Herald AV Publications

HAVPCD347 – Ascribe unto the Lord

	Disk Title	Ascribe unto the Lord
		Large-scale anthems from the Victorian Era
	Soloists	Paul Morgan – Organ
	Choir	Boys, girls and gentlemen of Exeter Cathedral Choir
	Conductor	Andrew Millington and Stephen Tanner
	Location	Exeter Cathedral
	Date Recorded	May 2009

EXETER CATHEDRAL CHOIR The choir of Exeter Cathedral has a long and interesting history. It has sung the liturgical services of the church almost without interruption since at least the thirteenth century. Several famous church musicians have been closely associated with the Cathedral’s music, including Matthew Locke (chorister in the 17th century) and SS Wesley, England’s foremost Cathedral organist of the 19th century.

The Choristers are educated at the Cathedral School, which is a very ancient establishment. In 1994 a girls’ choir was formed: the choir now consists of 20 boy choristers, 20 girl choristers and 12 gentlemen. Regular services are normally sung by boys and gentlemen or girls and gentlemen. The adult members are professionally trained singers, either Lay Vicars or Choral Scholars who combine singing with their academic studies at Exeter University.

During the term the choir sings eight services each week, including three on Sundays. In addition, the choir broadcasts regularly on radio and television. It has given a number of concerts with leading orchestras and has made several recordings. Overseas tours have been undertaken, including visits to Canada, France, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. In July 2006 the choir undertook an exciting and extensive tour to the USA. More recently, the choir has toured Switzerland and Tenerife.

The choir makes regular visits to churches throughout the Diocese to sing services and concerts.The choir’s extensive repertoire covers a wide range of music from medieval plainsong through to contemporary works. Recent recordings include Evensong for St Peter’s Day on the Herald label.

Andrew Millington has been Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral since September 1999. He studied the organ at Worcester Cathedral before gaining an Organ Scholarship to Downing College, Cambridge. In 1975 he became Assistant Organist at Gloucester Cathedral where he was closely involved with The Three Choirs Festival. He held the conductorship of several notable choirs in the Midlands, two of which won major awards in the BBC competition ‘Let the Peoples Sing’.

In 1983 he succeeded Philip Moore as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Guildford Cathedral. His work with the Guildford choir over a period of 16 years included foreign tours to European countries and North America, numerous recordings and an appearance at the BBC Promenade Concerts. In addition to his Cathedral duties, he was closely involved with the Guildford International Music Festival, conductor of Bracknell Choral Society, Diocesan Organs Advisor and Chairman of the RSCM Guildford Area.

He has worked with several leading orchestras and he is well known as a recitalist. He has played in most of the major venues in the UK, and in 1995 was organist for the Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall. He is an examiner for The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and a past President of the Cathedral Organists’ Association. Since his arrival at Exeter, his work with the Cathedral Choir has included several broadcasts and recordings and highly successful tours of Russia, France and USA. He has been awarded honorary diplomas by the Guild of Church Musicians and the Royal School of Church Music.

He has directed several local choirs including Exeter Bach Society and the University Cantors. In 2003, he was appointed Director of Music of Exeter Philharmonic Choir and has conducted them in many of the major choral works.

Paul Morgan is the organist at Exeter Cathedral. In 1963 he was awarded an open scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music, London. Two years later he was awarded the Organ Scholarship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied under Dr. Syndey Watson. He became the Organist at Exeter Cathedral in 1999, having previously been Assistant Organist since 1969. He was part-time Lecturer in the Music Department of the University of Exeter until its recent closure. Since 1991 he has been Organs Adviser to the Exeter Diocesan Advisory Committee. His numerous organ recitals have mostly been in the West Country, but he has also given a number of recitals overseas. He has broadcast for the BBC and several commercial recordings have been issued of him playing the organ in Exeter Cathedral.

Stephen Tanner began his musical career as a chorister in the choir of Coventry Cathedral. During the fi nal year of his degree course at the University of Huddersfield, he was appointed organ scholar at Bradford Cathedral. Appointed Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral School in 1987, Stephen now combines this post with that of Assistant Organist at Exeter Cathedral. He directs the girl choristers section of the Cathedral Choir which he founded in 1994. In this capacity he has conducted or played the organ for numerous concerts, broadcasts and recordings and has toured with the Cathedral Choir in the USA, Russia, Holland, Cyprus, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Tenerife. Under his musical leadership, Exeter Cathedral School enjoys a considerable reputation for the breadth and quality of its music making.

He has composed and arranged extensively, in particular for his school musicians and for the Cathedral Choir but his music has been sung by numerous other local choirs. He has won two national composition competitions. The first, organised by the Diocese of Southwark with his canticle setting ‘The Southwark Centenary Service’ was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 by the choir of Southwark Cathedral. In November 2007 he won the Temple Music Foundation composition prize with his anthem ‘Jesu dulcis memoria’ which was premiered by the choir of the Temple Church London as part of the 2008 Temple Festival.

Stephen is musical director of Exeter’s Chorister Outreach Project -a collaboration between the Cathedral Music Department, the Cathedral School and the Devon Music Service – to promote singing in Devon’s Junior Schools under the banner of the national ‘Sing Up’ campaign. He has recently formed a new choir for former girl choristers from Exeter Cathedral Choir called ‘Isca Voices’.