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Who’s Who

Director of Choral Music Appointment

Croydon Minster and Whitgift School are delighted to announce the appointment of Justin Miller as the new Director of Choral Music at Whitgift and Director of Music at the Minster.

Justin will build on the legacy of exemplary Anglican choral music at the Minster and work towards further outreach and integration of music in the wider community.  At Whitgift Justin will teach and lead in developing singing in the school as well as overseeing Whitgift’s many excellent choirs and choral ensembles.

Justin has a proven musical track record, of organ playing and choral directing, in churches and cathedrals in the United States and in England. His current role, combining the role of Director of Music at St Matthew’s Church, Northampton and Specialist Music Coach in the David Ross Education Trust, demonstrates his commitment to the Anglican choral tradition and the musical education of young people.

Justin will start work in Croydon in the second half of the Lent term (mid-February) 2022. In the interim we are delighted that Sophie Garbisu, who is with us on sabbatical from the Conservatoire de Bordeaux, and has been working in the Minster music department, will be Acting Director of Music. We have the great asset of the wisdom, experience and encouragement of Martin How MBE, our Organist Laureate, who will support and advise during this period.

 

 

 

Sub Organist

Post is currently vacant

Martin How MBE Organist Laureate

Martin was born in Liverpool, where his father was Rector of St Nicholas Church. The family then moved to Brighton, where Martin’s father was Vicar at St Peters Parish Church. The family then moved to Glasgow just before the second world war, and Martin spend most of his childhood there.

Educated at Repton School where he was a Music Scholar, he was then awarded an Organ Scholarship at Clare College, Cambridge, where he read Music and Theology. In this post he had responsibility for the Chapel Choir of men and boys, and Choral Society. He was a keen athlete, and ran for the university, narrowly missing being awarded a ‘Blue’ for cross-country running.

After university he was in the Army for two years where he gained a National Service Commission. He still claims that this experience was invaluable for his later profession.

Later, he was for some years at Grimsby in Lincolnshire where his post as Organist and Choirmaster at Grimsby Minster was combined with school teaching and various musical activities.

Martin has spent most of his career with the Royal School of Church Music where he was known principally as a choir trainer specialising in the training and motivation of young singers. In this capacity he initiated and developed the RSCM Chorister Training Scheme which has since been used in various forms in many parts of the world. He also inaugurated the RSCM Southern Cathedral Singers, a group which has broadcast frequently on BBC Radio’s Choral Evensong from Canterbury Cathedral and elsewhere.

Martin has travelled widely as a choral conductor, accompanist, lecturer and adjudicator. In this capacity he has worked in the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Belgium and Holland.

Martin was appointed MBE for ‘Services to Church Music’ in the 1993 New Year Honours List.

Since his retirement from the RSCM he has returned to organ playing as an honorary member of the music staff at Croydon Minster. Composing continues to be his main activity. Some of his compositions are available on his website.

Previous Minster Organists

Reunion of former Minster Organists (May 2016): Back Row (left to right): Simon Lole, Dr Peter Nardone. Front Row (left to right): Carl Jackson, David Swinson, Nigel McClintock, Andrew Cantrill, Ronny Krippner.

Before the fire of 1867 records are incomplete, but include:

Thomas Attwood Walmisley 1830-1833

After the fire of 1867

  • John Rhodes 1857-1868
  • Frederick Cambridge 1868-1911
  • F Rowland Tims 1911-1918
  • H Leslie Smith 1918-1948
  • Edward Shakespeare 1948-1952
  • J.A. Rogans (Hon) 1952-1953
  • B. Aldersea 1952-1957
  • J.A. Rogans (Hon) 1957-1958
  • Derek Holman 1958-1965
  • Roy Massey 1965-1968
  • Michael Fleming 1968-1978
  • David Brookshaw 1978-1980
  • Simon Lole 1980-1985
  • Carl Jackson 1986-1990
  • David Swinson 1990-1992
  • Peter Nardone 1993-2000
  • Nigel McClintock 2000-2007
  • Andrew Cantrill 2008–2012
  • Tom Little (Acting) 2012-2013
  • Dr Ronny Krippner 2013-
Organists Emeritus

Professor Derek Holman 2011- 2019
Dr Roy Massey MBE 2011-