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Home , Ely Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral School, Gareth Malone, The Prebendal School

NEWS FROM THE CHOIR SCHOOLS’ ASSOCIATION

The benefits of a Choir School education ISSUE 18 • SPRING 2014 PATRON: THE DUCHESS OF KENT SINGING OUT!

l Canterbury Girls’ Choir sang their first Evensong on Saturday 25 January which included music by Vaughan Williams, Dyson and SS Wesley. As the girls processed out from the Quire stalls they received a standing ovation. Under the baton of Assistant Organist, David COnHAIRMAN 22 November moreR thanOGER 100,000O youngVERENDWRITES people worldwide, including… Newsholme, the girls will initially sing at many of our choristers, sang the music of Benjamin Britten. They were services when the boy choristers are on celebrating the centenary of the birth of one of the greatest composers of their twice-termly breaks. Their next the 20th century. Evensong is on Saturday 29 March, followed by the Diocesan Service Our and college chapels taken for granted and that they are fully celebrating the 20th anniversary of continued to ring with the sound of supported, musically, socially and Women’s Ministry on Saturday 10 May. glorious music sung by our choristers financially. Music of a high quality often The sixteen girls are aged 12-16 and attend through Christmas, with much of it brought comes at a price, but I believe that any eight different schools in the area. to the fore through radio and television. money spent on cathedral music pays for This term we are working towards Easter itself many times over. It gives pleasure to permeates each day and where what they and I asked Christopher Walji, Head the listener, engaging many entering our do is highly-respected by fellow non- Chorister of , to reflect cathedrals and college chapels for the first chorister pupils. on these two major Christian festivals. You time, and introduces young people to the But it is also important to take stock of the can read his thou ghts on page 3. wonder and power of word and music continuin g outreach with local primary But we should not forget the work that mixed with superb architecture. schools – an initiative which started with choristers do day by day, singing the Music must be seen as a vital part of CSA and has grown, thanks to early weekly round of services, sometimes to cathedral/college outreach work, not just by government funding, to be an important only a handful of people in the the music department, but also by Deans part of cathedral mission. Turn to page 4 congregation, but always to the glory of and Chapters. Touring, both home and to learn more of the very valuable activities God. What they do continues that long abroad, also comes under the outreach our music staff undertake in their local tradition of choral services in our great umbrella. Our unrivalled choral heritage is community. buildings which has given so much to enjoyed all over the world either through We must continue to spread the word choristers, worshippers and listeners over broadcasts, recordings or, as Singing Out! about choir schools and what they stand the centuries. reports on page 6, through trips abroad. for so as to attract a steady stream of Without choristers there would be a huge Choir schools educate over a thousand boys an d girls putting themselves forward void, so it is important that they are not choristers in an environment where music for choristership.

In this issue: News from Overseas Members – p2; First Willcocks Scholarship awarded – p3; p2 Outreach projects thrive – p4/5; Cathedral choirs… on tour – p6/7; CSA People – p8 News from Overseas Members

