Who’s Who

George Inscoe has joined the Minster Music Department as at August 2022. He was Assistant Organist at Norwich Cathedral for three years, having previously held the cathedral’s organ scholarship. Prior to his move to Norfolk, he was the organ scholar at the Temple Church and St Mark’s Church, Hamilton Terrace in London. His musical career began as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral. In December 2005 he was chosen to be a soloist for the Young Voices Tour of the UK, performing in some of the countries’ largest and most prestigious concert halls including the Manchester and Sheffield Arenas, the Birmingham NIA and the Royal Albert Hall in London. Other prestigious events included the 2008 Lambeth Conference. He was made Senior Chorister in his final year.

George studied the Piano and the Organ with David Flood whilst a student at St Edmund’s School, Canterbury where he was a music scholar. He is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where he was a scholarship student, studying with Susan Landale (in London and Paris) and Bine Bryndorf (in Copenhagen), and he also studied improvisation with Gerard Brooks and Neil Wright. Whilst at the 

academy, George won numerous prizes for performance and academic achievement and performed regularly in concerts as part of the renowned Bach Cantata series and Widor Organ Symphonies series. During this time, George performed with the London Mozart players in Cadogan Hall; the City of London Sinfonia in St Paul’s Cathedral and appeared on stage at the Royal Festival Hall.

When not at the Organ, George will often be found playing football or out on the Golf course! 

Sophie Garbisu studied lyrical singing at the Regional Conservatory of Bordeaux, France, with Maryse Castets. In 2019 she performed with Les Musiciens du Louvre for a tour in West Europe. Having obtained her diploma, she returned to her alma mater to teach Music Theory and ear-training, alongside studying choir conducting. Having discovered a passion for Anglican Church Music, she came to England to develop her expertise in the English Choral tradition. She arrived at Croydon Minster in September 2020 and has sung with the Minster’s choir while assisting the Director of Music. Currently, she holds the post of Assistant Director of Music with responsibility for contributing to the vocal training of the children in the boys’ and girls’ choirs.

Sophie has also taken on the post of Singing Development Leader to develop 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. In co-ordination with the rest of the Minster music staff, Sophie will deliver the programme to both local schools and the Minster choirs.

We were saddened by the death of Martin How in July 2022.  Martin had been an integral part of the musical life of the Minster as honorary organist and resident composer since his retirement from the RSCM and was known and loved by choristers and musicians worldwide. 

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 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 travelled widely as a choral conductor, accompanist, lecturer and adjudicator. In this capacity he 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.

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- 2021

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