Music director calls time on Washington DC

Washington National Cathedral has been shaken by the unforseen departure of its British director of music, Michael McCarthy. Mike writes:

Having nearly completed my 21st year at the National Cathedral and having had the benefit of some much-valued time away during this summer, I have decided to leave the Cathedral to pursue new opportunities that have been arising recently.

For many, the COVID pandemic required/provided us much time to evaluate. During the last two years the desire for new horizons and new challenges has grown within. The Cathedral’s music program has undergone significant growth and evolution over the past 20 years, and I am proud of the work that we have done together and the journey we have made to bring sacred music to a broader and more diverse community. As we have evolved, I have also come to realize that the next chapter of the Cathedral’s music program is best served by fresh energy and new leadership. I am excited for what is to come and wish my colleagues in the music program all the very best as they take the music program forward.

To lead Washington National Cathedral’s music program these past years has been a singular honor that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I have been so very fortunate to work with extraordinary singers, musicians, and Cathedral co-workers, all fiercely talented and devoted to their calling. I am especially grateful to the boy and girl choristers and their families for their unparalleled dedication, hard work and talent that has and will continue to provide transformational experiences for so many and for years to come.

Finally, I would like to thank Dean Randy Hollerith for his leadership, friendship, and support. On so many levels the Cathedral is in so much better shape than when I arrived, much of this is due to him.