gap students are former choristers from USA Catholic Choir Montserrat and St Paul’s Cathedral, London. Over to New Zealand School joins CSA In March the school will embark on a Christchurch Cathedral in wNe Zealand is nearly 9,000 miles from Washington CSA is delighted to welcome the USA’s domestic tour to the South and Midwest, so only Catholic boys’ choir school into that the boys can share their talents and and almost 12,000 miles from London. Overseas Membership. St Paul’s Choir spread the word about the Choir School. It is The earthquake of February 2011 left School educates the choristers for St also a good way of exploring different Christchurch’s Anglican Cathedral tower Paul’s Church, Harvard Square in regions of their own country and expanding destroyed and subsequent aftershocks Cambridge, Massachusetts. their vision. chipped away at the building’s stability. Their English Director of Music, John Headmaster Charles Wallace, who regularly Ever since, its future has courted Robinson, was a chorister at Hereford attends the CSA Annual Conference, says: controversy, not least over the suggestion Cathedral before heading to St J ohn’s “Connections such as these enrich the lives that it be replaced by a temporary College, Cambridge, Carlisle and of our students and enhance their cardboard cathedral. Canterbury cathedrals. educational experience far beyond school walls.” It wasn’t easy finding a suitable site but John writes: “We value this opportunity to was eventually erected on part of the St join CSA, both to lessen the degree of our John’s Church site – also a victim of the ‘splendid isolation’ and to re-align ourselves …to Washington DC earthquake. The original design, by with the ancient traditions of music-making Travel another 200 miles further south Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, was for a in which boys’ choirs have their roots.” and we have Washington National building that would last 10 years. Cathedral on the CSA map. St Paul’s has only 43 boys at present, all of However, it is now a permanent fixture in whom sing as probationers, as changed The Choir of men and boys was founded in Latimer Square, costing roughly one-tenth voices in the Schola Cantorum, or as 1909 and the boys, aged 8-14, are educated of the proposed new Cathedral. choristers in the Choir. The latter is at St Albans School. The Cathedral has had structured much as an English cathedral a girls’ choir since 1997, the first of its kind, The Cardboard Cathedral opened last choir with choristers and a professional with its members educated at the National August, the first significant civic building back row. . to be completed in the City’s John continues: “The focus of our school life reconstruction programme. Its detractors As with our choristers, their schedule is in serving the liturgy at lunchtime Masses, are much quieter and it is becoming a includes recordings, concerts and tours. the weekly Vigil and at Sunday morning High hopeful symbol of the new Christchurch. However, at the end of August they also Mass. We perform widely within the state of attend a week-long choir camp at the Roslyn “It is fabulous for our choristers to be back Massachusetts and make regular domestic Retreat Center in Richmond, Virginia. They in a cathedral at last. The school has also and international tours – most recently to enjoyed being able to use the cathedral Washington DC, New York a nd Rome. use the time working on new music for the coming year, leading services in local once again as a place of worship,” says “We hope that our CSA membership will churches, and getting to know fellow Paul Kennedy, Headmaster of the allow us to form transatlantic friendships choristers. Cathedral . with comparable choirs as well as broadening our options for exchanges and tours. We look forward to showing our l The Cardboard Cathedral young men all that is excellent in the choir lights up Christchurch school tradition.” From New York… 200 miles south of Cambridge, Massachusetts is St Thomas Choir School in New York City. Again, a small school with just under 30 c hoirboys in grades 3-8 this academic year. Hailing primarily from the northeastern United States, the boys benefit not just from the Choir School’s specialized musical education, not simply from its location in the heart of one of the world’s great cities, but also and importantly from its connections across the country and around the globe. Last June an ongoing chorister exchange programme with The Prebe ndal School in enabled two boys and a staff member to spend an ‘amazing’ week in Last but not least…. England. There are plans to expand this Closer to home is St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir School in Dublin. The Cathedral programme in 2014 to include exchanges Foundation goes back to the thirteenth century and its choir school was founded in with Escolania de Montserrat in Barcelona. 1432. It has had an almost continuous history of educating choristers with just two St Thomas’s recently welcomed three gap interruptions – The Reformation and Cromwell’s Commonwealth. students. Two came from CSA members The school is unique in Ireland. Today it is housed in modern buildings oppos ite the ( School and King’s Cathedral and is a co-educational national school. All 21 boys are choristers in the College School, Cambridge). This year’s cathedral choir. 2 • CHOIR SCHOOLS’ ASSOCIATION Christmas RogerIRST Overend interviewsILLCOCKS Felix Kirby, a pupilCHOLARSHIP at School and Fthe first Sir DavidW Willcocks/CSA .S v. Easter? Christopher Walji, When Felix was about 5 years old, he found a copy of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor Rochester by J.S. Bach. He tried to play the Toccata and from this point was hooked on music. Cathedral’s Head He took formal piano lessons from the age of 7 and later became a chorister at York Chorister, gives Minster where he currently sings at Decani 10. He hopes that being a chorister will give his view to Roger him a springboard to Eton when he tries for a music award in 2015. Overend, Headmaster of Felix also plays the bassoon in the school orchestra and, having been captivated by the King’s Rochester sound and power of the Minster organ, now has organ lessons with David Pipe, Assistant Preparatory Director of Music at the Minster. He is lucky enough to have an organ in his house to School: “I find the practise on! He also finds time to compose and has written several pieces for piano and difference piano and voice. between Currently his favourite organ piece is Fête by Langlais and he adores Britten’s Rejoice in Christmas and the Lamb, particularly the section I will consider my cat Jeoffry. On the piano he is studying Easter is often the feeling in the Song music by Balakirev. He does listen to some popular music but prefers classical in all its School and Cathedral, and of course genres. the style of music we perform. With such musical talent, one might think Felix would wish to pursue a career in music, but Christmas is obviously nothing but jolly he told me that after university he would li ke to become an investment banker! He is and happy, but Holy Week is a more certainly a boy who aims high. reflective period, but then t here is the joy and brilliance of Easter Day. “At Christmas we sing numerous carols and very joyful anthems and hymns. We also give an annual concert of music from Messiah with carols accompanied by an orchestra which is always quite special. Midnight Mass is very atmospheric and Christmas Day services are magical. I enjoy the week after the school term has ended when we just have rehearsals. “On Palm Sunday ther e is the hope and expectation of something special. As Holy Week proceeds you really sense the cold and emptiness which appears in front of you and makes you think what it must have been like on the cross all alone. There is some beautiful, but difficult, music sung during this period. l Roger turns the pages for Felix “Then there is the hope and delight that Easter brings, with all the great celebratory music. Even though we have to get up at 4.00 am in the Jack makes history morning to rehearse for the Easter 2013 was quite a year for 12 year-old Jack Topping, a chorister at Service at 5.00am, none of us minds as Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and a pupil at St Edward’s College. it is a very special day. We get a good breakfast before the usual morning Not only did be become the youngest solo South Africa to learn more about the Eucharist and finally our Director of artist to sign for Decca records but he is education programmes run by the charity. Music gives us Easter eggs as we also the youngest singer to be appointed In Qwa Qwa he witnessed first-hand the depart for home. Both periods of the an ambassador for ‘Save the Children’. difficulties children his own age face living Church Year are wonderful for all His debut album Wonderful World, released in a shanty town. He says: “I’m so lucky to choristers.” in November, reached Number One in the be an ambassador for the Classical Album Chart in the first week of charity and to have met its release. His public engagements some of the children they included singing in front of the Queen at are helping. I’d seen the BBC’s Festival of Remembrance; he schools on TV on ‘Red sang the National Anthem at the Royal Nose Day’, but it was Variety Performance Show, which Prince amazing to see them in real Charles attended; he performed at the life. It was a lon g flight but it Classical Brits Awards and sang on Strictly was definitely worth it.” Come Dancing on Christmas Day. As well as singing Tomorrow for the ‘Save the Children’ advertising campaign in the l Jack with new friends run up to Christmas, Jack also travelled to in Qwa Qwa

