From Chelmsford to Worcester

[Alison]

Worcester Cathedral has appointed Dr Peter Nardone as Organist and Director of Music in succession to Mr Adrian Lucas. Peter Nardone has been the Director of Music of Chelmsford Cathedral since 2000. He trained as a professional singer.

Peter Nardone will take up his post at Worcester after Easter. Adrian Lucas retires from the post at Christmas, to run his recording company, Acclaim Productions. Christopher Allsop, Assistant Organist, will be the Acting Director of Music in the interim.

[ardcarp]

I know nothing about Chelmsford these days, but remember some extremely good CE broadcasts in the past when Dr Graham Elliott [?] was in charge. They obvoiusly like their Drs! Is this Worcester appointment another example of singers taking over? I think I'm in favour in principle. Interesting to see how these appointments work out long term. I am speaking from a position of pure ignorance, as always.

[Caussade]

I know nothing about Chelmsford these days, but remember some extremely good CE broadcasts in the past when Dr Graham Elliott [?] was in charge. They obvoiusly like their Drs! Is this Worcester appointment another example of singers taking over? I think I'm in favour in principle. Interesting to see how these appointments work out long term. I am speaking from a position of pure ignorance, as always.

Peter Nardone is also an FRCO.

[Alison]

remember some extremely good CE broadcasts in the past when Dr Graham Elliott [?] was in charge.

Yes I have a number of off air recordings of Chelmsford from the Dr Elliott era.

He produced a distinctively rich sound and seemed to get the best out of everyone.

By general consent standards dropped when Peter Nardone arrived and there has been just the one broadcast in recent years.

I'm not really sure how 'big' the Worcester job is these days ?

[ardcarp]

It ought to be 'big'....3 Choirs and all that.

[Alison]

I think Peter Nardone will do very well at the Three Choirs.

At Chelmsford he seemed to have a fine command of the larger scale works performed
at stand alone concerts.

[pole_2_pole]

Is this Worcester appointment another example of singers taking over? I think I'm in favour in principle. Interesting to see how these appointments work out long term. I am speaking from a position of pure ignorance, as always.

Now there's a discussion which might be interesting... A darn sight better than whether it's girls, boys or blah blah blah

[cjba]

I'm not really sure how 'big' the Worcester job is these days ?

!?!

Why not drop in one day - you'd be most welcome, and you could see what goes on here.

[DracoM]

< I'm not really sure how 'big' the Worcester job is these days? >

Alison

Tis true that Chelmsford have struggled of late to get back onto the CE roster. Not sure such coincided with Peter Nardone's appointment, however - they were passable before and since well before 2000, the CE list began to change a lot in terms of ensembles / services / locations etc involved, so that Chelmsford being 'dropped' was almost certainly a matter of some expediency rather than outright demotion. Yes, there were problems with quality, some of it to do with the mid-to late 80's a major re-organisation of schools in the area, and recruitment was undoubtedly affected. Organ recitals form there were not uncommon, but the choir fared less well.

As with other contributors, not at all sure I'd question whether Worcs was any longer a 'big job'. It is at the centre of one of the biggest annual Music Festivals in UK, there are currently no lay-clerk vacancies there, the chorister recruitment in the area looks reasonably assured given links with the local schools and Kings Worcs/St Alban's, and anyway, my guess is that a cathedral job is as 'big' as the DoM can / wants to make it.

[Magnificat]

It seems to me that the need for someone capable of staging Worcester's contribution to The Three Choirs has possibly meant compromising the cathedral music side of things a bit.

There is no doubt that Peter Nardone is very experienced in the former are having run The Chelmsford Festival for some years but as Alison says above the cathedral choir has not been as good it was under Graham Elliot during his tenure. Still, he is an experienced choir trainer and the greater resources available at Worcester will, no doubt, make things easier for him in this regard.

I am not convinced that people who are singers will always make good choir trainers especially with choirs of boys and men. Training boys to sing is a specialism and requires skills and talents that not even the most accomplished singer will necessarily possess. It would be different with adult choirs and probably with girls I should think.

I wish him all the best.

VCC

[Alison]

An excellent summary, Magnificat.

The Chelmsford Festival actually folded a few years ago.

[Alison]

Good points, DracoM, except that the choir under Graham Elliot was (IMHO etc) more than 'passable.'

[Gabriel Jackson]

I am not convinced that people who are singers will always make good choir trainers especially with choirs of boys and men. Training boys to sing is a specialism and requires skills and talents that not even the most accomplished singer will necessarily possess. It would be different with adult choirs and probably with girls I should think.

I wish him all the best.

VCC

Why is a singer less able to train a choir than an organist?!

[pole_2_pole]

I am not convinced that people who are singers will always make good choir trainers especially with choirs of boys and men. Training boys to sing is a specialism and requires skills and talents that not even the most accomplished singer will necessarily possess. It would be different with adult choirs and probably with girls I should think.
VCC[/QUOTE]

That may be the stupidest thing I have EVER read. So someone who's a professional singer, has spent years training, performing in all aspects of consort music and teaching can't train a choir of males? Go tell the DoMs of Norwich & St Paul's that!

Yes organists can try choirs, but so can singers. Infact, so can many musicians. The role of a 'DoM' at a Caty is hardly full of organ playing... Why not let non-organists do it?

[Alison]

A misreading of the Magnificat position.