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George Dorrington Cunningham, FRAM, FRCO Organist and Director of Music Sept 1920 - July 1924 This is the first in a series of articles about the men (and
they are all men!) who have held the post of Organist and Director of
Music at St. Alban’s, Holborn. I
had it in mind for a number of years to dig into the archives to discover what I
could about St. Alban’s musical history and heritage and I finally started in
May 2001. The task seemed daunting and I didn’t know where to begin.
(Beginning at the beginning is not as easy as you might think, because
there were no parish magazines for the first twenty years or so.)
I started in 1920 with G.D. Cunningham, and it seemed that G.D. (as he
was affectionately known) was smiling on me and assisting me in my search.
Within a week or two, whilst looking through a pile of old music in a
charity shop, I found the programme for the centenary service of thanksgiving of
the Royal Academy of Music, held at St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 17th
1922. There was G.D.’s name at
the top of the first page - he was one of the six musicians who played for an
hour before the service began. On August Bank Holiday weekend I
sang Evensong at St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, and spent the night at the house of
a friend of one of the choir. On
glancing through his CD collection I found a disc on which G.D. was playing -
until that moment I had no idea that any of his recordings were still available.
So I contacted the recording company to order the disc and found that
there were several others available. And
why was I so interested in G.D. Cunningham? I was asked.
I explained, and was told by the Director of the record company that he
could put me in touch with G.D.’s great-nephew.
Andy Martin, G.D.’s great-nephew, and I have since exchanged a number
of e-mails. He has provided me with
both information and photos. G.D. Cunningham was born in
London on October 2 1878, and gained his FRCO at the age of 18.
At 22, in 1901, he successfully competed for the post of organist at the
Alexandra Palace, which post he held till the outbreak of war in 1914. There he
gave 13 recitals a week on the famous Father Willis organ, two every weekday and
one on Sundays, his audiences numbering five or six thousand.
In all he gave over one thousand recitals at Alexandra Palace. A professor and examiner at the
Royal Academy of Music, he took up the post of Organist of St. Alban’s Holborn
on Sunday 12 September 1920, having previously been organist at Holy Trinity,
Stroud Green. Our Vicar, Fr. Ross,
wrote ‘In his hands we shall do all that we can desire.
His reputation as a brilliant performer on the organ is so widely known
that no words of mine are needed to introduce him to the congregation of St.
Alban’s. The best welcome we could give Mr. Cunningham would be to have the
organ cleaned and repaired. It certainly ought to be done at once.
I know that. But who is to
pay the £650 for it?’ The quotes
that follow are all of Fr. Ross. January 1921: ‘As Organist and
Choirmaster, Mr. Cunningham’s regime has been heartily welcomed, and under his
skilful and extremely able care all is well with us musically, and more than
reminiscent already of our former fame. Our
choir members are delighted, and are giving us excellent service which is much
appreciated.’ The Parish Magazine for Easter
1921 records: ‘After a lapse of many years, the friends of St Alban’s were
delighted to hear once again a good orchestral accompaniment to the Mass on
Easter Sunday, and many have said that the best of the old days had more than
revived. Under the successful
conductorship of Mr. Cunningham, Beethoven’s Mass in C was really wonderfully
and most artistically rendered. The
blending of the renovated organ with violin, ‘cello, double-bass, piccolo,
flageolet, cornet, and the roll of the stirring drums, was perfect, and the
whole service suggested adoration and glory to our Risen Lord and the triumph of
His Resurrection. All art is
praise, and real art, music included, appeals, not to the senses, but through
them to something higher and grander, and this was the case in St. Alban’s as
the result of the great efforts of Mr. Cunningham and the members of the
choir.’ April 1921: ‘The daily Masses
have seen many more of the faithful during Lent, and the church has been much
used by many during the day for private prayer and devotion in the presence of
the Holy Sacrament. I know how
badly the inevitable cleaning and repairing of the organ has disturbed our
quiet, but it is finished now, and I can only hope that it won’t happen again
for many years. To pray and be
devout through organ tuning, and in all that dust and disturbance, has been an
experience we do not desire to repeat. But
it couldn’t be helped, and you rose to the occasion right well.
It’s an ill wind that blows, &c, &c. - you know.
Well, the ill wind of the organ’s needs blew me the musical treat of
hearing Mr. Cunningham on the piano, and I was more than recompensed for losing
him on the organ. And the choir
sang their unaccompanied Byrd and Palestrina excellently well, and Lent hastened
by.’ In May 1921 Mr. Cunningham
appealed in the magazine for women to volunteer for a Ladies Choir.