• 3 SINGING OUT! ISSUE 18 ThreeOUTREACHPROJECTSTHRIVE years after the withdrawal of government funding for chorister outreach programmes the majority of projects are still going strong.

27 CSA member foundations are running outreach projects locally, either working in schools or organising junior choirs. Funding comes from a variety of sources – cathedral, school, local charities, from primary schools ‘buying’ in the expertise of professional choral trainers or modest subscriptions, as in the case of some junior choirs. Several foundations, including and Morris, is the current Chair. He comments present Organ Scholar is a second year Wolverhampton, are actively involved with “I regard this as a huge privilege. It puts student.” the government’s Music Hubs, now in our choristers firmly at the centre of things Activity breaks down into three categories. their second year of looking after music and raises our profile. Some foundations are concentrating on provision in schools. “There is a strong commitment in the Hub either their junior choir or continuing to St Peter’s Church, Wolverhampton has a to singing at both primary and secondary work with local schools. Some are finding particularly strong commitment to the level and our Hub partners include the sufficient funds to do both. City’s Hub as its Director of Music, Peter Birmingham Conservatoire where our

‘Out of Hours’ singing l Lichfield’s MusicShare King’s Junior Voices (KJV) is a free, non- Chorister Outreach auditioned independent choir for 7-13 Programme’s 10th birthday year olds, which meets on Saturday coincided with the centenary mornings at King’s College School, of Benjamin Britten’s birth and the Cathedral staged a Cambridge. It is a registered charity ‘Festival of Britten’ to attracting financial help from a number of celebrate. A production of sources and is run by Lyn Alcántara, Noye’s Fludde brought Director of Music at Wolfson College and together over 170 ‘animals’ a member of the BBC Singers. from schools across Lichfield. With cast, crew and musicians numbering nearly 250, the Young Singers are performance was yet another regular performers in and around the City example of the wonderful and two years ago enjoyed being part of team spirit that has been at Carols of Light when they shared a stage the very heart of MusicShare with the likes of Joe Mcelderry, Sir Thomas over the past ten years.

