St Albans names organist because Winchester can’t
NewsThe confusion over cathedral music just deepened.
St Alban’s has issued this news: We are delighted to share with you that Oliver Morrell, our Organ Scholar here at St Albans Cathedral, will be moving to Winchester Cathedral to take up the position of Sub-Organist.
Winchester is in such disarray that it has not managed to share its recruitment.
Morrell graduated in 2021 from Durham University, after three years as Organ Scholar at Durham Cathedral.
UPDATE: Winchester woke up
You would do well to read this week’s Private Eye [pg 25] – if you don’t subscribe, it’s been quite widely shared on social media – which reports how the appointment of the new sub-organist at Winchester was allegedly made, with the advice given by the music staff that the field of applicants was allegedly too weak to make an appointment; that their advice allegedly was disregarded by the Precentor (absent from the cathedral recently, but well enough to make this appointment); a letter apparently written by a group of chorister parents to the Dean expressing “profound dismay” that the Precentor “is allowed free rein over the recruitment of cathedral musicians” given his “documented record of inappropriate behaviour towards them”, and requesting that the Precentor makes no further contact with chorister parents until after the findings of the Bishop’s “official inquiry into his [the Precentor’s] conduct”; and a final nose thumb by the cathedral authorities to Dr Andrew Lumsden that, despite his 22 years of loyal service leading the music at the cathedral, they apparently would only let him use the building for his forthcoming wedding service if he shelled out £7,000 to them.
I’m not sure he knows yet!
Good luck to Oliver. He’ll need it!!
I sang under him once – he was a very capable conductor then, no doubt he’ll do great at Winchester.
Oliver is a brilliant musician with a superb singing voice. He is a lovely individual, and I hope to heavens that Winchester takes good care of him.