RECORDIssue 6, 2016THE

WCCS Old Boys’ Association

WELCOME TO THE SIXTH EDITION OF

OLDBOY NEWS

Elliot Smith (2000-‘05)Elliot married Marie Katharine McHugh on 12th September 2015 at Our Lady and English Martyrs Church, Cambridge. They honeymooned in Borneo. Marie is in her final year at Oxford reading Medicine. In March they will be going to Uganda where Marie will be spending 8 weeks on her Medical Elective and Elliot will be working as a volunteer. Elliot graduated from Oxford in June 2014 with a First in Chemistry. He is now a Management Consultant with Cannizaro who are currently streamlining operations for a leading ports operator.

Sports Teams A big thank you to Tony Campbell (1959-’62) for sending us these pictures of the WCCS football and cricket teams.

Anthony (‘Tony’) BathMy father, Tony passed away peacefully on 28th January 2016 at the age of 98.

He had been a chorister at WCCS from about 1924-25 to about 1932, so that may have made him one of the oldest WCCS ‘old boys’. Although he had not pursued a career as a professional musician, preferring the financial stability of more regular employment, he dedicated a large part of his life to leading and promoting music in the liturgy of the Mass, as well as choirs in other spheres of life. Amazingly, he continued singing in his local choir in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire up to a year or so before his death – I suspect that there’s no one who could match his record of choral singing well beyond his 95th year. He treasured his musical training at the Cathedral; his older brother John who predeceased him some years ago was also at the choir school. In his later years, though not for the last several years as he became more frail, he enjoyed attending several reunion dinners and other OBA events at the Cathedral. His Requiem Mass took place at the parish church of Ss Peter & Paul in Newport Pagnell on Monday 15th February 2016 (the CofE parish church was used because the local RC church does not have the capacity). About 200 attended – family, local friends and parishioners, and various friends from his musical and other activities from many years back. I thought that I should share this sad news with you in view of the important influence that his time at WCCS had throughout my father’s long life. Adrian Bath

I hope this issue of The Record finds you well. Printing digitally and on paper, we aim to reach as many Old Boys as possible to keep you in the picture. My thanks go to Nick Morrell for putting his time and effort into another good read, one which celebrates the School, its excellent choir and history.

This year I highlight Honorary Memberships for Masters of Music Stephen Cleobury, James O’Donnell, David Hill and Martin Baker, topped by Colin Mawby whose appreciation by Paul Tobin appears in this edition.

I do hope that you will join other members of the Old Boys’ Association at a Mass celebrated by the Cardinal and a Reception run by the Friends of Westminster Cathedral on Thursday 11th May 2017. I enclose a proforma for those interested in singing. Ticket details will be announced in due course for this celebration of the saving of the school, spearheaded by the Friends some forty years ago.

Adrian CassarOBA Vice-Chair

THE RECORD!

Colin Mawby at

Much will be written about Colin’s work and achievements elsewhere on the occasion of his eightieth birthday but as a former chorister I would like to share some early memories of Colin Mawby.

It was a Friday afternoon in the late 1950s that George Malcom, then Master of Music, informed the boys that Vespers would be accompanied on the organ by an ex chorister, Colin Mawby. (Fridays were the lay clerks’ day off in those days). As George was to be away that afternoon, the boys were asked not to cause any bother to the organist! My first recollection was seeing Colin’s forehead and bespectacled eyes peering just above the level of the organ, then situated at the far end of the apse opposite the Master of Music’s stand.

In 1959 George Malcom decided to resign his post as Master of Music, which he had held for the previous twelve years, to pursue a career as a solo harpsichordist in which he was a great success. The process of selecting his successor consisted of seven short listed candidates, who included Colin Mawby and one of the lay clerks, Jonathan Steele, each playing a piece on the apse organ and conducting the full choir in one of two works that were not part of the usual repertoire. Colin remembers he conducted the Kyrie from Byrd’s Mass for five voices. The adjudicating panel under the chairmanship of Mgr. (later Bishop) Gordon Wheeler consisted of Lennox Berkeley, Fr Lancelot Long (a former Master of Music), George Malcom and Fr. Wilfred Purney.