Allen and Rick Wakeman. Last summer Photograph: Christopher Lockwood many of the choir’s members sang in the Gospels Choir, the community choir formed especially to celebrate the Stephen Tanner, Director of Music at with its outreach project in primary three-month display of the Anglo-Saxon School says: “The schools as well as running two choirs on Lindisfarne Gospels on the Durham World County Junior Choir (DCJC) is very Saturday mornings. There has also been Heritage Site. much a permanent strand of our outreach sufficient funding to commission two small Director of Music Outreach at Durham, work and goes from strength to strength new works for Fulham and Hammersmith Mish Kelly, has set up two more initiatives with numbers around 45. Over the last children to master. to encourage singing. The Minstrels are couple of years my colleague Rachel age 5-7 and have lots of fun through Smith has also developed a senior version Junior Choir singing and musicianship games. known as Schola Exe.” continues to be a resounding success and has a busy programme of events. The DCYS VOX initially had just six members – Hereford’s ‘Singing Club’ has been two boys and four girls who were part of choir is conducted by Ian Wicks, Director going for 10 years and 30 boys and girls DCYS and didn’t want to give up singing. of Music at Salisbury Cathedral School. (7-16) meet weekly under the direction of Mish says: “Numbers hav e grown and the He reports: “Last term we took part in an Martyn Lane. Funding is solely from the group sings comfortably in three parts, RSCM Young People’s Festival, sang in weekly £3 subscription and they receive with music ranging from Byrd to the the BBC Wiltshire Carol Service, at the invitations to sing around the area. They Beatles. New singers are expected to opening of the Salisbury Christmas Market performed at the Three Choirs Festival have some music reading skills and the and at the Cathedral Family service on Fringe for the first time in 2012. confidence to develop them further.” Christmas Eve. “The choir is around 40 strong and both Lincoln Minster School funds a variety of Ely continues to run its hugely popular boys and girls enjoy coming and making Saturday activity for local children – ‘Ready Imps choir, funded by the Cathedral. Its a strong, robust sound. We rehearse on Steady Choir’ and ‘Ready Steady Play’ – first concert, with 100 7-13 singers, was Saturday morning in term time in the as well as organising instrumental days. given in a packed Cathedral in 2006 under Cathedral. It is open to children in school the baton of . They regularly years 4-8 and there is no charge or sing with the Cathedral Choir and have Thanks to a generous donation from the audition – only enthusiasm and performed with the likes of Aled Jones. Queen’s Silver Jubilee Trust, The London commitment are required!” Oratory School has been able to continue 4 • CHOIR SCHOOLS’ ASSOCIATION The repertoire for Young Voices is all secular. This group of What’s happening in Primary Schools? young singers aged 7-12 put on at least The simple answer is lots! Most of the Chorister Outreach Programmes have one performance a term. The choir has continued to work with local schools, more often than not taking regular sung at Sheffield City Hall, the Octagon singing sessions before inviting the children back to the cathedral to show centre at Sheffield University, Opera North off their new-found skills and to sing with the choristers. in Leeds and last year at the as part of the National Youth Choirs of With limited space it is only possible to give a snapshot of the superb work Great Britain Worldsong event. that is continuing up and down the country.

Truro, where the outreach initiative was Ampleforth’s Director of Music, Ian Little, A number of the programmes have been born, continues to run both a Youth Choir confirming that the College Outreach running for ten or more years and there is and Junior Choir. Programme was still going strong said: no sign that enthusiasm on the part of “Schools are still very interested – it’s so providers or recipients is waning. They are The older children in York Junior Youth worthwhile and gets enthusiastic an important part of mission and purpose Choir, which is 45-strong (aged 7-15) love responses from Head teachers. As always for most foundations. it so much they don’t want to leave. So I am looking to fin d new ways of involving Ely Cathedral was one of the first to Alison Forster, Director of Music at The children without finance and without cost explore the possibility of primary schools Minster School, has been forced to start a in terms of staff time!” purchasing the expertise of animateur Junior Youth Chamber Choir for those in Outreach thrives in Blackburn (the team Rebecca Duckworth. Now they offer a Years 7 and above! are working with 60 schools in the area); range of packages to local schools. in Bristol, Durham, Ely, Exeter, Cambridge Music has helped with modest Gloucester, Guildford, Leicester, funds t o keep costs to schools down. Lichfield, London Oratory, A number of other foundations have Jan Faulkner Manchester, , Portsmouth, commented on how much they too enjoy Sheffield, Southwell, Truro, Wells, a continued working relationship with the (1953-2013) Westminster and York. county music staff. Jan was a leading light within the Chorister Outreach Programme (COP) and we were so very sorry to hear she lost her battle with cancer “MANY FOUND NEW CONFIDENCE IN LEADING SINGING THANKS in December. TO THE OUTREACH PROGRAMMES. THROUGH ALL THIS THE GOLDEN THREAD OF CHORISTERS SINGING DAILY SERVICESAS H CONTINUED TO BE SPUN, AND BEEN STRENGTHENED BY PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH. OUTREACH HAS STOPPED BEING SOMETHING THAT WE DO AS AN ADDITIONAL LUXURY. IT HAS BECOME PART OF OUR OWN PURPOSE – A MUST-HAVE RATHER THAN A NICE TO HAVE HE IS STRONGER BECAUSE OF IT - - . T CSA Elizabeth Cairncross, Headteacher.” School and former CSA Chair

