Colin Mawby RIP

[ardcarp]

Sad news that another church musician has died.

https://slippedisc.com/2019/11/westminster-cathedral-master-of-music-dies-at-83/

[DracoM]

[edashtav]

He will be missed by many choirs and their choirmasters: he wrote decent, effective and accessible scores. I've scheduled several of his anthems over the last decade. R.I.P.

[Vox Humana]

Very sad news.

[Miles Coverdale]

It's particularly sad that Westminster Cathedral should lose two former directors of music in such close succession.

[underthecountertenor]

It's particularly sad that Westminster Cathedral should lose two former directors of music in such close succession.

...but if anything even sadder that it appears to be going the right way about losing the prestige of its choir.

[Roger Judd]

Ironic too that Stephen Cleobury was called to the Cathedral by Cardinal Basil Hume expressly to save both musical reputation and choir school, both of which were seriously compromised at that time. The actions of the present Cardinal, wittingly or otherwise, have compromised the music. I recall the late and great Allan Wicks telling a Cathedral Organists' conference (at a time when the threat to private, and therefore many choir schools, was very real), that the danger was not from politicians and party dogma, but from the clergy and the schools themselves. At the Cathedral the choristers are a small minority interest and hugely outnumbered.
RJ

[ardcarp]

Am I right, Roger, that Westminster Cathedral School is stopping weekend boarding, meaning that only kids who live within striking distance can realistically become choristers? If so, it's especially restricting as there are not many other RC places for choristers.

[Roger Judd]

Yes ... the new arrangement started with this term. There was talk of some families having to withdraw their boys, I believe, because they live too far away to make the new arrangement work. Also, it has cut the amount of rehearsal time available for the Sunday services. Sometime ago the week set aside for recording was abolished, I understand. Not a happy situation presently.
RJ

[Vox Humana]

Again the cathedrals are reporting increases in the number of worshippers. Since most parishes continue to report the opposite, the attraction cannot simply be religion. It must be the standard of liturgy and music.

https://www.englishcathedrals.co.uk/news/2019/11/visitors-up-one-million-2018/

Music departments are expensive, but cathedrals that degrade their music provision are in danger of killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

Then again, I know nothing and am not in the position of having to balance the books.

[ardcarp]

Absolutely spot on, Vox. Just think how a cathedral [or for that matter a town church] might be attended with no choir for the Advent/Christmas services? Wells, for instance, now puts on two sittings for its carol service...and both will be packed. A gaggle of priests, however finely garbed, just ain't going to pull the crowds.

Leaving aside the big occasions, there is routinely in most cathedrals a congregation counted in dozens for CE on the proverbial wet Thursday afternoon.

[Vox Humana]

[Wolsey]

Yes ... the new arrangement started with this term. There was talk of some families having to withdraw their boys, I believe, because they live too far away to make the new arrangement work. Also, it has cut the amount of rehearsal time available for the Sunday services. Sometime ago the week set aside for recording was abolished, I understand. Not a happy situation presently.
RJ

It's miserable. I'm led to understand that families have indeed had to withdraw their boys; the number of boys is apparently down to twelve; and the DoM is on sick leave.

[Resurgam]

Ironic too that Stephen Cleobury was called to the Cathedral by Cardinal Basil Hume expressly to save both musical reputation and choir school, both of which were seriously compromised at that time. The actions of the present Cardinal, wittingly or otherwise, have compromised the music. I recall the late and great Allan Wicks telling a Cathedral Organists' conference (at a time when the threat to private, and therefore many choir schools, was very real), that the danger was not from politicians and party dogma, but from the clergy and the schools themselves. At the Cathedral the choristers are a small minority interest and hugely outnumbered.
RJ

A friend of mine whose son is a chorister at a cathedral in the home counties without a choir school complained when services sung by the choir of boys and men were considerably reduced recently and was told by the Dean exactly as Allan Wicks predicted - that the cathedral choir was a very small part of the life of the place. Appalling.

[Vox Humana]

Very blinkered. I gather that, back around 1950, the RSCM used to run courses for students at theological colleges. Do they do anything similar these days? Is there any interest among the (prospective) clergy?