Winchester Cathedral in talks with local choirs
NewsThere are further concerns at the likely authority of the next director of music at the troubled Cathedral. Ten local choirs have been called in for talks.
The Dean has issued a statement: ‘We have invited representatives of local choirs to an informal get-together in September with our new Interim Director of Music, Andrew Lucas. The Cathedral and its musicians have a vital role to play in the wider musical life of Winchester and Hampshire – and we would like to look at ways in which our bonds can be strengthened.
‘We’re look forward to exploring ways in which we can support local choirs beyond the Cathedral’s commitment to developing the central core of excellence and the tradition valued by so many.’
Of course, it’s good to involve local choirs but under the aegis of the director of music. Fears have been voiced of budget cuts to the Cathedral’s resident choir.
UPDATE: We have received the following from Canon Alison Evans, Chief Operating Officer at Winchester Cathedral:
The fears expressed yet again about the choral music and budget are completely without foundation. The purpose of the meeting with the local choirs is to strengthen relationships and explore ways to support them. It has no connection to the resourcing of the Cathedral’s resident choir. I would like to remind you that investment in music at the Cathedral will rise to as much as £850,000 this year – a 36 per cent increase since 2019/20 (before Covid) – with the bulk of the budget increase invested in the main Cathedral Foundation choir. Of the budget relating to new initiatives in the Music department of £108,000, 85 per cent will be directed to the main Cathedral Choir.
This means that in the long term the cathedral will seek to disband its own choir. They must think we are all stupid.
Don’t trust Mrs Dean one jot.
She has an agenda here to replace the paid professional choir with amateur singers.
She’s already started the erosion by getting rid of the professional musicians who led the choir superbly and the now management trick of bringing in an interim Director whilst this cash saving plan is carried out in the name of inclusivity and diversity.
She may very well think it works in corporate management but it won’t and shouldn’t be allowed to in Cathedral management where musical standards, alongside liturgical ones are and should remain key.
This woman is devious and calculating and needs to be stopped in her tracks now before it’s too late.
Oddly enough, apparently the Cathedral YouTube of Andy Lumsden’s final Evensong service in the Cathedral, on 14th July, has been removed whilst others have been left up on the Cathedral Channel. I wonder why… Could it be that the three minute standing ovation for Dr Lumsden showed certain clergy up in a somewhat less than complimentary light, one wonders?
Shame if you missed this inspirational service, which would now appear to be lost for posterity.
HOPEFULLY it wasn’t for any spiteful reason…
It is actually still available, it’s just that Winchester – where cunning and underhand tactics seem to be part of the life blood of the Dean and Chapter – have removed the link. As you say, the ovations for both departing organists are very very moving, and then Dr L’s performance of Crown Imperial at the end is superb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40vTvl49IkI
Thank you SO much for this. I will try to keep it.
This is a cost cutting scheme which is a common strategy in corporate management but shouldn’t be allowed as a cost cutting exercise for a Cathedral choir.
Dean Ogle is expecting to replace the paid professional back row singers with amateurs on the area, masked as an inclusivity exercise by reducing, then replacing the established paid professionals.
The first step of this lamentable erosion is by removing her longstanding professional leaders (which she was allowed to do last month) and bringing in an interim acting Director (shame on him for being complicit and accepting the temporary post) whilst her calculating scheme is allowed to flourish to the detriment of the professional musicians.
Like the majority of cash strapped Cathedrals, the music is seen as a major expenditure, but to replace it with amateur, non paid, cheaper alternatives, would be catastrophic for musical standards.
Why not replace the clergy vestments with second hand cast offs from charity shops, and the communion silver with plastic from IKEA? and even the bible with a contemporary script by a TV celebrity whilst she’s about it?
It would be historical vandalism of the first order if Dean Ogle is intending to show her far reaching senior colleagues that it is possible to save money by replacing their choirs with amateur non paid singers.
This unacceptable plan needs stopping in it’s tracks NOW before it’s too late.
Interesting this announcement has come weeks after her heavy handed mishandling of allowing her music leaders to depart and everyone being on their annual August shut down. That said, you can deduct that this plan has been in the pipeline for several months.
As an “amateur” volunteer singer in a top-level auditioned Episcopal cathedral choir with plenty of paid staff singers, I feel somewhat insulted to read that we amateurs can’t hold our own. Some of our paid singers are not as good as some of our amateur singers. If the director needs to cut costs, although it’s not an ideal situation, this is a good place to do it. St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, a very large and very good choir, has no paid staff singers.
It’s very different here in the UK.
Most amateur singers remain so because of their limited sight singing skills and lack of professional experience.
Fortunately in the UK we do have a large collegiate pool of chapel singers who do hone their sightsinging skills to the extent they can bring them to amateur choirs if it is felt the standard of the choir is satisfactory.
Winchester and most Cathedral cities are blessed with such former singers living within the diocese, but if they have other professional non musical work, they remain amateurs with professional standards.
Even so, these excellent amateurs shouldn’t replace professional singers who rely on singing as their major source of living.
By definition, being an amateur in the UK defines a hobby or interest but not earning money for it over and beyond a professional musician.
In the UK there is a clear definition between a pro muso and amateur, where standards are usually not as high or proficient.
So, the question appears to be well and truly begged, as to why this ‘get together’ wasn’t suggested to happen before Dr. Lumsden ‘stood down’ (???), as he is Director of the Waynflete Singers. Of course, hopefully someone will take a plethora of notes at this ‘get together’, to ensure there is a proper, future, undeniable record of what is said… Always wise to dot and cross letters.
One of the best ways Winchester Cathedral can engage with local choirs is to stop charging them so much to perform in the Cathedral. Support for local choirs has to be more than smooth words and sound bites.
There is a place for amateur choristers, there is a place for professional choristers, there is even a place the two collaborating to the benefit of both. It is interesting that the apparently sincere words of the manager are taken by the majority of commentators to be sinister. I cant possibly be a judge of that, but if they are, they are testament to the demise of one of the most precious elements of culture this country has had to offer on the world stage.