Edington Music Festival Association Newsletter Winter 2007

E WELCOME WITH THIS ISSUE We shall miss Jeremy greatly, and we Watchfulness. The setting for Solemn Wour new chairman, Peter McGeary, extend our condolences to his wife Veryan Eucharist was William Byrd’s Mass for four who was unanimously elected at this year’s and his three children. voices. Both voluntaries at this service were AGM in succession to Andrew Carwood. by Dietrich Buxtehude in recognition of the Peter has kindly contributed a biographical Judith Rose three hundredth anniversary of his death. note which is to be found below. Meanwhile UDITH ROSE, who attended the Festival On Tuesday the focus was Foundations we thank Andrew most warmly for his hard Jalong with Paul and their children in the demonstrated well through the hymn Christ work and for his vision which led to the early years, was a founder member of the is our corner-stone and Palestrina’s Missa Tu es establishment of the Association, as a result Samaritans in Peterborough whilst Paul was Petrus. of which the Festival is on a much sounder Precentor there, trained as Reader in the This year, due to the changes in the BBC financial footing than previously. We are 1970s after the family had moved to St. radio schedules for Choral Evensong, absolutely delighted that Andrew has decided John’s, Hyde Park, and felt a deepening Wednesday was the evening for the Sequence that he is, after all, able to continue as calling to the priesthood when they returned of Music and Readings. The theme for the director of the Schola Cantorum. to the Peterborough diocese in the 1980s. day was Forgiveness and the service featured We warmly congratulate Ashley Grote, Ordained priest in 1994 she twice served in an interesting choice of readings and music our organist at the 2007 Festival, on his that role at the Festival. Sadly, her final years including a motet by the Icelandic composer appointment as Assistant Director of Music were blighted by ill health. Our love and Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson. at Gloucester Cathedral, a post he takes up prayers go out to Paul in his loss. On Thursday we moved to a focus of after Easter next year. The summer news- Faith with a challenging sermon at the letter will feature an interview with Ashley. Chairman’s Report Solemn Eucharist given by the guest It is however with great sadness that we HE CHAIRMAN highlighted the preacher the Very Reverend Victor Stock, have heard of the death of Major General Sir Tfollowing points in his report: grants Dean of Guilford Cathedral. The Mass Jeremy Moore, honorary treasurer to the from the Association had funded the setting was by the new Nave hoir director Festival from 1997 until 2004, and Canon following: Matthew Martin. The 2007 Festival Dr. Judith Rose, a member of the clergy team a) the service booklets Association commission by Grayston Ives, in 1996 and 1997. b) catering for the 2006 festival (set to words by Charles Wesley) Come, Holy c) the 2006 Commission by Antony Pitts, Ghost, our hearts inspire was sung for the first Obituaries which had received favourable comments time by the Nave Choir as the communion Jeremy Moore by many members present at last year’s anthem for the Eucharist and then again as EADING the extensive obituaries in festival. the Introit for the recording of Choral Rthe press last September, none of us can d) the website—renewed thanks were Evensong for broadcast on the following have entertained any doubts as to what an expressed to Nick Flower for his Sunday. exceptional man Jeremy was. We knew continued hard work on this project. Under the new arrangement the Musical principally the warmth, the sense of fun, the e) the Music Festival library, which is now Supper was held on Thursday evening with commitment, the efficiency of the man. housed on the 2nd floor of the Parvis. the musical entertainment being provided by The wider world knew of his bravery as This means that the music library has a all the members of the Schola Cantorum Commander of the British land forces in the permanent home and can be organised (plus John Barnard) and by a group from the Falklands War, the culmination of a distin- properly. Nave Choir. guished career in the armed forces in A grant had been assigned for the payment of The focus for Friday and Saturday was the recognition of which he was knighted in the cassocks obtained from New College, challenging theme of Judgement and on 1982. Oxford, however the college declined to Friday evening there was a well-attended In retirement Jeremy undertook a range of accept any payment. The Chairman Solemn Requiem. The setting for the Mass activities, of which serving as a most excellent expressed thanks on behalf of the was Requiem Op 9 by Maurice Duruflé and treasurer to the Festival was but one. He membership to New College for their the preacher was Canon Neil Heavisides. qualified as a guide in Wells Cathedral, a task generous gift. The final Sunday of the festival took as its he much enjoyed, and it was there that his ANDREW CARWOOD theme The Water of Life with all three choirs most splendid funeral service took place on taking part in the singing of the Mass. All October 5th. Many representatives of village The Edington Music Festival 2007 three choirs as usual, brought the festival to a and Festival were able to attend, amongst N THE THEME for this year’s festival close with the singing of Robert Parsons’ Ave them Peter and Emily Roberts, Peter Barley, Ithe Director wanted to continue the Maria. Jeremy Summerly, Joanna Robertson, Robin inspiration of Jesus’s ‘I AM’ teachings from The choice of repertoire during the week and Jane Wilson, Michael Jones and Antonia last year with the parables. recognised other significant milestones Southern. The Right Reverend Humphrey On Monday the focus was the parable occurring this year: the 300th anniversary of Southern gave the blessing. of the Ten Virgins expressing the idea of the birth of Charles Wesley and the 150th and 450th anniversaries of the birth of Our founder, David Calcutt, and and Westminster Cathedral. ‘The great Edward Elgar and Thomas Morley Warren were keen to develop plainchant English thing is that you don’t get taught respectively. within the Festival and had gone to a choir training. You watch.’ On St. Paul’s he Overall a very successful festival with new course at Solemnes-sur-Sarthe which was commented. ‘I don’t bring any baggage with faces in all the choirs and a new Festival the fountainhead of the subject. For the me. I think St. Paul’s was looking for a new Organist, Ashley Grote who rapidly ‘tamed’ 1961 Festival they invited a scratch choir direction in a building which has a major the Edington Priory organ and enjoyed the to rehearse the plainsong services on national even international profile, someone experience enough to express the hope that quite a rigorous basis. Alas, I cannot from the freelance professional world. I am he can return next year. remember names, and being a scratch reputed to be a diplomat too! The difficulty Finally don’t forget to put the date of next choir we were not listed. But we were is that I don’t know the boys’ routines, how year’s festival into your diary—Sunday, 17th keen enough to return to Edington in long it is going to take them to learn a piece. August to Sunday, 24th August 2008. Holy Week to sing Tenebrae and more. I’ve got to learn about the whole psychology MICHAEL J COOKE I believe this happened only once. After of being a boy who works in a cathedral that I was tied down in theological setting. Basically, I am going to treat the boys Peter McGeary college and was not available for like I treat the men—with deference.’ ETER McGEARY was born in Durham whatever happened in 1962 and 1963, He was impressed by the sheer size of Pto a bank manager and a professional the other years when Warren was the St. Paul’s repertoire, basically that musician. He was educated at St Alban’s and running a Schola. I was however very bequeathed by John Scott and to which Nottingham High schools. While at St grateful that I had taken part in those Malcolm Archer had made additions, such as Alban’s he found himself being drafted into two early choirs, just as for every the Frank Martin Mass. Andrew wanted the school choir, which marked the start both experience of Edington before and since. to introduce more Restoration music, of a love of singing and a vocation to the particularly Purcell and Blow, more from the † priesthood. He read Theology at King’s This disc, recorded in Edington by the Schola German Romantic repertoire which he College, London, graduating in 1980. A Cantorum under Andrew Carwood immediately thought would sound wonderful in the after the 2003 Festival, remains available. It brief period of teaching was followed by cathedral, and in particular he mentioned a includes Matins, Compline and miscellaneous some years of selling men’s clothing in chant from that year. Please send a cheque for £11 dearth of Finzi which he was keen to rectify. various parts of south London. (to include postage and packing) to John Barnard Andrew has had to give up taking courses Ordained in 1986, Peter served as a curate at the address given for the latest CD offer. and teaching, and—more sadly—his profes- for over three years in the centre of Brighton, sional singing career during which he has and for almost six at All Saints’, Margaret Interview with Andrew Carwood sung most of the great tenor solos in works Street, in the West End of London. After a TALKED with Andrew very shortly after such as the Verdi Requiem, Mahler’s eighth short incumbency in suburban Middlesex he I he had announced, to our surprise and symphony, and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius. was appointed Vicar of St Mary’s Cable delight, that he would be able to continue He will miss that greatly, but he will be Street in the East End in early 1998. The next year as director of the Schola Cantorum. continuing with The Cardinall’s Musick, with parish is immensely needy, and has many He spoke with great warmth of the people the BBC Singers as Principle Guest issues to do particularly with poverty, over- at the Festival—the singers, the villagers, the Conductor … and of course with the Schola crowding and drug use, which the church visitors who meant so much to him. He Cantorum at Edington. And it is up to us to tries to address. Approximately 65% of the loved the ethos of Edington, the quality of make that August week so pleasurable and population is Muslim. the liturgy and the preaching, the support he relaxing for Andrew that he will want to Since 2000 Peter has also been one of the received from the other choir directors. All of come to Edington for many years yet! Priest Vicars of Westminster Abbey, which this he found captivating and powerful. In JOHN BARNARD provides a fascinating counterpoint to his the Schola Cantorum he was ‘as close as I am parochial ministry. In his spare time, such as ever likely to get to a monastic calling, a little Compact disc offer it is, he sings with various groups in London. glimpse of that’. UR ‘CD OFFER’ THIS ISSUE On the issue of singing plainsong with Ofeatures the first commerical recording Plainsong at the Edington Festival early music groups Andrew was quite clear. of the 2006 festival commission—Antony HE REVD DAVID EVANS, priest at ‘They just don’t get it—the flexibility, the Pitts’s Before Abraham was, I AM. Recorded Tthe Festival in 1969, 1973–1985, and in word stresses. They are not singing in in 2007 by the composer’s own ensemble, 2002 writes: services, they are not in the right buildings, Tonus Peregrinus, this disc will be released I have read John Barnard’s articles on the they don’t smell the incense, they don’t see worldwide in February 2008. We are grateful Schola Cantorum since 1978, and it has the light on the chancel floor. Half an hour of to Hyperion Records for agreeing to make been a privilege over the years to be the rehearsal in the chancel is worth one and a advance copies of the recording available officiant at their services as it is to own half hours anywhere else. The building exclusively to members of the Festival their compact disc†. teaches so much about the chant.’ Association. My own memories of plainsong go We moved on to the issue of training If you would like a copy, please send a back further, in particular to 1961. boys’ voices, something of which Andrew has cheque for £12 (per CD) payable to Edington The Festival Companion for 2005 lists not had direct experience, but which will Music Festival Association to the Editor of this Warren Green, the first Director of the be fundamental to his work at St. Paul’s newsletter: John Barnard, 34 Queens Walk, Nave Choir (1956–1960) as Director of Cathedral. He reminded me that he has been Harrow, Middlesex HA1 1XS. the Schola Cantorum from 1961 to very fortunate to sing under some very fine 1963. I sang in the Schola of 1961, and choir trainers at St. John’s College, my unreliable memories are as follows. Cambridge, Christ Church Cathedral Oxford