You may have read my recent post introducing myself, if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I invite you to catch up on this now: Meet Cassian Southwick: Another team member with a longstanding passion for organs.
In that post I touched on my time as an Organ Scholar at both St George’s Cathedral, Southwark and at Hereford Cathedral.
I wanted to share some more with you about my two gap years, and the joy that they brought.
My first gap year
After school, I took up my first post of organ scholar at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, under the marvellous direction of Dr Frederick Stocken, and the energetic director of music Jonathan Schranz.
It was my first real experience of professionally conducting a choir and raised the bar quite substantially for my musicianship. The organ there is a 1958 Compton with an impressive number of ranks, a polyphone bass, and the loudest Tuba I have ever heard, before or since.
I gained a huge amount of experience there and found myself practising several afternoons a week in a vast acoustic.
Growing in confidence with greater opportunities
The highlights, of course, came around Christmas time, when I found myself playing for several services on my own, as well as singing on a Radio 4 broadcast of Midnight Mass. Both amazing, if extremely nerve-wracking, experiences!
During my year in Southwark, I also picked up a few other accompaniment opportunities; most notably I found myself playing for weekly services for Westminster Cathedral Choir School.
There was a gentle rivalry between the two Catholic cathedrals, as was to be expected from the two major dioceses in London, and I often felt like I was acting as a double agent between the two!
It was a terribly sad experience when I found out that, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the year would be cut short just before Easter, and I would be isolated far away on the other side of the country.
A second gap year to enjoy
Luckily, I had decided earlier in that year to take a second gap year and took up my second post of Organ Scholar at Hereford Cathedral with the matchless mentorship of organists Geraint Bowen and Peter Dyke.
Even on the first day there I knew how much of a privilege it was going to be to spend a year at that magnificent institution, getting immersed in choral services up to eight times a week, depending on what the Covid restrictions allowed.
Learning everything from the finer points of Anglican psalm-playing and grand Romantic anthems, to accompanying Tudor anthems on the gorgeous Tickell chamber organ, there was never a dull moment throughout the year!
Quite apart from the magnificence of the cathedral, the city of Hereford itself was a wonderful place to spend a year, tucked away within a very welcoming and friendly community.
Losses and gains with Covid restrictions
Sadly, restrictions meant we lost many of the finer events of the year, but we were lucky in that our main services at Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter all went ahead in some regard.
These two years did so much for my organ playing. Were you lucky enough to hear me play in between the Covid closures at these cathedrals?
I have been fascinated by organs from a young age of 11, not only playing them but also their construction and history. I have played organs up and down the country and studied under some great musicians. I come to Viscount Classical Organs with expertise in installing and repairing organs with a specialism in organ electrics.
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