Shortly after the auditions finished late in the afternoon, the boys were asked their opinion as to who their choice of choirmaster would be; suffice to say that Colin was one of their favourites and it was no surprise he was appointed organist with Francis Cameron as Master of Music. There were occasions when he would deputise as conductor, including the whole of Holy Week in 1960. Looking back, I am certain it was that particular week, working closely

with the choir that ensured a smooth takeover the following year when he was appointed Acting Master of Music in succession to Francis Cameron.

Colin lost no time in introducing innovations to improve the standard of singing by bringing in people from outside with expertise in specific areas. Dom Aldhelm Dean, a monk from Quarr Abbey, came on a number of occasions to teach the boys the Solesmes interpretation of plainchant. Miss Margaret Baldock, a member of the Bevan family, undertook voice production training for probationers for a number of years.

Like a number of choristers who sung under his excellent tutelage, I have kept in touch with Colin over many years and have found him to be a source of encouragement and knowledge of a wide range of subjects, as well as being a good friend.

Ad multos annos!

Paul Tobin(1956-1962)

80AN EARLY RECOLLECTION

What did the Romans do for me?When I joined the Choir School in April 1970, I counted myself lucky. But that took a little time to realize.

I was a late starter (the story of my life), already over 10 years old, and shamed amongst those who had joined the school 2 years earlier for my poor handwriting by Sister Mary Immaculata, whose own handwriting in those shameful reports was, well, immaculate. The school was in its original 1900 state, with a large dormitory for about 50 boys, and ancient plumbing that serviced 3 baths; we were rationed to one or maybe two baths a week, a rare moment of privacy in a place where everything else was shared. I quickly realized that discipline was the name of the game, based on a regime of ‘silence’ in particular spaces – the dormitory itself, the large washroom, boot room and the refectory – unexplained but a good method of getting chatterboxes to adopt a more outwardly formal approach to the solemn duties of ceremony. That silence in the refectory was only broken by an ‘angelus’, a bell rung by the headmaster to open or close conversation and the ritual of prefects dishing-out disproportionately-sized helpings around the boys. You can guess the rest. Announcements followed – school colours, programming and so on – although later in that Summer term, there was one very good piece of news for those keen on adventure.

Father Commerford – ‘Guv’ to the cognoscenti – let us into the plan to take the choir to Rome in October to sing in St Peter’s. Wow. In by the skin of my teeth, this was when I realized that I had joined something really special. We were due to replace the Sistine Chapel Choir at the canonization of 40 English and Welsh Martyrs at a ceremony conducted by the Pope, Paul VI. Another first – reputedly the Chapel Choir had not been displaced by another for centuries (and even if that wasn’t true, we didn’t really mind). The package included 3 or 4 days away, with the opportunity for some sightseeing along the way.

We stayed in a small hotel very close to the Vatican City, run by Nuns. It was smart and quaint, with a rather dry roll for breakfast, and a one-person-4-boy lift to rattle us up and down. Mr Manighetti was in his element. Here he was, the embodiment of all that was empire, talking volubly about the Forum, Coliseum and the Tiber, right before our eyes. He brought it all to life brilliantly, and challenged us on translations of inscriptions and so on. In and around practice, we managed to get to the top of St Peter’s for those views of the Vatican Gardens, and even then I remember the rather short railings, seemingly knee-high, that were meant to protect us from certain death. Colin Mawby would I am sure have wanted more time with us, but the

balance was just right and he managed us (and his stress!) to perfection.

The day itself was incredible. The barley-twisted pillars around the high alter seemed a little over the top compared with the simpler style in the Cathedral but, hey, who was I to argue on style? We took up position just below and to the right, with Messrs Griffiths, Ling and our tame counter-Tenor (why was he called short-sheep-shank by Richard Hodgson?). We sang the Byrd 4–part Mass, and may have added Tallis or Phillips but that’s possibly my imagination at work. My recollection is that it went well, so well that we were able to maintain our programme for sung Mass in St Paul’s Outside The Walls. Our prize was a bus trip to Castel Gandolfo, and as my ‘instamatic’ photos indicate, too poorly to reproduce here, the sun shone brilliantly.

The Choir at St Peter’s 25 October 1970

Gregory Fowler, Adrian Cassar, Paul ONeil, N and Edward Woodward.

Short-sheep-shank stands prominently on Mr Griffiths’ left.

