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Guest Barry Williams

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It was part of the weekly bulletin this week that Timothy Noon is to leave the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool for a similar post at Auckland Cathedral in New Zealand in September.

 

 

Out of interest, I've just looked up their May Music List. Lots of nice stuff, but I was amused to see a composer called

Sir Peter Walford Davies

 

An interesting blend, but since the piece was 'Blessed are the pure in heart', I think the 'Peter' should have been 'Henry'.

 

Also, Bunnett in F is listed for a weekday (girls') Evensong. 'Dear old Bunnett in F' as Harriet Wimsey calls it in 'Busman's Honeymoon'. How many of us remember that one? And how many of us know that there's a street named after Bunnett in Norwich?

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Out of interest, I've just looked up their May Music List. Lots of nice stuff

 

 

I looked at the music list too - my only thought was how different life is going to be compared to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool!!

 

I did notice that "The Cathedral Organ is now in a period of its life where it requires major work to be undertaken" and that "The Cathedral is delighted to announce that Mr Colin Walsh, Organist Laureate of Lincoln Cathedral (UK), has agreed to be its Organ Consultant."

 

The Music List at Auckland certainly wouldn't attract me after Liverpool where, rumour has it, there are said to be a million copies in the music library. I would also find it hard to leave the stunning architecture and endless musical possibilities that Gibberd's wonderful building affords. The possibility of a major rebuild of the organ might tempt one to apply for the position - they say that every priest wants to build his own church - perhaps the same could be said of organists - every organist wants to leave behind him the instrument he designed/had built/conceived. If I was younger and felt myself qualified for the position, a life in New Zealand though would certainly attract me!

 

Swings and roundabouts!!

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..... every organist wants to leave behind him the instrument he designed/had built/conceived. If I was younger and felt myself qualified for the position, a life in New Zealand though would certainly attract me!

 

It is quite possible that he has been enthralled by the construction of the new organ for his new cathedral position over the past year or so as it is being constructed around the corner, so to speak, from his present instrument. Could this be an uncanny coincidence?

N

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It is quite possible that he has been enthralled by the construction of the new organ for his new cathedral position over the past year or so as it is being constructed around the corner, so to speak, from his present instrument. Could this be an uncanny coincidence?

N

 

 

A nice idea- thank you Nigel! The construction is going well at St. Matthew's (about two miles from the Cathedral), notwithstanding the 2nd 40-ft container being held up in Singapore for 8 days without their telling us!

 

Actually Tim Noon's appointment has been very much looked forward to at the Cathedral down the road: someone comments on not being attracted to the music in Auckland over that at the MetPot, but his appointment is precisely for the purpose of raising the bar at Holy Trinity Cathedral - he's quite brilliant, so the chances are that the standard of the choral side there will be hugely benefited.

 

A point of clarification might be appropriate though, the term 'Director of Music' over there doesn't mean what it appears to in the UK (actually I've always thought it a pretty useless title anyway, generally): At Auckland Cathedral it is a fully-divided responsibility - there is already the Cathedral Organist, who is on a par with the 'Director of Music (Choral)' - the actual title. So the responsibility for the organ(s) is not Tim N's responsibility.

 

DW

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Today's Church Times has advertisements for the following cathedral positions:

 

St David's - Organist & Master of Choristers;

 

Peterborough - Assistant Director of Music.

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Isn't it time Francis got a knighthood though?

 

Tempted to make a comment about some of the dross, I see another one has joined the ranks, who are given knighthoods - but won't!! (suppose I already have!!!)

 

........................... yes it is high time!!

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Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon is looking for a new DOM, to start next year. Details here should anyone reading this be interested. The personal description specifies ARCO (or equivalent) as a minimum.

 

The mixed choir is very competent indeed and performs the music one would expect for a large parish church.

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Any news of where Alex Mason (St David's, Wales) might be going? I understand he was always highly regarded when at Lichfield.

 

I think he's off to be DoM at Shrewsbury School...

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Today's Church Times has advertisements for the following cathedral positions:

 

St David's - Organist & Master of Choristers;

 

Peterborough - Assistant Director of Music.

 

Posted yesterday on another message board . . .

 

It has been announced today that Miss Francesca Massey is to assume the post of Sub Organist at Durham Cathedral from September the 1st. She is currently Assistant Organist at Peterborough Cathedral.

 

Keith Wright, the Sub Organist since 1991, is moving to York to be Assistant Director of Music & Head of Keyboard at St Peter's School and Director of Music at St Olave's Church in the city centre. Oliver Brett, currently Assistant Organist, is moving to St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia. Thus far there is no news on the status of the 'Assistant' position.

 

RAC

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Thomas LACÔTE - Titulaire at Bourges Cathedral in France to be Organiste Titulaire-Adjoint du Grand-Orgue de l'église de la Trinité in Paris. I spent a hugely enjoyable Mass in the organ tribune at Bourges on Palm Sunday along with an hour on the organ afterwards - TL is a vastly talented player!

 

A

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Thomas LACÔTE - Titulaire at Bourges Cathedral in France to be Organiste Titulaire-Adjoint du Grand-Orgue de l'église de la Trinité in Paris. I spent a hugely enjoyable Mass in the organ tribune at Bourges on Palm Sunday along with an hour on the organ afterwards - TL is a vastly talented player!

 

A

 

Ah - has Naji Hakim decided to retire in a year or two, allowing the new appointee to assume his duties gradually? If so, will Hakim be accorded the title Organiste Honaire?

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This appeared on Twitter this evening

 

http://cccdub.ie/index.php?/press-release/...ral-dublin.html

 

Anyone know what's happening to Judy Martin?

 

 

There was a row there a little while back because the music establishment was to be cut back for financial reasons. Maybe that had a bearing on the parting of the ways (although I am in no way qualified to suggest this).

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Interesting that the post is being offered only for "up to five years".

 

 

There was quite a fashion for fixed-term contracts a while back, but I don't think it caught on. I know of at least one organist of a major cathedral who is well into the third decade of a ten-year fixed-term contract.

 

I had a 'retire at 65' clause in my contract at Belfast, but I think that was because my predecessor-but-three stayed on until he was 88. They had a dinner to celebrate his seventieth birthday and another for his 50th anniversary in the post, both hoping he would take the hint and retire, but he expressed himself so moved by the tokens of appreciation that he had decided to stay on.

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There was quite a fashion for fixed-term contracts a while back, but I don't think it caught on.

 

There's still quite a lot of it about in teaching and local government.

 

A

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There's still quite a lot of it about in teaching and local government.

 

A

Someone told me recently that new teaching contracts at the RNCM are for life but include the option of zero hours and zero pay.

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