Lucian Nethsingha

[Roger Judd]

Readers of this forum will be saddened to learn of the death of Lucian Nethsingha in the early hours of this morning. He held two posts with great distinction, at St Michael's College, Tenbury and at Exeter Cathedral. He was a lovely gentle man, and a very fine organist and choir trainer. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
RJ

[DracoM]

[ardcarp]

Very sad to hear that. We knew him well when he lived in Exeter, and we met him just last year at St John's Epiphany Service. As well as his Cathedral duties he used to run a Choral Society connected with the cathedral . I well remember some of the performances which I and a friend used to 'bump up'. Despite his gentle manner, he used to control a scratch orchestra with precision. For some reason I particularly remember his directing RVW's Hodie. My condolences to his family. He has a worthy church music successor in Andrew.

[Rolmill]

Oh, that is sad news. I was at St Michael's College (1968-73), although not in the choir, and remember him as a charming and interesting man. RIP.

[Magister Chori]

Very sad news. The Archive of Recorded Church Music on YouTube has a good number of recording of the very fine choirs he conducted at St Michael's College, Tenbury and at Exeter Cathedral.

[PJPJ]

Readers of this forum will be saddened to learn of the death of Lucian Nethsingha in the early hours of this morning. He held two posts with great distinction, at St Michael's College, Tenbury and at Exeter Cathedral. He was a lovely gentle man, and a very fine organist and choir trainer. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
RJ

RIP

[mw963]

How very sad. Although living 30 miles away I used during the 1990s to go in at least once a week to Exeter Cathedral to witness the "dream team" of Nethsingha and Morgan. I sometimes used to think to myself "why am I doing this, the petrol, the parking, etc etc". The opening responses would quickly remind me that in fact I should be going in every day.

Although the singing was marvellous, Lucian was s stickler for the whole Evensong "show". The choir glided (they were rehearsed in processing) and he would regularly check his watch against the astronomical clock so that the first two boys appeared under the Golden Gates as the clock chimed half past five. He could demolish the arguments of a child (and I heard him do this more than once) with use of the English language that made Shakespeare look like a mere amateur, and have everyone quietly in stitches of laughter. I would describe every evensong I ever went to as having an electric atmosphere.

Someone may be able to correct me in my recollection of a story which told of the only time that Lucien really lost musical control of a choir. In the midst of the Canticles - out of nowhere - a small but determined dog appeared at the Golden Gates, trotted through the Quire, past Lucian, up the steps and disappeared under the High Altar. Cue a choir that fell apart with laughter, the only musical continuation came from Lucien waving his arms and Paul (who could of course see Lucian but couldn't see what had happened) manfully continuing the accompaniment. I'm sure there are other anecdotes.

May he rest in peace, he for me epitomised "how things are done" in an English Cathedral.