For many years she was a professional symphonic percussionist and was a member of the percussion teaching staff at Wells Cathedral School for 16 years. In September 2003 she became the School’s first Outreach Officer, responsible for building sustainable links with schools in the local community, and nationally as part of the Sing Up programme. She was a truly inspirational teacher for musicians of all ages and abilities and her extraordinary ability to communicate was demonstrated time and time again, whether with children with Special Needs, adults with Alzheimers, or choir school heads at their annual conference. Thank you Jan for the joy you brought to so man y people.

There will be a memorial service for Jan in Wells Cathedral at 3pm on Monday 12 May. l Durham primary school children in the Cathedral, singing a song called The Lambton Worm – a local folk song which tells the tale of the slaying of a worm that lived at Worm Hill. • 5 SINGING OUT! ISSUE 18 Cathedral choirs… on tour

Cathedral choirs have been touring for the best part of a century now. The earliest recorded overseas trip seems to be a joint Worcester broke new ground when they became the first effort by two ‘Royal Peculiars’. English cathedral choir to visit South Africa. Twelve Westminster choristers joined eight gentlemen from St George’s Both Lambeth Palace and Westminster Chapel, Windsor for ‘the great tour of Canada’ in 1927. The Windsor choristers had to endorse and support the tour were younger and left at home as it was thought the tour would be too much and Archbishop Desmond Tutu gave for them. his blessing before it could go ahead. Donald Hunt, then Master of the The choir sailed from Liverpool to St John New Brunswick on the SS Montrose, travelling Choristers, insisted it must be a multi- through 80 mph gales. Despite sea sickness they still managed a full evensong mid- cultural tour and one of the highlights Atlantic! was a visit to the New Brighton The party travelled 16,000 miles singing 25 services and 35 concerts from the east coast to Township and a joint celebration with the west coast and back. They met Red Indians in war paint and feathers, and were the Wellington Choir, bringing together greeted by huge crowds wherever they went. Concerts and services were packed out – in two completely contrasting styles. Toronto 10,000 people were turned away from a service but were then treated t o a repeat performance the next day. Back home Worcester was cold and foggy in December 1993, but in It was mid-winter and the Canadians kindly provided appropriate clothing. In their luggage Worcester, South Africa the concert was was the music, all by English composers, AND school books. While on the move they had given in temperatures of around 40 C. managed to fit in two hours school work every day!* ° Overall The Choir won praise from Touring has become a regular part of many choir programmes and most choristers will critics and audiences alike and it is experience some overseas travel. In recent years there ar en’t many parts of the world that worth reproducing the Cathedral remain untouched by our glorious choral tradition. ’s comments to The Church However, the chorister role as ambassador is equally important at home. Last Easter Times: King’s College Choir, Cambridge sang at the Prime Minister’s Easter Reception for “The hospitality we received was very Christians. Anyone who watched the final of Gareth Malone’s Singing in the Work Place generous. Everyone was put up in final in Ely Cathedral in December could not help but be impress ed with the confidence people’s homes. This enabled real and superb way in which the choristers shared their knowledge and experience with the dialogue to take place. It was three finalist choirs. interesting to discover how black African choirs appreciated our musical tradition (Bruckner was a great success). We found a real thirst for culture whi ch, for many, has been T24 WENTYcathedral choirs YEARS made 29 AGO trips …overseas in 1993. Asia was the only lacking for a long time. continent not to enjoy a choir visit. Christ Church Oxford went to Brazil, “We were sometimes surprised at how King’s Cambridge went to Australia. very English the worship was in some Anglican churches, but Soweto showed In the previou s decade Wells Cathedral Richard said at the time: “The visit was an us how the African culture is shaping embarked on a ‘World Tour’, St George’s important first step in a relationship the worship in its own way. This is a Chapel, Windsor headed to the USA for between the churches in York and Lodz; process which will undoubtedly the first time, Chichester choristers an educational experience for all of us; a increase as the society changes. We ventured behind the Iron Curtain, King’s taste of the English choral tradition for the certainly appreciated the deep emotion, Cambridge were in Scandinavia while Ely Poles; friendships between Polish and spontaneity and musical skills of African set out to conquer Normandy. English childre n; and in my case at least, a desire to return to Poland soon to learn worship. Two years later Lichfield choristers were more about this historic and fascinating “We were humbled by the warmth and granted a Papal Audience, King’s country.” enthusiasm of the welcome; we were Cambridge choristers were ‘mobbed’ in By 1995 English cathedral choirs were glad to share what we offered; but we Japan, Lincoln Choir went to Le Mans and adding Scandinavia and The Lebanon to came away aware of a quality of St James’ Grimsby headed off to Iceland. the tour list as well as regular trips to discipleship and commitment which Great Britain had been in the Common North America where they have always puts us to shame. We received more Market for twenty years by 1993 and many been a huge attraction. than we gave.” of the choirs visited a variety of European destinations that year, including Denmark, France (New College sang a Matron’s view Pam Head, a chorister mum at New College, reconstructed mass at the , Oxford reminded Choir Schools’ Today (CST) readers that touring is not all Versailles), Holland, Germany and Spain. glamour and fun. Someone has to worry about food, beds and crumpled cassocks – matron! Long before Poland’s entry into the EU there was a link between the universities She was part of the team accompanying the choir for an Easter tour of Holland and France in 1990. On the first morning she wrote: “After some exploring the boys went off of York and Lodz and Richard Shephard, to rehearse and the matr ons started ‘the dreaded job’ of pulling out the pleats on the then Headmaster of The Minster School, heavily starched ruffs. York organised a trip for the Minster Choir and the school’s drama group in 1993. “The first concert that evening went smoothly, just one headache and a nosebleed.”

