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Choir Man

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That would be most fitting but we all know how things have changed as far as honours go for church musicians. Having said that, he has a CBE already which is richly deserved. I'm saddened that the Archbishop of Canterbury appears to have shelved Lambeth degrees. Plenty of esteemed and long serving cathedral musicians have been awarded DMus as a Lambeth degree upon their retirement - think Martin Neary, John Birch, et al. James Lancelot wasn't, despite his huge period of prodigious service at Durham and Winchester. It also seems a great shame that Cambridge has not awarded Stephen a DMus, but perhaps they intend to do so next year. I live in hope. 

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The Winchester/ Southampton degree was conferred at a ceremony in Winchester Cathedral.  Martin, in his doctoral robes, and Penny Neary were photographed afterwards outside their former home, No 10 The Close.

MN and Francis Jackson both received their Lambeth DMus on the same day, 16th October 2012, from Archbishop Rowan Williams at Lambeth Palace

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On 28/12/2018 at 20:01, Martin Cooke said:

I'm saddened that the Archbishop of Canterbury appears to have shelved Lambeth degrees. Plenty of esteemed and long serving cathedral musicians have been awarded DMus as a Lambeth degree upon their retirement - think Martin Neary, John Birch, et al. James Lancelot wasn't, despite his huge period of prodigious service at Durham and Winchester. It also seems a great shame that Cambridge has not awarded Stephen a DMus, but perhaps they intend to do so next year. I live in hope. 

The Cranmer Award for Worship appears to be the new way of the Archbishop recognising distinguished church musicians, but I suspect there are a good many who have yet to be convinced by this. Church musicians honoured in this way include: James Lancelot and Philip Moore (2016), and Ralph Allwood and Paul Hale (2017).

There are clear, strict criteria for nominating someone for a Cambridge honorary degree  (the process and documents are online). Length of service alone is not sufficient evidence to award an honorary Cambridge MusD, and an honorary degree cannot be conferred on an employee of the University or one of its Colleges while they are in post. 

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Some less well known musicians have also been honoured.

BEM - Irene Harman. Organist at HMS SULTAN. For over 50 years voluntary service to the Church in the Royal Navy

BEM - Mollie Rollins. Organist of the Methodist Chapel in Tydd St Giles, Cambridgeshire, for more than 70 years, for services to the Church and the community

RVM - Michael McGuire, a gentleman of the choir of Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal, St James’s Palace

MNZM - Paul Ellis, National President of the Royal School of Church Music in New Zealand

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