Choir and Music
The last twelve months have seen the new organ at the Parish Church officially opened at a major new organ festival, the Parish Church Choir singing services at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, and significant changes in the structure of music administration within our parish.
The Cirencester Parish Church Organ Festival 2010 was a major event and a huge success. The instrument was dedicated and blessed at a magnificent Choral Evensong on Saturday 17th April, at which it was a great pleasure to see many familiar faces from both clergy and laity, past and present, all gathered together to celebrate a truly historic event. Later the same evening the opening recital by David Briggs was performed for a capacity audience and so began a week -long celebration of the instrument, with concerts every day save for the Sunday, and hundreds of visitors welcomed through the doors.
Proceeds were divided between our two nominated charities – the Meningitis Trust and our own Campaign – and a fund for another festival in 2011. I am delighted that the PCC has agreed to make this event a regular fixture, which will become bi-annual after 2011.
We have a truly world class instrument in Cirencester, acclaimed by all who have played it, and the festival will help to place it firmly on the European musical map. The 2011 festival runs from 18th to 25th June, and we will be honoured to have it opened with a gala recital by Dame Gillian Weir. Renowned worldwide as one of the finest concert organists of her own or any other generation, Dame Gillian became a household name in the late 1980s with the success of her six-part BBC television series The King of Instruments, recently re-issued on DVD by Priory Records and available at the Cornerstone.
Her programme will be a thrilling start to another week of music-making, which will conclude on Saturday 25th June with a gala organ recital of an entirely different nature. The incomparable Nigel Ogden, presenter of BBC Radio 2’s The Organist Entertains, will bring his unique blend of church, concert hall and cinema organ styles to Cirencester. I have heard a number of Nigel’s concerts over the years and have always been left stunned at his brilliance in creating an evening of music in which there is truly something for everyone.
The Parish Church Choir’s visit to Dublin in July was the first time that the choir has toured in over five years. A very successful and enjoyable visit, we were welcomed most warmly at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and very highly praised for our performances. We are looking at more touring options for the future as a result.
Following the retirement of Gordon Webb as Director of Music at Holy Trinity, the decision was taken after a great deal of discussion to restructure the administration of music in the parish so that it was operated at parish level rather than church level.
We have an ongoing problem at the Parish Church in that having only one employed member of staff to look after every aspect of the music is difficult to say the least. Up until 2006, the Parish Church employed a Director of Music and an Assistant Director of Music, both professional musicians, so the choir always had the benefit of a conductor as well as an accompanist at services.
In addition, James Scott was employed as Director of Music at Holy Trinity and was able to offer his considerable talent and skill as an organist to assist where necessary.
Sadly, financial pressures mean that this situation is no longer possible, but as the Parish Church becomes more renowned as a concert venue, the organ festival and other recitals develop, the choir improves and seeks new challenges and recruitment to church choirs becomes ever more
difficult in our society, a second pair of hands to help me with my responsibilities is becoming ever more urgent. Unfortunately, it is not quite as simple as finding just anyone, as the pair of hands needed is a professionally trained and experienced pair!
To accomplish this, it was decided to appoint me to a new post as Director of Music for the whole parish, although my work at the Parish Church remains largely unchanged, and to appoint a skilled Deputy Director of Music who could play at Holy Trinity on a Sunday morning and at the Parish Church on a Sunday evening, allowing me to conduct the choir. The first part of this strategy went
smoothly (i.e. I was happy to take on the additional responsibility) but, alas, the second part has not come to fruition as yet. The very small amount of interest which the new post generated did not yield a candidate who offered what we sought for what we could afford and so, to date, we have not appointed.
In case that seems rather gloomy, I must take this opportunity to record my incere thanks to Michael Eddy, Stephen Taylor-Davies and Keith Lewis. An ongoing rota for Sunday morning organ playing duties at Holy Trinity, shared between these gentlemen, has been very successful and is ensuring that we do not need to act with undue haste in our search for another parish musician. Michael has taken on an additional role helping me to run choir practices at Holy Trinity for the first time in about five years and, as a result, despite the frustration of not making a permanent appointment the music tradition at Watermoor is being well maintained.
So, a year of many highs, one or two lows, some change and lots of growth. If that were an annual financial summary for a business it would be regarded as a major success! Please continue to support all of the musicians playing and singing in our parish. The occasional compliment makes it all worthwhile and, as we look ahead to another exciting year, please pray for our continued success.
Dr. Anthony Hammond – Director of Music
