Gina Eason
to be added
Graham Davies writes: It is
with great pleasure I am able to tell you that David
Black has joined us as Organist of St. Mary
and St. Nicholas Church with effect from 1st January
2012.
David is a highly qualified musician, gaining
his BMus (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and his
Ph.D. from Harvard University in Historical Musicology. He
has wide experience as an organist in this country and
overseas.
This appointment greatly strengthens the
music team and will I am sure help to attract other high
quality musicians to our church. It will be most beneficial
to have David play for the monthly Choral Evensong services
and other special services which are planned for the future
and to enjoy his playing for the weekly Sung Communion.
I shall continue to be overall responsible
for the music at St. Mary and St. Nicholas under the new
position of Master of the Music.
On your behalf, may I wish David every
success for the future.
Graham Davies
from the February 2012 parish magazine
from the September 2012 Parish Magazine
Church Matters is sad to report that Graham
Davies, our organist and choirmaster, has handed in his
resignation. It is hoped that he’ll be able to continue
with “Music on Thursdays”. GD really knows his
stuff and the Thursday lunchtimes are excellent. Eat a picnic
lunch whilst you listen.
In 2005 Graham was appointed to All Saints’ Clifton,
in Bristol where he developed the music within an Anglo
Catholic tradition, widening the repertoire and recruiting
many new members to the choir. From 2005 – 2008 he was a
regular accompanist for the Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir.
At this time he finished his business career to devote all
his time to music and in August 2008 went on to be Director
of Music at All Saints’ Church, High Wycombe. As well as
developing the scope of liturgical music, Graham established
a successful series of weekly lunchtime concerts. In May 2011
he took up his duties as Organist and Choirmaster at St. Mary
and St. Nicholas Parish Church, Leatherhead.
As a solo organist, Graham has given many recitals in
cathedrals and churches throughout the UK with previous
performances at the cathedrals in Exeter, Bristol, Hereford,
Coventry, Truro, Eglise St. Vincent in Montreux, St Peters
Cathedral and Eglise de Notre-Dame in Genève. He has
performed in New York State and in Switzerland and has a busy
year for 2011 including appearances at St. Paul’s
Cathedral, Sheffield Cathedral and in Chicago. He has
benefited from organ studies and master classes with
internationally renowned teachers including Margaret Phillips
and Nicholas Kynaston, always concentrating on historically
informed performance and is keen to encourage organ pupils in
the Leatherhead area.
Graham's first Sunday as our organist and choir
master was May 1, 2011. He became Master
of Music here wef 1 Jan 2012.
from the June 2011 Parish Magazine
I write this having been in post for just two weeks and am
overwhelmed by the warm welcome I have received to St. Mary
and St. Nicholas. It is good to be with you and I look
forward to the opportunity to serve in the music ministry. I
would straight away like to pay tribute to all those who have
continued to support the music week by week for so long,
especially Richard Price and Peter Steadman.Over my forty
plus years involvement in church music I have been privileged
to hold important posts including those at Wimborne Minster,
Malvern Priory and Bath Abbey in addition to giving organ
recitals throughout the UK in cathedrals and major churches.
In the summer I am due to play in St. Paul’s Cathedral
and in Chicago. I hope I can bring the benefits of this
experience to Leatherhead and to encourage greater concert
giving at St. Mary and St. Nicholas, especially to feature
the magnificent Parker Organ.
It would be wonderful to increase the membership of the
choir and to hear from anyone interested in joining us. Do
please speak to me over coffee after the Eucharist. Whilst
the choir have an important role in worship I am especially
keen to encourage congregational singing. To this effect from
Trinity Sunday there will be additional opportunities in the
9.30am Eucharist by the inclusion of a responsorial psalm and
Gospel Alleluias with a Cantor.
Do please contact me should you have any comments
concerning the music. It will be very good to hear from you.
Graham Davies
Christopher started conducting when he was
17, his orchestra including members of the Bournemouth
Symphony Orchestra. In 1955 he was accepted to study
personally with Herbert von Karajan in Lucerne. In 1960 he
made his debut with the London Philharmonic at Dorking Halls,
initiating a long running series of concerts.
He has conducted the Royal Philharmonic, The
Cape Town Municipal Orchestra in South Africa and founded the
New Chamber Orchestra.
He has an impressive list of academic
qualifications and in 1973 became Professor of Aural Training
at the Royal College of Music.
He conducted for Epsom Light Opera and enjoyed considerable
success with, amongst others, their productions of Orpheus
in the Underworld, Die Fledermaus, The
Mikado, The Merry Widow and The Desert Song.
He hasconducted the London Philharmonic at St Johns, Smith
Square.
Chris has provided the following additional
information:
Director of Music here 1984-90.
Previously Organist at St. Paul’s, Kingston Hill.
Inaugurated Voluntary Practices here on Saturday mornings for
the children.
1984 Saw the ghost in church during evening choir practice in
the winter. The local press ran the story and it is also
recorded in the book by Graham McEwan Haunted Churches of
England.
Many musical events include:
1985 Organ Recital on 27th March; Performance of St. John
Passion on Good Friday. Combined chorus drawn from
Leatherhead PC, the United Reformed Church and the Methodist
Church.
1986 Two concerts to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the
church.
1988 Took the choir to Guildford Cathedral to sing Evensong,
which included his own Ely responses.