We duly returned to London via Ciampino airport and DanAir, well drilled in the use of our small suitcases as stools to sit on while we hung around for flights or coaches. This was less than glamorous, but helped to bring into perspective the whole experience, which was amazing for us all. The Romans certainly put on a show too.

Adrian Cassar (1970-’73)

Some months ago, Radio 3’s ‘CD Review’ or ‘Building a Library’ spotlighted the ‘Responsories for Tenebrae (1585)’ by Tomas Luis de Victoria, one of the greatest masters of the mature polyphonic style. Over the years, there have been many recordings of this supreme example of Renaissance music including one by the Westminster Cathedral Choir under David Hill in March 1988.

The programme immediately reminded me of a much earlier recording, namely that done by the Westminster Cathedral Choir in April 1959, conducted by George Malcolm and produced by Argo (RG 149). It was perhaps the first one ever done of the Tenebrae. I remember it distinctly because I took part in it as an eleven-year old chorister.

The recording was not made in a studio. The record sleeve informs us that it was “… made in Westminster Cathedral during the day time of 1st and 2nd April 1959 and it is therefore not possible to produce a recording entirely free from extraneous noise”. We had stayed behind during the Easter holidays specifically to take part in this recording and were very excited

– such a new phenomenon. (I think only David Willcocks at King’s and George Guest at St. John’s, Cambridge were doing the same kind of thing at that time.)

This was in the pre-digital era: huge microphones the size of lollipops were strategically placed around the apse, and the massive recording apparatus was situated where the organ now is. (The organ used to be at the back of the apse.) As you can imagine, all this technology was fascinating for us prep school boys with everything being recorded on yards, maybe miles, of tape at 3:3/4” per second. George Malcolm would do a take and then we would crowd around to hear the result. He never seemed satisfied with the first take and often we had to do them several times over.

The LP was issued one year later and I have the record before me now. The names of the ten men singers (counter-tenor, tenors and basses) and of the 13 choristers, including mine, are clearly listed. As far as I am aware, only two out of the 23 people listed became successful professional singers: John Hahessy, the Head Chorister later professionally known

as John Elwes, and Ian Partridge, one of the tenors. What happened to the rest? In retrospect, it is remarkable that not more of us followed that path. The Radio 3 programme evoked many recollections. For a start, George Malcolm had just announced to our dismay that he would be leaving as Master of Music in the summer in order to pursue his career as a harpsichordist; he was in the forefront of the revival of that instrument. The question at that late stage as to who would be his successor in the autumn had still to be resolved: another story for another time.

George Malcolm no doubt wanted to make his mark and record his ‘continental sound’ for posterity, and what better than these masterpieces of Renaissance polyphony. It was most unfortunate that the then headmaster of the WCCS, Father Thomas Kilcoyne (aka ‘TK’) was totally unmusical and did not care for such fripperies. Gordon Wheeler, Administrator of the Cathedral and eventually Bishop of Leeds, told me many years later that TK considered that recordings would unduly interrupt the academic side of our education: Common Entrance exams were important even then.

If only George Malcolm could have persuaded TK to let us record say Byrd’s Mass for five voices, Palestrina’s motets, anything by Thomas Tallis. His distinctive continental sound contrasted so greatly with the breathy Church of England sound epitomised by King’s.

Moreover, the Tenebrae service itself was being phased out, and this was even before Vatican II. The Argo record sleeve informs us: “… from the early middle ages until very recently (1955), it was sung in the evening, in the darkening church, as part of the service called Tenebrae (darkness)”. So we only sang some of the music during Holy Week, never the whole lot. To my chagrin even then, some of Victoria’s responsories were replaced by Edmund Rubbra’s compositions: it was chalk and cheese.

The music also reminds me of the first time I ever had to sing alone. George Malcolm suddenly pointed to me during choir practice in the Song School and told me to sing the 2nd soprano part of the opening phrase of “O Vos Omnes” from the Second Nocturn of Holy Saturday (Responsorium V). This would have

been when I was nine or ten and relatively inexperienced, surrounded by the hyper-critical heavyweights of the Schola, all very unnerving.

The icing on the cake of the whole recording experience was that Argo was going to pay us! I received the princely sum of four guineas (£ 4/4/- or £ 4.20, about £ 95 today), which I splashed out on a new engine for my electric train set.

