Dear Friends,
As many of you may have heard, significant changes are happening in the organisation of the St Albans Cathedral Choir this year which means that from September 2026, the back row will be entirely “refreshed”.
This also means that quite a few (almost all) of the current back row will sing their last services as permanent St Albans Cathedral lay clerks at Evensong on Sunday 12th July 2026 at 4pm and, as this marks the end of a significant era, we would like to invite ex-choristers and former lay clerks to attend Evensong to support their former colleagues.
We hope that we will see at least some of these singers back in the Cathedral in the years to come as they deputise for the new permanent lay clerks.
An online collection for the departing lay clerks has been most generously set up. If you would like to express your appreciation for the service of the lay clerks by contributing to this collection, you can do so here:
https://app.collectionpot.com/pot/3521686
Many thanks.
Completing their permanent service on 12th July are:
- Neil Baker – Alto since 1990
- Karolina Csathy – Alto since January 2025
- Roger Mullis – Alto since 1994
- Tony Price – Alto since 1999
- William Glendinning – Tenor since 2011
- Chris Head – Bass since 1991
- William Houghton – Bass since 2011
- Owen Hughes – Bass since 2021
With honourable mentions to:
- Geoff McMahon – Bass since 2001 and
- Philip Salmon – Tenor since 2022 (but a legendary Dep for decades)
who ended their time at Easter 2026, and to:
- Alistair Walker – Tenor from 2019 to December 2025
- Simon Colston – Tenor from 2000 to July 2025
and also to:
- Paolo Baroni – Bass since February 2024 and
- David McNally – Bass since February 2024
who have been “perma-deps” and true colleagues.