1989 The fire destroyed the organ and for a time another
Allen Organ was placed in the nave to accompany the services.
1990s The newly formed Slater Symphony Orchestra gave regular
concerts in which there were some outstanding soloists.
1990 Resigned
1995-Sept 2002 returned as Organist with daughter Carol
(Coslett) as Music Co-ordinator until she moved to Cuddesdon
for her theological studies.
David Eaton, Vicar: July 2002
: We sadly said goodbye on July 28th to our Director of
Music, Christopher Slater, who retired, having reached one of
those birthdays with a nought at the end. Chris has been
Director of Music in this parish for 12 years in all, and in
other parishes for most of his working life.
Chris (below the candlestick) surrounded by a larger than
usual
Evensong choir for his final service as Director of Music on
28 July 2002
He
brought a rich mixture to church music. His knowledge
of music is extensive and many have benefited from
his teaching at the Royal College of Music, and
locally from adult education classes. A skilled
musician in his own right, he founded the Slater
Symphony Orchestra and we have benefited from
concerts they have performed at the parish church on
a number of occasions.
He is a guardian of the Anglican
choral tradition. He has worked tirelessly with our
choir to achieve high standards of choral music, week
by week, but also at major festivals. Chris is a
supremely fine conductor and has had a distinguished
orchestral career both locally and in London.
I am indebted to him for his hard
work as Director of Music during my incumbency, and
for the support he has been when my own musical
know-how has been meagre.
We wish him and Pat every happiness
in retirement.
[Chris is now Director of Music at St Mary's Church, Shalford]
|
Chris at the console of the Allen organ
|
 |
On a hot July
evening Chris is seen here being presented with a
specially commissioned John Ainley watercolour of
Leatherhead Parish Church.
L-R: David Eaton (Vicar), Robert
Jenkins (former choir member & NSM), Chris
Slater, his daughter Carol (former choir leader and
now training for the ministry at Cuddesdon, Briony
Martin (Deacon), Anne Thomson (Choir Secretary).
On the back of the frame were many
messages of goodwill from those who had contributed.
|
Christopher Slater's 70th Birthday
Concert What a splendid and festive occasion Chris Slater's
Birthday Concert was! It took place in the Parish Church on
Saturday 14th December 2002 and was completely sold out - a
fitting tribute to our former Musical Director.
The programme opened with a rousing item in
the form of Beethoven's Overture to Fidelio and was
followed by The Tempest Suite No. 2 by Sibelius.
This was an interesting and unusual work, less well known
than many of his other works, and in some ways curiously
unlike Sibelius. Next followed an even less well known
concerto, written in 1916 by Delius, for violin and cello
with orchestra, superbly played by two young artists,
Alexandra Wood and Naomi Williams, who had both learned the
concerto specially for this concert. It was a piece full of
contrasts and it is a pity that it is not more often played.
After the interval we heard another
Scandinavian piece - the Danish composer Nielsen's First
Symphony, composed in 1892 when he was only 27. This
youthful work is full of joyous optimism and also passages of
lyrical beauty which the orchestra brought out to full
advantage. However, undoubtedly the musical highlight of the
evening was the final work - Seven Decades, written
by Mark Slater as a tribute to his father. The orchestra
obviously thoroughly enjoyed playing it, and the enthusiastic
reception by the audience was such that part of it had to be
repeated as an encore. In every way this provided a most
appropriate finale to an almost "Family Party"
atmosphere at Chris's 70th Birthday Concert. Linda Heath
As will be seen from these two articles, Hugh Pleass had
been organist here for a number of years and was both a very
competent organist and choir master, and a very capable
Assistant Master (Deputy Head) at the National C of E Boys'
School, at that time in Highlands Road in the building
recently demolished and used until then by A & H Animal
Feeds. Linda Heath (Parish Magazine Aug 2007)
PRESENTATION TO MR PLEASS
On Thursday, June 20th, Mr. Hugh Pleass, who has resigned the
position of organist and choirmaster at the Parish Church, on
being appointed headmaster of Merrow Schools, was the
recipient of a handsome marble clock from the members of the
choir. The presentation was made by Rev. B. C. Taylor, who
referred to the happy relations which had always existed
between the choir and Mr. Pleass. The gift was suitably
acknowledged by Mr. Pleass. The clock bore the following
inscription: "Presented to Mr. Hugh Pleass by the
members of the Letherhead Church Choir on his leaving
Letherhead, as a mark of affection."
The Parish has sustained a great loss by the appointment
of Mr. Hugh Pleass to the Head-Mastership of Merrow School.
Mr. Pleass was appointed Assistant Master of the Letherhead
Boys' School in 1891, and Organist of the Parish Church a few
years after. The record of Mr. Pleass' work, both as
Assistant Master and as Organist, is one of unremitting
fulfilment of duty. The excellence of the reports of H.M.
Inspectors and of the Diocesan Inspectors on his work in
School is evidence of the thoroughness of such work, and the
present efficiency of the Choir tells of his ability and
success as Organist and Choir-Master.
I desire to take this opportunity of expressing my
grateful thanks to Mr. Pleass for his unvarying courtesy, and
his kind attention to any wish expressed by me. We hope that
every happiness and success may attend Mr. and Mrs. Pleass in
their new life at Merrow. F.E.U. [Canon Utterton]
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this page last updated 22 Nov 13
