An English cathedral loses all its organists
NewsAlarming news from St Albans, historic seat of the first British saint:
Oliver Morrell, St Albans organ scholar, is moving to Winchester (together with Andrew Lucas) to take up the newly-advertised Sub-Organist position.
Tom Winpenny has announced, a few days ago, that he will leave his post as Assistant Master of the Music and Director of the Cathedral Girls’ choir at the end of August.
That means St Albans has lost all three of its organists in a month.
Did nobody notice?
UPDATE: William Fox, presently Assistant Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, will join St Albans as director of music in September.
https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/news/william-fox-announced-as-new-director-of-music
En excellent opportunity for Mr Morrell to stay out of the hellish mess at Winchester and get a promotion at the same time? Go on St Albans, save at least one of the two souls headed that way!
The acting Assistant Director was appointed a while ago and announced recently and the permanent role will be advertised in the autumn. St Albans has a well thought out plan.
I think you’ve revealed your own ignorance by posting an UPDATE re something that was announced back in February (Will Fox’s appointment). As for “ORGAN SCHOLAR MOVES ON AT THE END OF HIS FIXED-TERM CONTRACT” – my goodness, that should have a BBC Breaking News alert, so thank you for this absolutely cutting-edge journalism.
Another example of senior clergy not appreciating their current organists and dumbing down their musical output alongside their dreary uninspiring liturgy and pulpit spouting?
Shame on Andrew Lucas leaving to go and help out the mess at Winchester.
He should be embarrassed as being a turncoat and rescuing their mess inseatd of remaining neutral and letting Winchester suffer for their bullying and letting their musicians suffer in teh process and leave.
You have clearly never been to St Albans!
Or alternatively, going to ensure that the music department and the music of Winchester Cathedral DOESN’T get destroyed and that the musical lives of the remaining young choristers and the livelihood of the remaining musicians aren’t put in jeopardy.
At St Albans I know for a fact that there is nothing wrong at all. The clergy are all wonderfully supportive. In fact, it’s not unusual for there to be a wholesale change over of staff after lengthy periods of service when the DoM retires (eg York in 2008). They’re obviously, and happily, entering a new era with William Fox. Such a pity that Lebrecht doesn’t bother to fact check, but then that would spoil his delight in sensationalist gossip.
So shame on you, Lapsed Organist, for spouting such a stupid remark that is just ignorant and pure bile!
My remarks are not ignorant, for being a lapsed organist, unlike yourself, I remain in the good company of many professional organists socially, and therefore are able to relay on this informative and useful site so well curated by Mr Lebrecht, anything truthful and considered by the professional organist circle generally.
It is generally considered wrong, unprofessional and disrespectful for any self respecting church musician like Andrew Lucas to take any role at the fledging Winchester debacle in light of clergy bringing Winchester into such national disrepute.
Keep practising btw, you never know, one day, you just might join our elite organist circle, although if you are not male, certainly not!
There’s no problem at St Albans. The Clergy are genuinely supportive of the music and it will be an exciting new Chapter.
Mr Fox will hopefully be fantastic.
William Fox is a sweet guy but lacking in professional experience to hold this post down.
Just because previous postholders have come from the blessed St Paul’s London, (Barry Rose, Andrew Lucas et al) doesn’t mean he will be able to cope with the demand of the clergy and choir.
You say all is well musically here, but ask yourself why the highly regarded Tom Winpenny is departing? Did he not apply for the top job when Andy Lucas decided on early garden duties?(since decamping and delaying early retirement to the poisoned chalice of Winchester)
Maybe he’s rightly disgruntled for not getting it after so many years dedication to the Abbey working under Mr Lucas?
No problem at St Albans with both Number 1 and 2 going in a matter of months and a new younger inexperienced choir director coming in instead at the same time – really no internal issue here??
All nonsense. No Tom didn’t apply because he didn’t want that role. The recruitment process was well thought out and researched. Andrew’s retirement was announced well over a year ago, Ollie’s 2 year tenure ended at the correct time, Tom has his own plans. Not everyone wants to live in the past.
I am local to St Albans and am aware of what you say as to Andrew Lucas and Oliver Morrell. Tom Winpenny is a great player and has achieved a lot with the girls choir over a number of years as a valued sub-organist (from what I have seen, but am not privileged to know for a fact*). I am not surprised he has made a change in his post as a career move. I cannot imagine that St Albans wants him to go…….
*A lot of speculation, veering (as ever in this sector of music making and on this site) to the negative as far as I am concerned. Announcements can be found on the Cathedral website but search including months ago. Andrew Lucas is a very professional musician and a gentleman and I am sure he is going to Winchester to support the continuance of their superb tradition.
Having planned his retirement, he will surely have no need to tolerate bad behaviour by the clergy or anyone. He would have asked for assurances of the intentions and behaviour of the Cathedral (I can’t imagine otherwise) and if they do not keep to them, he would be free to resign at short notice.
I think Winchester weren’t alert to the potential upsets they would cause and (to use a coined phrase) are executing a reverse ferret, with such a lot of unwanted attention on them now.
Will Fox is 27. Here are the ages of the previous post holders when they were appointed – Meredith Davies 25, Peter Hurford – 28, Stephen Darlington – 26, Colin Walsh – 30. Rose and Lucas were 50 and 39. In any case experience can’t only be measured by age. How many top roles at Cathedrals have you held? Will’s experience is excellent, he was the preferred candidate of the Lay Clerks as well as those who actually appointed him.
…and not everyone wants to share their private life goals on social media!