Fri Patrick writes…
This September William Uglow starts a new job as a maths teacher at Rugby School. Whilst this is undoubtedly a good career move for William, it is very sad for us at St Mary’s because he will not be able to continue as our organist.
Williams last Sunday with us was 15th July. We said a big our thank you to William for all that he has contributed, we wished him well for Rugby School and we presented him with a bottle Port and a good cheque from a collection in the congregation.
Earlier the choir had presented William with new academic dress, which is worn frequently at Rugby. There was a new academic gown, and hood appropriate for William’s MA Plymouth (see picture). Previously he had been wearing a Warwick BSc gown and hood which the choir had given him when he left as organ scholar in 2009.
William’s time here as Organist and Choirmaster started at Easter 2013. Since then we have enjoyed a wonderful period of high quality organ playing. In 2014 William started the Junior Choir, which has been a most wonderful addition to our worship at St Mary’s. Over the five years many different juniors have been involved with the choir and we currently have nine regularly involved. The juniors normally sing on the first and third Sundays of the month.
We are now in a difficult phase with no regular organist at St Mary’s. Fortunately there is a good group of excellent organists who are happy to play for us on short term basis, including James Bate our former Organ Scholar, now Organ Scholar at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. It is particularly important that we continue to invest in and develop the Junior Choir, and we will be making every effort to do that. We are advertising to find a new organist, but we know that this type of recruiting is not easy. We have been very fortunate to have William for these last six years!
So best wishes to William, as he starts at Rugby, and let’s pray that we can find a new organist for Lapworth.