Organ lift: Westminster gets a new master
mainSimon Johnson, assistant director of music at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, is to be master of music at Westminster Cathedral, it was announced today.
Westminster has been in chaos for the past two years, with its choir school in constant jeopardy.
Let’s hope he’s a saviour.
Fine musician, but who will now replace him at St. Paul’s?
Working there is not an ambition ranked high on many cathedral musicains wish list, and last time the main “organist” role was advertised, which as I am sure you all realise means actually main conductor of the choir, no-one even wanted to apply! They couldn’t fill the position, so they departed from the traditional organist / conductor job spec and went with an ‘outside’ hire as it were with the excellent Andrew Carwood purely as a choral director.
I wonder how many will apply?
I can assure you that’s not what happened.
A saviour? Just don’t assume he’s the messiah.
Given the dire state of the St Paul’s cathedral finances as highlighted in the news recently, this could be a timely move.
Don’t believe everything you read in the papers (or see on TV).
Yes, very scary news item last night with Dean David Isen, formerly from Bradford Cathedral and certainly knows what he’s about, and Andrew Carwood both interviewed on Sky News last night. Millions just to open the front door, never mind about the rest, and not being able to afford the lay clerks’ salaries through total lack of substantial money, even after the large government grant.