Kent County Organists’ Association visit to Rochester Cathedral
Our meeting at Rochester Cathedral on 8 th February was of particular interest as this year is Percy Whitlock’s centenary, and during the afternoon we were to hear about his time at the Cathedral and in the Medway towns.
 The
organ of Rochester Cathedral |
But first we
attended Evensong which was sung by the boys and
men of the choir, directed by the Assistant
Organist Edmund Aldhouse, who also played the
organ. The introit was Locus Iste –
Bruckner, sung as is customary from the west end
of the nave with distance adding enchantment to a
sensitive and poised performance. The
setting was Faux Bourdons – Whitlock,
following the pattern Morley for instance, but
with some more modern harmonic twists. In
more typical style was the fine unaccompanied
Whitlock anthem Jesu, grant me this I pray. The
final voluntary was a forthright performance of
Whitlock’s Hymn Prelude on
Darwall’s 148th , which featured the
splendid tuba stop on the organ. An
excellent tea, provided in the crypt by Mrs Mary
Ashfield and her helpers, was enjoyed by over 60
members and friends, and we were pleased that Dr
Ashfield was able to attend. Malcolm
Riley is the secretary and a
founder-trustee of the Percy Whitlock Trust, and
Director of Music at Cranbrook School. His
knowledge of Whitlock and his music must surely
be unrivalled, and his illustrated lecture Percy
Whitlock’s Rochester Years 1903 –1930 was
keenly anticipated. Whitlock was born at
171 Luton Road, Chatham, becoming a probationer
in the Cathedral Choir in 1911 and assistant
organist in 1921. That he showed early
compositional gifts was illustrated by his
setting of O Gladsome Light for four choristers,
written in 1917 for performance in the Cathedral
when the organist Charles Hylton Stewart was away
on army service. It is included in a recent
Rochester CD of Whitlock’s music. |
Malcolm Riley is the secretary and a founder-trustee of the Percy Whitlock Trust, and Director of Music at Cranbrook School. His knowledge of Whitlock and his music must surely be unrivalled, and his illustrated lecture Percy Whitlock’s Rochester Years 1903 –1930 was keenly anticipated. Whitlock was born at 171 Luton Road, Chatham, becoming a probationer in the Cathedral Choir in 1911 and assistant organist in 1921. That he showed early compositional gifts was illustrated by his setting of O Gladsome Light for four choristers, written in 1917 for performance in the Cathedral when the organist Charles Hylton Stewart was away on army service. It is included in a recent Rochester CD of Whitlock’s music.
 Rochester
Cathedral organ |
A much earlier and
fascinating recording was that of the Stanford Magnificat
in B flat, made on 1st November 1926, the
first time land lines had been used to the studio
in London. At that time the choir was so well
known that people used to come down by train from
London to hear Evensong. The singing on this
recording was bright and vigorous and at a tempo
we would expect today. Whitlock was the organist.
Apart from these recordings, Malcolm Riley played St Peter and Croft’s 136th from Five Short and Easy Pieces on hymn tunes by C Hylton Stewart, dedicated to Whitlock, and Adagio for organ, Bourrée, Gigue and Minuet for piano, Theme and Variations (arr. Riley), and Allegretto and Paean (Five Short Pieces) by Whitlock. The gentle Adagio was written for a pupil to play at King’s School services in the Cathedral. The original ms has been lost, but a copy had been made by George Jessup and it remained among his papers for 50 years before being rescued and published. Some of us will remember George who was organist of St Luke’s, Maidstone, where he had an excellent mixed choir. He was Treasurer of the KCOA in the sixties and head brewer at Style and Winch at the same time that our Secretary W G (Peter) Warriner was head brewer at Fremlin’s. The piano pieces date from 1929 and are charming miniatures written within the space of a few hours, when a lady asked Whitlock after morning service for three little entr’actes for a play being performed that afternoon, a rather unreasonable request few could meet! The well known Five Short Pieces were written at Rochester. |
| Malcolm Riley gave
us a stimulating talk, which was delivered with
humour and from a deep knowledge of his subject.
The atmosphere of the period was skilfully evoked
and the illustrations beautifully played. It was
indeed a memorable beginning to Whitlock’s
centenary for all those present. Brian Moore |
 Malcolm
Riley (left) with |
KCOA visit to Rochester
Cathedral |
KCOA visit to Rochester
Cathedral |
KCOA visit to Rochester
Cathedral |