*Source: A history of Cathedral Choir Schools by Anne Page 6 • CHOIR SCHOOLS’ ASSOCIATION l Hereford Cathedral Choristers take a close look at the organ at the Cadet Chapel, West Point, USA. They enjoyed a highly successful tour in The States over the autumn half-term which incl uded concerts in Washington DC.

TTheWENTY desire to travel YEARS remains ON undiminished.… King’s Colle ge Choir, Cambridge has regularly toured overseas and 2013 was no exception – The USA in May, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Singapore in August, and The Netherlands in September, with Australia on the horizon next summer. Closer to home, The London Oratory’s Peterborough’s choir Schola Cantorum was in Rome in went to France and February 2013. Southwell’s choir recorded Belgium in the autumn. in Normandy last May and the girls’ choir Chris Johns particularly sang in Amsterdam. Sweden was popular enjoyed taking Leicester with visits from Llandaff, Portsmouth and Cathedral choir to Truro choirs. St John’s Cambridge was in Osnabruck in Germany where he had l Director of Music, Andrew Nethsingha Copenhagen in April and in Munich and been Assistant Organist. conducts choristers from St John’s College, Stuttgart just before Christmas. Exeter’s boy and girl choristers spent a Cambridge on a trip to The Netherlands. wonderful week in Vienna Rotunda, to entertain diplomats, workers in the summer. Director of and passers-by”. Music Andrew Millington Winchester Quirister s were in Belfast just said: “Concerts were before Christmas while Blackburn given to enthusiastic Cathedral choir and the girls’ choir audiences in The enjoyed a trip to Brussels, Ypres (to sing Schubertkirche, Mass at St Martin’s Cathedral and The Peterskirche, Vitivekirche Last Post Ceremony) and on to Ghent to and we sang Evensong give a concert in St Bavo’s Cathedral. in the Anglican Christ Church. One highlight was singing High Mass in the splendid Augustinekirche, OPlanningN THE is well HORIZONunder-way for a… performing the Langlais number of trips this year including: setting from the West Canterbury (Norway and The Gallery with the mighty Netherlands), Guildford (USA), Klais organ. Leicester (The Isle of Man), Portsmouth (France and Belgium), “We also fitted in a visit to St Paul’s (Switzerland), Salisbury the United Nations (Belgium and Germany), Southwell Photograph: Carl Turner Building where we gave a (Leipzig), Truro (The Scilly Isles) and short, informal concert in l Exeter Cathedral Choristers pictured at the United Nations in Winchester Quiristers (Russia). Vienna last summer its entrance way, the • 7 SINGING OUT! ISSUE 18 CSA People

