Who’s Who

We are recruiting for this post. Please find details here: Sub-Organist 2022

Croydon Minster is launching Croydon Sings! a children’s singing programme that offers enhanced singing support to state primary school children in Croydon who have little or no access to music. We are therefore recruiting a Singing Development Leader to develop this programme in co-ordination with the Minster music staff and deliver it to both local schools and the Minster choirs.

If you would like an informal conversation about this role, please be in touch with Justin Miller, Director of Music (j.miller@croydonminster.org / 07513 062974).

More details and a job description are available here: Singing Development Leader Job Description 2022

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.

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-

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