He wrote ‘We are all keen to improve the singing at the Sung Mass on
Holy Days, and as we have not a choir school like some few luxurious churches,
we must try and form a ladies’ choir for those 11 o’clock masses.
Will any lady who has the time, likewise the voice or the making of a
voice, or its possibilities, please apply at once to Mr. Cunningham?
This certainly is a work which some women can do for the Glory of God in
the praise of His Church. No
special garment will be worn or any distinguishing feature - just the voice and
the singing, no more. In the same issue he also made a
plea for orchestral players: ‘We ought to be able to form a really first-class
Voluntary Orchestra at St. Alban’s. Will
any lady or gentleman with talent and a musical instrument offer services to Mr.
Cunningham?’ June 1921: ‘Having performed
these noble works (the celebrations for St. Alban’s Day) you deserve something
good, and you shall have it. That
very evening at 8.00pm we shall sing the cantata Mater
Christi* with orchestral accompaniment.
All old friends of St. Alban’s and of our late lamented organist Mr. T.
Adams, will, I am sure, appreciate this. ‘On Monday, 27 June, I know
you will all rally round when I tell you that our talented organist, Mr. G.D
Cunningham, has consented to give us an Organ Recital.
I think you will hear our noble, renovated, cleaned (but not yet
altogether paid for) organ at its very best, certainly under a master’s hand.
The offerings on that occasion will be for the Choir Fund, which now
deserves, as you know so well, our heartiest support.’ ‘And I may tell you that we are hoping to hear some selections from suitable oratorios sung in the church on the Sundays in Advent, especially if we obtain our solo boy. St. Alban’s should ere long be back in the very first ranks for its music and singing. This demands and should receive much support from all members of the congregation and friends interested in our welfare.’ On Easter Day, 1922, Dvorak’s Mass in D was performed at
St. Alban’s for the first time
although, it appears, without an orchestra. On July 17th 1922 the Royal Academy of Music
celebrated its centenary with a service of thanksgiving in St. Paul’s
Cathedral. For an hour before the
service the congregation was entertained by six leading musicians of the day,
headed up by G.D. Cunningham, who played the Introductory March by
Paul Corder December 1922: ‘With much delight his many friends
received the news that his merits had elicited a most distinguished and much
coveted honour, viz., that he had been numbered among the Fellows of the Royal
Academy of Music. We heartily
congratulate Mr. Cunningham, and indeed we all at St. Alban’s feel honoured in
and with our talented and beloved organist, F.R.A.M.
In our opinion it is an honour well merited and wisely conferred.’ March 18th 1923: Palestrina’s
Missa Papae Marcelli was performed for the first time at St.
Alban’s. September 1923: ‘I
end with a somewhat belated though not less cordial and appreciative word of
thanks to Mr. Cunningham for playing those selections of music before the Monday
evening services in August. They
were a help and a musical refection to many.’ Mr. Cunningham left St.
Alban’s in July 1924 to take up the post of Organist, Birmingham City.
A presentation took place in Holborn Hall, and formed part of the social
festivities surrounding Patronal Festival:
‘Our social gatherings in Holborn Hall were a brilliant success, and
everybody enjoyed them thoroughly. We
couldn’t do more than crowd the Hall to its utmost capacity, and this we did
on a sultry afternoon and evening, and were happy throughout.
At the evening gathering the Vicar took the opportunity of presenting to
Mr. Cunningham a cheque for £56 as a little token of the esteem and love of the
people of St. Alban’s to our beloved Organist and Choirmaster, who alas! has
to leave us for Birmingham. It is
useless writing more about our regret, ‘tis too deep for words, and perhaps
that best describes our feelings. But
we would echo the words which concluded the short note the Vicar addressed to
Mr. Cunningham - “God bless and prosper him.”
Mr. Cunningham, in acceptance, spoke of his happy times while organist,
and then, by request, to the joy of all, sat down and played.’ On June 26th, Mr.
Cunningham sent the following letter to the Vicar: ‘My Dear Vicar, I cannot find words to express
how much I appreciate all the kindness and good-will which I have received from
all at St. Alban’s, culminating in the most generous (too generous) gift of last night.
I can only hope that everyone will believe how deeply grateful I am. ‘Your words about my work at
the church go far beyond my desserts, for I have only done my best, and it has
been the greatest joy of my life to serve St. Alban’s. To you, my dear Father, I give my most loving gratitude for
all your unvarying kindness and sympathy. You
have indeed been brother and father and helper in every way, and your constant
and generous appreciation has been the greatest encouragement I could have had
in my work. ‘I count it the highest
privilege of my life to have been organist at our beloved church.
