary.pdf
  21. I have made this point several times previously. There is no shortage of organ recitals. 112 are currently listed on organrecitals.uk during the next four weeks in every part of the country in both churches and concert halls (including Reading Town Hall, as just one!). There are six recitals today - an ‘ordinary’ weekday - two in London and the others admittedly north of ‘the Watford Gap’! I think there are recitals in London and Glasgow every day. Admittedly attending them for working people can be a problem, although most venues pitch their weekday concerts during the lunch hour. I have no idea how well attended they are, but they exist and are available for those who want to go to them. If audiences are small, is it a matter that people don’t bother? There are doubtless other factors; some venues are hopeless about adequate publicity - almost non-existent in some cases. Another issue which does single out the organ is little or no advance information of the programme to be played. The late David Drinkell preferred calling them ‘concerts’, rather than recitals, and suggested that this was a more persuasive name less likely to deter some potential audiences. It really is worth getting to know the website organrecitals.uk.
  22. Unfortunately not able, but an enquiry to Viscount will surely supply the answer. Earlier judgements seem to me unduly harsh - but I am only hearing the sample on an iPad which is possibly an inadequate medium for assessing.
  23. Here’s a link for further details. A fixed term (?) part-time appointment with full attendance during term and vacations. Presumably these will supplement Choral Scholars. Applicants are surely going to need an additional income source: possible applicants from overseas are contemplated. https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/about/work-at-kings/lay-clerk-vacancies-2023-24
  24. There’s a brass plate on the music desk which I cannot decipher from the photograph. Does this provide any clue as to the organ’s provenance?
  25. Now that you remind me, I recall Martin Neary doing this before playing the voluntary.
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