l After 17 years at the helm of St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, MILES AMHERST Jennifer Rimer handed (1931–2013) It is with great sadness we record over to Dr Kenneth Taylor last Easter. the death of Miles Amherst, Jennifer taught piano exactly forty years after realising and academic music at his dream of founding a choir the school before school for . becoming Principal in Miles, who was 82 when he died 1996. We wish her a last May, was 21 when he first very happy retirement! saw the Abbey. After a teaching Ken was educated at Dulwich College and career spent lar gely at King’s School, Ely, l Miles pictured here with two pupils the University of Edinburgh. He has a he returned in 1973 to buy the former and his successor Jonathan Milton strong academic background in university Tewkesbury High School for Girls, which science research and education and for was conveniently opposite. own thing, and there were enormous the past 15 years held teaching and Jonathan Milton, who succeeded him as riches. The Abbey School was Miles, and management posts in a wide range of Headmaster in 1990 writes: “Miles was a those of us who followed in his footsteps Scottish schools. remarkable man. Those of us who were did so in an attempt to keep his vision alive. He combines his enthusiasm for education privileged to have worked with him could He re mains an inspiration to this day.” with a deep love of music. He is a keen not but have both huge affection and huge singer and plays the viola, piano and admiration for him. organ. He and his wife Katherine have two “To have founded The Abbey School in It is several years since the closure sons and a daughter aged 14, 12 and 9 Tewkesbury was quite s imply an act of of The Abbey School but the respectively. great vision. In what were often difficult Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum goes from strength to strength from St Mary’s is one of the nine MDS (Music circumstances, he was utterly committed to the ideal of a choir school education, its base at Dean Close School, and Dance Schools) in the UK and is choir Cheltenham. school to St Mary’s Cathedral. It offers seeing within it the sort of holistic approach music and academic education to young that only choir schools can provide. There will be a Festal Evensong on musicians aged 9-19. “In the days before policies, anxieties about June 26 to mark the first Evensong, regulatory compliance and intrusive 40 years ago, sung by choristers Like many English choir schools, outreach from The Abbey School in has become an increasingly important part inspections he was able to create a wonderful environment in which children Tewkesbury Abbey, and to give of school life. More than 100 local children thanks for the life of Miles. benefit from the expertise of music staff, were able to grow and flourish . His thanks to Saturday Morning Music schoolboy jokes often misquoting the The Choir’s Choristership Fund is Classes. This year they have introduced psalms or gently teasing colleagues were raising mo ney to name a choral Dalcroze Eurhythmics – learning always made with affection, and that scholarship in his name. fundamental musical skills through gentleness permeated throughout the More information is available from movement – an excellent preparation for school. Jane Lyons at learning an instrument and developing “He was the most generous of [email protected] listening skills. headmasters who allowed us all to do our l Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford held a has been head of the choir school for 8 given me a significant insight into the special Evensong for retiring Headmaster years and CSA wishes him and KT a very move from prep to secondary school.” Martin Bruce in December. Included in the happy move to East . Richard is married to Hannah, a service were some of his own compositions: Classicist, and they have three sons. his setting of the Preces and Responses l Richard Murray, a housemaster at St and his Magnificat and Nunc Di mittis. He Edward’s School, Oxford for ten years, took over at Christ Church Cathedral School in January. He read English, History and Philosophy at St Chad’s College, Durham before joining the staff at another choir school – King’s School in Gloucester. He then moved to Rendcomb College, near Cirencester where he was a deputy housemaster in the junior boarding house. He comments: “I was in charge of prep school liaison at St Edward’s, which has

DEADLINE is editedINGING by Jane Capon,UT CSA’s Information Officer. FOR NEXT ISSUE: SCSA, Village Farm, TheO Street, Market! Weston, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2NZ 16 MAY Telephone: 01359 221333 E-mail: [email protected] Design/print: Postprint, Snetterton, Norfolk NR16 2JZ 2014 Front page banner photographs (left to right): Salisbury Cathedral School, Polwhele House School, Truro, and Choir School.