If you could take anyone in the cathedral music world to dinner, who would it be?

[Finzi4ever]

hear, hear! But the singing, especially psalms, was equally stunning under Auntie Roy.
On the topic of a paucity of eateries in H. There used to be a fine little French Bistro just over the bridge called I think the Fat Tulip: I loved it the only two times I went - anyone remember it?

[ardcarp]

If we're talking about Roy Massey, he was (is...he's still extant) an example of someone who was a stunningly competent organist and a good choir-trainer, especially of boys. He also worked himself up via a non-Oxbridge route, so good for him. The snag is, he had a rather conservative approach to repertoire...i.e. he liked all the typical cathedral goo, and generally did not stray outside his comfort zone.

[Wolsey]

If we're talking about Roy Massey, he was (is...he's still extant) an example of someone who was a stunningly competent organist and a good choir-trainer, especially of boys.

If you're having dinner with Roy, I can tell you from personal experience that the bottle of (red) wine on the table will always remain within his grasp.

[colonial]

If we're talking about Roy Massey, he was (is...he's still extant) an example of someone who was a stunningly competent organist and a good choir-trainer, especially of boys. He also worked himself up via a non-Oxbridge route, so good for him. The snag is, he had a rather conservative approach to repertoire...i.e. he liked all the typical cathedral goo, and generally did not stray outside his comfort zone.

Many years ago someone told me that Roy Massey once played the Bach D major P&F in recital (Croydon Parish Church, maybe?), began the pedal scale on C and continued to play the entire P&F in C major. Apocryphal?

[ardcarp]

He could do almost anything like that, so it wouldn't surprise me. Having said that, the pedal scale is a lot easier in D major, especially if doing 'authentic' Bach pedalling on a straight pedal-board. Roy didn't belong to that brigade.

[Wolsey]

Croydon Parish Church, maybe?

... which became Croydon Minster a fortnight ago (29 May).

[ardcarp]

Can anyone throw light on what 'Minster' actually means? Does it suggest some past monastic use? A church near me calls itself a minster, but it's nothing very special to look at.

[muticus]

Historically a Minster was a monastic, or collegiate, foundation that served surrounding parishes by sending out members to be parish priests. It was a common model in the Saxon church, less so in the post conquest era - hence the quite small number of nominal Minsters. I am not really sure how the modern usage is being applied - as almost any team ministry (as found nearly everywhere these days) could loosely fit the model.

[ardcarp]

Thanks, m.

[Finzi4ever]

No one remember the Fat Tulip then? Shame - prob why it went out of business. This was in the great Massey/Briggs era

[old khayyam]

Historically a Minster was a monastic, or collegiate, foundation that served surrounding parishes by sending out members to be parish priests. It was a common model in the Saxon church, less so in the post conquest era - hence the quite small number of nominal Minsters. I am not really sure how the modern usage is being applied - as almost any team ministry (as found nearly everywhere these days) could loosely fit the model.

That's interesting. So, etymologically speaking, if 'minster' connected with 'monastery', it may at one time have been a 'monster'.

[muticus]

Or indeed a monstrosity.

[old khayyam]

Or a ministry of monsters. But anyway..

[Zimbelstern]

George Guest, a true legend. But I'm not sure he'd be able to tell me how he did it all, so the other option would have been to hang around him and learn by osmosis. But sadly no longer possible, though many did and still reap the benefits.

[Vile Consort]

An evening with Francis would be interesting. Perhaps we could have a table at the Dean Court Hotel overlooking the west front of the Minster. The food was very good last time I dined there. It was some time ago, but one needs to do some quality control from time to time.

If we wanted to make a trio of cathedral organists then I would also invite Robert Sharpe and Andrew Millington - for no better reason than that I have met them in the past and found them very genial and not at all pompous. Just like FJ, in fact.