It will always be my most cherished memory, and I shall never forget St.
Alban’s in my prayers. ‘I need hardly say that if I
can ever do anything for St. Alban’s it will be a very great happiness to me. ‘With affectionate gratitude
to you all, Believe me, my dear Father, Yours ever, G.D. CUNNINGHAM’ ‘On Friday evening, July 25th,
the senior member of our choir, Mr. Peterkin, made a present to Mr. Cunningham
in the name of all the members, and said: “It is with great pleasure that I
have to ask you to accept this small offering from the members of the choir of
St. Alban’s as a mark of the esteem, and indeed affection, in which you are
held by them. It will, we trust, be
a souvenir of the years you have spent at St. Alban’s Church, and I should
just like to say how very grateful we all are to you for the great trouble you
have always taken, and the infinite patience you have invariably shown while
coaching us up in the music of the Mass. It
must have been at times most trying to you, and for this you have our sympathy.
I certainly consider we are under a great obligation to you. ‘It seems to me we have been a
very happy little family, and I cannot express to you how deeply sorry we all
are that the necessity should have arisen for you to leave us. ‘It was, I think, rather a
happy thought deciding upon the form this presentation should take, as while
this little box is in your possession, it will hardly be possible for you to
forget entirely St. Alban’s choir - anyhow, so long as you are able to smoke,
which we all trust may be for many a long day. ‘In the name of the choir,
therefore, I would wish you every success in your new undertaking, and trust you
may be happy in the work to which you have been called.’
Inscription on the silver cigarette box: Presented
to G.D. Cunningham, F.R.A.M., F.R.C.O., as a token of esteem and affection from
the Choir of St. Alban’s, Holborn, July 1924. G.D. Cunningham returned to S.
Alban’s for many years, usually at Patronal Festival time, to give the
Festival organ recital. Shortly after taking up the post
of organist to the City of Birmingham, he was appointed organist to the
University of Birmingham, where he gave six recitals a year on the four manual
Norman & Beard organ. These
were typically attended by over a thousand people. 1927: Appointed conductor of the Birmingham City Choir. 1929: Extensive tour of America and Canada, lasting about three
months. 7 December 1929: G.D. Cunningham
gave the opening recital on the restored Alexandra Palace organ. 1931: Awarded the honorary degree of Master of Arts by Birmingham
University. G.D. Cunningham was considered
to be one of the three finest British organists of his generation, the other two
being George Thalben-Ball and Walter Alcock.
In 1933 these three organists inaugurated the BBC concert organ by
Compton. Thalben-Ball was a pupil
of G. D. Cunningham, as was Arnold Richardson, S. Alban’s Director of Music
from 1936 - 1941. G. D. Cunningham
is said to have played ‘in almost every concert hall of any importance in the
British Isles and America’. He
was frequently chosen to give recitals in connection with the opening or
re-opening of important instruments., notably Liverpool Cathedral, York
Minister, Peterborough Cathedral, Alexandra Palace and Broadcasting House. He converted to Roman Catholicism in later life, and died on 14 August 1948, aged 70. Prayers were said at St. Alban’s for the repose of his soul. His obituary in The Musical Times says he was recognised as one of the finest organists in the world. The Archdeacon of Aston wrote of him in the Birmingham Post: ‘It is impossible in a few words to do justice to so noble a character. Humility was perhaps his greatest virtue…He was a man of deep religious conviction from which there sprang a profound sense of awe which coloured his whole life. A tablet is to be erected as a memorial to Dr. Cunningham in the Birmingham Town Hall and a prize fund has been established for the encouragement of young musicians.’ Mr. Archibald Farmer wrote:
‘Cunningham loved the services much, but choir-training less.
He was above all an organist. He
was the first Englishman for many years to gain an international reputation at
all comparable with that of the great continental players. A few of his recordings, made
from the late 1920’s to the mid 1940’s, are available on CD from Amphion Recordings, Norton Lodge, 107 Beverley
Road, Norton on Derwent, Malton, Yorks, YO17 9PH, tel 01653-698372. *The words of Mater Christi were written by Fr. A.H. Stanton, Assistant Priest at St. Alban’s from 1862 till his death in 1913. The music was composed by Thomas Adams, F.R.C.O., St. Alban’s Organist & Choirmaster from 1888 till his death in 1918.
Mass settings performed at St. Alban’s under Mr. Cunningham:
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Copyright © 2009
S. Alban the Martyr, Holborn
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