I do not recall what Radio 3 finally recommended but, pace David Hill, George Malcolm’s remains the definitive version for me. Bruno Turner, musicologist and specialist in Iberian

sacred music of the Renaissance who interestingly was adviser 29 years apart to both Masters of Music, says in his notes to David Hill’s recording: “(Victoria) might justifiably be proud that … he could still move hearts

and stimulate minds four centuries later. (His) balance of formality and expression, his perfect setting and propulsion of the Latin words, still excite our admiration”. George Malcolm precisely brought that about.

Robert Nelson (Head Chorister 1960-1961)

REFLECTIONS UPON VICTORIA’S

“ TENEBRAE RESPONSORIES”

‘ I remember it distinctly because I took part in it as an eleven-year old chorister.’

I went to the Choir School in September 1953, a big change from a farm in Somerset to the smoke and grime of 1950’s London. I was now called Brown and this must have been a little confusing because my first letter home was signed “Lots of love from Brown”.

I was usually homesick for the first few days until I got back into the school routine. The school day usually started with Low Mass at 7.30am in the crypt below the high altar in the Cathedral, a very dark scary place with the cardinals’ mitres hanging over their tombs. We served Mass for some of the priests, my favourite was Fr Kahle who in the early 1940’s had managed to escape the Russians and Germans who occupied his home country, Lithuania, and made it to England.

School life was governed by a clear routine. As I recall the food was good but never enough. There was always plenty of bread and butter to fill us up with the Marmite we brought to school. Our dormitory was on the top floor and we slept on iron framed beds. I recall some unbearably hot nights in the summer. Christmas was a special time. On Christmas Eve we went to bed early and were woken to dress and go to choir practice before Midnight Mass, a spectacular service. Between Christmas and New Year, we were taken to see Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia and perhaps a big movie on at the time, like The Ten Commandments. We were allowed home after Mass on the Epiphany.

For me the most beautiful music of the year was during Holy Week. I remember the Cathedral being dark and everything covered in purple and on Good Friday at 3.00pm the choir boys were given the sign to make ‘thunder’ by hammering our hymn books on the benches in the apse, something we did very well.

Sport was a big part of school life. Father Shepherd (Pop Shep) was our sports master, a lovely man, a brilliant motivator and one of the most influential people in my life. He was a good coach at both football and cricket and built a wonderful team spirit with a great sense of sportsmanship.

When travelling to away matches we were immaculately dressed in our red blazers and caps. Sometimes ‘Pop’ would have to remind us to give up our seat for a lady. We would take off our caps and offer the lady a seat. To him it wasn’t just good manners, we were in our uniform and representing the school.

I progressed as a chorister from probationer to deputy head chorister as a first soprano. During my time in the choir I sang at the funeral of Cardinal Griffin in 1956 and at the enthronement of his successor Cardinal Godfrey. At that time such big services were often televised and it caused great excitement to see the Outside Broadcast vans of the BBC or ATV in our playground. One Christmas Eve we were playing football when two of us were told to dress up so that a newspaper cameraman could take a photo of us kneeling by the crib in the Cathedral. On Christmas Day my parents were very surprised to see me in the middle pages of their newspaper.

George Malcolm was another person who made a big impression on my life. He was a wonderful choir master but his mood varied from frustrated anger to complete relaxation depending on how we performed. On one occasion, as a reward, he took Adrian Wardle and I to the Wigmore Hall to see him playing the harpsicord with Julian Bream on the lute.

He always wanted us to sing so that every word could be heard at the far end of the Cathedral. His obituary mentions this: -

Quote: He made the boys put aside the typical Anglican ethereal sound for a more natural sound, “the sound boys make in the playground” was how he sometimes put it.

It is very difficult to compress 5 years at WCCS into a short story and my recollections are a little hazy now but the experience was wonderful, amongst such good friends and has been a lasting influence on my life.

Christopher G Brown 1953 to 1958 (aka Bruin)

I was born in London and attended WCCS between 1979 and 1984.

I moved to the United States (specifically to S. California) with my family when I was 18. I spent two years there and then returned to Europe to continue my education. Approximately eighteen years ago I had an opportunity to return to the USA and began working in the field of Trademark Licensing and Brand Extension. Today, I am married with 2 children of my own (11 and 8) and work as Director for a major Licensing Agency representing some of countries biggest corporations including General Motors, GE, Whirlpool, Nissan etc. Today I reside in San Diego, CA.

