St Andrew's

Spotlight - "Old Boys and Evensong" The story of Marc Maitland.

My route to St. Andrew’s was a curious one, influenced by two men who also had a profound effect on Trevor Dawson although, at the time, I hardly knew Trevor.

Trevor and I attended Westminster City School (although our time there did not overlap) and we were both taught music by another wonderful Old Boy, Norris Marshall – in Trevor’s case, with far greater success! In parallel, we also had a mutual friend in the Revd. Frank Winderbank, London Organiser for the Church of England Children’s Society. I had met that larger-than-life Yorkshireman in Westminster Abbey where I participated in their Centenary Christingle Service at Christmas 1980. To my surprise, the next time I saw him was in St. Andrew’s that Summer when he attended the then annual concert organised by “Norrie” and Trevor in aid of his charity. (I even ended up playing a piano piece in a subsequent concert at St. Andrew’s – my concert debut and finale!).

But even before that year of coincidences, I owe my musical enthusiasm (“skill” would be putting it too high!) to my most formative years in Peterborough Primary School, singing hymns and enjoying our piano-playing Deputy Head’s own enthusiasm – a Mr. Heath (at the same time we had a piano-playing Prime Minister of the same name) – and my first big choral occasion, a carol service to which he took a few of us, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Sadly, I am writing this on the day Peterborough School closed for the last time, and I feel that an important piece of my past has been snuffed out.

But, back to St. Andrew’s. At Norrie’s suggestion, I started practicing on the St. Andrew’s organ, in the time of Father Johnson who used to open the Church specially for me. At some stage I met Trevor, we both enjoyed the culinary delights of Father Frank (who lived in Mortlake), both helped out Norrie at nearby St. Cuthbert’s, Philbeach Gardens (where he was Organist), and developed a friendship which has lasted almost 30 years.

Bit by bit, I became more involved in St. Andrew’s choral activities – initially at 2 or 3 services for which a special choir was assembled, with support from St. Augustine’s and St. Alban’s, including their respective Vicars, in whose homes rehearsals usually took place. Often, we were joined for those special services by Roger Brice (who still occasionally deputises for Trevor – how many know that Trevor taught his wife Lucy in school?) and other friends from Cheam. With the arrival of Father Martin, the musical life of St. Andrew’s has taken on a whole new dimension, and it is a tribute to both Trevor and Martin that my once sacrosanct Sunday morning lie-ins have been supplanted by regular choir duty in St. Andrew’s which, together with Evensong, are now a treasured part of my life.

Choral music has been an important part of my life – Peterborough and Westminster City Schools, St. Margaret’s, Westminster, Queens’ College Cambridge (another coincidence – I was there at the same time as Father Martin was at King’s next door), the Temple Church, the St. Martin’s Singers, and now St. Andrew’s – the end of a musical journey where I really do feel at home!


I cannot end, though, without paying tribute to Norrie Marshall and Father Frank who, although sadly no longer with us, are I am sure still listening to music at St. Andrew’s with justifiable pride.

Marc is not only a member of St Andrew's choir but is also the PCC Secretary.