From a very early age Andrew's life was steeped in music,
and in particular in that part of the repertoire which is associated with
the Church of England choral tradition. His musical education was enviable,
in that he spent some years as a chorister at King's College Chapel,
Cambridge, under the direction of (now Sir) David Willcocks, and at the
incredibly early age of 17 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of
Organists. He returned to Cambridge as an undergraduate to be the Organ
Scholar at Selwyn College, and subsequently was able to use his obvious
talents in a succession of positions.
From 1971 to 1980 he was Assistant Organist at Peterborough Cathedral, where he played for many broadcasts, including the 1975 Royal Maundy Service; and during succeeding years he gave recitals in many prestigious locations, including Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral, and many other English cathedrals, including Portsmouth, Chichester, Hereford and Coventry. His foreign appearances included appearances in Denmark, France, Norway and Germany. Additionally, Andrew was heavily engaged in a variety of other musical activities, including conducting and accompanying choirs, and he had a particularly long association with the Portsmouth Festival Choir, of which he was Deputy Conductor. From 1987 until his death earlier this year he was Head of Music at Virgo Fidelis School, Upper Norwood.
Andrew was first associated with the Renaissance Choir in 1991, when he stepped in at very short notice to accompany some baroque pieces which the choir was singing in a Chichester concert. It was very evident that his immediate technical mastery of the score meant that - like all superb accompanists - he could concentrate on giving support and confidence to the choir. It was also clear that we had been fortunate in being associated with a fine musician, and we have been lucky to be able to perform together in various ways over the last ten years. In April 1997, for example, he joined the choir in a concert in this Cathedral, accompanying it for parts of Durufle's Requiem, and presenting some solo items, including a wonderfully strident performance of Vierne's Carillon de Westminster. In August 1999 a choir from Bari, Italy, joined the Renaissance Choir for joint concerts in Portsmouth and Emsworth, and in these Andrew was the harmonium accompanist for parts of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle. Some months before this concert ago we had asked him to contribute organ interludes to the evening's performance, and he had accepted with his usual eagerness and good grace; we were looking forward to his part of the programme. The choir was naturally devastated to learn in February that he had died after a fall at his school.
We have been privileged to know a rare musical talent, an unselfish accompanist and a brilliant organist. Andrew was personally charming, unassuming and generous. Our thoughts are particularly with his wife, Jill, and their children, especially at the time of this concert.