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What is it that you want to know about me? The only vital statistics you need to know are that my birthday is in August (born in 1962) and that I am of Australian birth but was largely brought up in East Surrey.
I studied at the Royal Northern College of Music as an organist. After 5 years there I continued my studies in Paris, falling in love with France and all things French. When I returned, I sang, played the organ, and served on the church council at St Michael & All Angels, Croydon. During that time I moved to Westminster, living next to Westminster Cathedral, and my friends started to nickname me the Cardinal. In 1994 I moved to Stockwell, and in 1995 I became organist of the very fine 1989 Mander organ at St Matthew's Westminster. My CD of the organ of St Matthew's Westminster was released in October 2002.
Some of you will know me as having many different interests, some of which I can mention here! The main ones are church history structures and hierarchies (Anglican and Roman Catholic), France, organs, music, taking pictures with my digital camera, cooking, wine, riding my bike, flying my kite, computers, and last but not least, cats. I hate the tube, and travel around London on my bike and by bus.
As far as the organ goes, I am particularly interested in tonal design - what makes an organ good for Bach, for symphonic French organ music, and designing the tonal resources of an organ with as much fullness of sound, yet also economy in size - good and easily managed action is also very important.
You may be wondering why this site is named Unda Maris. Well - the Unda Maris is a beautiful, uncommon, gentle, and sometimes persecuted organ stop, originating (with this name) in some 18th-century German organs (Naumburg St Wenzel has a magnificent example included in its 1746 Hildebrandt organ), but made most popular in romantic French organs. It translates from Latin as Wave of the Sea, and is tuned to undulate gently with its parent rank . 19th century French examples were usually found on the Positif (enclosed or unenclosed) and were tuned flat to a Salicional, instead of sharp (as was the Swell or Récit Voix Céleste). The most beautiful Unda Maris stops are those made by Cavaillé-Coll on his 3-manual organs: usually slightly broader toned than, but not as violently undulating as, the Voix Céleste of the Récit (but the Naumburg one is like an Italian Voce Umana: a bold, undulating Principal). Many 19th-century Unda Maris stops were subsequently butchered to make space for stops which have since become more trendy. Fortunately, some of these stops which were ignominiously slung out have recently been reinstated, such as the classic example on Cavaillé-Coll's masterpiece at the magnificent Basilica of St Sernin, Toulouse. Modern British or American Unda Maris stops can also be made of flute or dulciana tone - the heavenly Westminster Cathedral Cor de Nuit Célestes is a very gentle flute Unda Maris (as is also Liverpool Cathedral's Unda Maris) - both are by Henry Willis III.