My memories of my time at the Choir School are very vivid. Peter Hannigan and the rest of the staff, including Mr. Swaybe (Religious Studies), Mr. Killroy (History) etc. were all so welcoming and provided me with a wonderful foundation both academically but also personally.

What I remember most is the close friendship I had with my classmates including playing football at St. Vincent’s square, enjoying the wonderful Cordon Bleu meals together in the refectory or simply playing outside on the playground.

I felt very privileged to be at WCCS spending quality time in the Cathedral as an altar boy/cross bearer, but also having the opportunity to know Cardinal Hume and participating in the Mass that was performed by Pope John-Paul II in 1982. These have provided me with very fond memories which I still share to this day with friends and family.

My parents also enjoyed the close relationship with other parents and tight knit community of WCCS students. They often marveled at the success and capabilities of many of the boys including a performance given by a young musician that recited eloquent music on his “Stradivarius”. Although I was only a day boy and had a brief opportunity singing with the choir, I was always impressed by the level of commitment from the “boarders” and main choir that practiced day in and day out with amazing passion. To this day, I still watch Stephen Cleobury performing and have great memories of him conducting the choir.

While I have lost touch with some many of my friends from the school I do have some many wonderful memories that stay with me for the rest of my life.

Alex Tomlison (1979-1984)

FOR THE RECORD

A CHORISTER IN THE 1950’S

Alex Tomlinson

Christopher Brown – then and now

Tim Sparke (1972 to 1975) was the founder of UK-based documentary distributor Mercury Media International, and sadly passed away earlier this year. In late 2011, he was diagnosed with cancer. Over the span of several years, Tim underwent various surgeries and treatments to combat the disease.

In early 2013, Tim put his company Mercury Media up for sale. Besides its catalog of documentaries, the company also owned the on-demand service Joining the Dots. By the fall of that year, he had moved away from day-to-day management of the company due to the illness. At its close, Mercury Media had a slate of close to 125 titles, and had sold docs to various broadcasters as Subscription Video on Demand services such as Netflix.

Peter Hamilton, a close friend, commented that “Tim was always a fighter for the documentary genre: his Mercury Media distribution company worked tirelessly for individual docs and series. He was a wonderful companion on journeys in the field: fiercely analytical of trends in the

market, encouraging, generous with his contacts, and always finding humor in any situation.”

Tim had friends and admirers at most major broadcasters and will be much missed by colleagues and partners. Many said that he was a true gentleman: erudite, personable, witty, caring.”

In a 2013 interview with the BBC World Service’s Business Daily, Tim detailed how the illness had at that point impacted his life, his wife and two children, and his business. “You don’t go into the documentary distribution business without some kind of passion for life,” he said, “… you have to be motivated to have some kind of higher purpose other than just paying the taxman.”

In a follow-up interview in 2014 for BBC Radio 4’s Today program, he told us that while he knew what the eventual outcome of his illness would be, he had “every intention of being around for the World Cup in 2014”. Tim made it for the 2016 Olympics.

TIM SPARKE

“… you have to be motivated to have some kind of higher purpose other

than just paying the taxman.”

‘An exceptional education for boys from 4 – 13’

Today Westminster Cathedral Choir School (WCCS) is one of London’s top academic prep schools for boys aged 7 – 13

In 2017 we will open a pre-prep,to offer boys continuity of education from 4 – 13

Chorister places at Westminster Cathedral Choir SchoolEach year Westminster Cathedral Choir School admits up to six boarding choristers to join the world’s leading Catholic choir. For a bright, enthusiastic boy, with musical potential, Westminster Cathedral Choir School offers:

• A top academic education at one of London’s leading independent preparatory schools• A pathway to the leading public schools at 13+, usually with substantial financial assistance• The opportunity to sing in a national Cathedral, and on tour at major venues in central London and all over the world• World-class musical tuition in voice and instruments• Extraordinary value for money: fees are about 30% of those at comparable boarding schools and further financial assistance is available on a means-tested basis

The Opportunity of a Lifetime

ANY QUERIES?Please contact Miss Lucy AugerEmail lauger@choirschool.comTel 020 7798 9081

Westminster Cathedral Choir School Ambrosden Avenue London SW1P 1QH

www.choirschool.com