Winchester Cathedral: Bishop jumps in after BBC boss quits
NewsThe Church Times reports that the Bishop of Winchester has ordered an independent investigation into recent events at the Cathedral, amid allegations of bullying and forced departures.
The latest development is the resignation of former BBC deputy DG Mark Byford, the senior non-executive member of Winchester Cathedral Chapter. Byford (pictured), 66, is a straight talker with an impeccable record for honesty and fair play.
The office of the Bishop, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, says: ‘In the light of that significant development in the cathedral’s governance, the Bishop has decided to commission an independent review, under the terms of the Cathedral’s Measure 2021, into the events that have led to this.’
The story so far can be found by searching slippedisc.com. Briefly, Andrew Lumsden was ousted as director of music, other musicians resigned. NDAs were imposed to maintain secrecy. The Precentor, Canon Andy Trenier, was accused of unacceptable high-handedness. The Dean, Catherine Ogle, issued a bromide video. The COO brushed the main concerns under the carpet.The next DofM is expected to report to the Precentor.
The CT report is very soft indeed. There is one minor inaccuracy: the CT says Assistant Director of Music Claudia Grinnell left in March. She will actually leave in September to become DofM at St Edmundsbury cathedral.
This review must not be the end of the story. Those concerned should keep the pressure on so there is no chance of the Dean & Chapter wriggling out of this unscathed and unaltered.
Don’t worry, the battle may have been won, but the war continues unabated. Much new information is being gathered almost daily…
An Independent Enquiry sounds more innocuous than it is. There won’t be anywhere for the wrongdoers to hide. It will be far reaching and forensic.
Thank you SD/NL for helping in keeping the pressure on, and people in the searchlight. Thank you Canon Mark Byford for behaving courageously and with honesty.
Why didn’t the Bishop intervene earlier as he should have done?
Bit late now the *hit has hit the fan and reached the nationals
What can he actually do?
He won’t be able to reinstate Andy Lumsden, sack Precentor Tranier or Dean Ogle as he ought over this unchristian mess which has severely damaged the once musical jewel of Cathedrals, but instead has highlighted and demonstrated what a hypocritical load of unchristian shams some so called Priests actually are – particularly those in it for themselves and not living what they preach.
No wonder no sensible musician wants anything to do with the church anymore when they pull stunts like this.
I could name over a dozen eminent professional Organists and Directors of Church music who have either resigned or left leading church music in the UK over the last year – due in main to clergy ineptitude, lack of support, appreciation, or where mutual working relationships have broken down due to petty jelousies by clergy towards their music leaders.
The sad thing is; Bishops & Archbishop Welby & Cotterill (York) don’t care enough about the music in the church they lead, and even less about the expert professional musicians who lead and direct it.
The Bishop of Winchester enquiry is just too late, and the outcome will be , he will support his Priests and not his musicians – just watch and see I’m right.
You just get sick of all of this. Takes someone from the BBC with status and on a Winchester committee before the Bishop takes his mitre off! And now an ‘independent review’ commissioned. What’s that?
The review is a waste of time and too late
The CT report does (now) state that ‘the sub-organist, Claudia Grinnell, who has been at Winchester since 2017, has been appointed Director of Music at St Edmundsbury Cathedral from September’. Also significant is the letter to the bishop from Toshi Ogita – very much to the point! The CT article needs to be read.
See latest Private Eye article and the fire in the nave!!!
I wonder what Anthony Trollope would make of all this. I did a double take when i read that…total madness. Sadly it seems another lost his job at the hands of Trenier so you can’t really laugh.
This saga is an absolute PR disaster for the C of E .The clergy are so out of touch with reality. If they don’t understand the damage their inaction and denial is now doing, they have no place in a Christian community.
In the interests of the survival of Winchester Cathedral the Dean, the Precentor and the COO should all consider their positions and, in the words of Sir Alan Sugar, at least one of you will be fired. The Precentor is the first candidate who must know his time is up.
To have destroyed the church careers of two professional musicians is awful. To try and brush this under the carpet and deny the significance of their actions is despicable. In any other career, such actions would have resulted in instant dismissal.
Wake up Welby, you need to take firm and decisive action today.
Anthony Trollope would recognise the privileged and entitled attitudes on display in Winchester and most other English cathedrals.
There is absolutely no point at all in the Bishop launching an independent review unless it is seen to be open and available to all. The C of E is very good at hiding anything they don’t want the public to see.
If the results of such review are not made public then the farce going on at Winchester Cathedral will quickly descend into chaos and the damage then caused will probably be irretrievable .
A clear out is urgently required and the Bishop has to act decisively.
A reminder to you all that Andy Lumsden’s last service at Winchester is next Sunday – 14th July at 3.30pm. The music really couldn’t be any better…
Rose Responses
Psalm 66 vv.1-12 (if you look this up, the irony won’t be lost on you!)
Stanford in A
Parry – Blest pair of Sirens
Voluntary – Walton – Crown Imperial (possibly played by Andy himself)
For those wanting to make a day of it, you could also go to the Foundation Day Festival Eucharist in the morning where the Bishop is preaching (he who commissioned the investigation into the conduct at the cathedral) as well as he delivering his Charge – which could be interesting…The mass setting is the mad but incredible Missa Festiva by Flor Peeters!!!
The service listing (which includes the services for the Southern Cathedrals Festival) is here…
https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/worship/service-listings/
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a fantastic turnout and reception for Andy? I, for one, will certainly be going, making the 4.5 hour round trip to do so. It’s the very least I could do to show my appreciation for one of the very best.