It's been a while since I posted here, real life is once again getting in the way of virtual life.
Every so often I check the Feedjit widget installed on the right hand side of the page to have a glance at where the readers of this Blog are located and what led them here to start with, and recently I've had a fair number of hits from people searching for Glasgow Cathedral Choir.
I can categorically state that although I have indeed sung once or twice in that building I have no connection with what is called Glasgow Cathedral, or its choir. That's not The Cathedral to which the name of this Blog alludes. It's relatively easy to work out which is the correct Cathedral if you're so inclined, but I won't bother naming it.
Now there's a good reason why people have recently been searching for that phrase because the UK media has recently carried various stories about how the new choirmaster of that particular place, Iain Simcock (former Westminster Cathedral organist) has been removed from his post after various allegations including, but not limited to, bullying, swearing and sexual activity in public on a grave outside the cathedral (no, really). I'm not going to relate anything about it all, feel free to search Google for it yourself if you want to, other than to say it strikes me as a complete load of bollocks blown up out of any proportion by a ravenous media who know a good story when they see one. I happen to know, or have known in the past, or know of, some of the people named and/or quoted in this story in various places (he said, deliberately vaguely), and let's just say it doesn't altogether surprise me. I'm also not going to get into commenting on the reported description of the choir allegedly by said former choirmaster as sounding "like something dragged up from the Clyde".
As an aside, although originally a proper pre-reformation cathedral when it was built Glasgow Cathedral, next to the Royal Infirmary, is now a tourist attraction owned by
Historic Scotland and the only worship there is by a Church of Scotland
congregation which is Presbyterian - they don't have bishops. If you care to look up the definition of a Cathedral you'll see something like "a Christian Church which contains the seat of a bishop". Glasgow Cathedral is sometimes referred to as The High Kirk of Glasgow, or just plain old St Mungo's (St Mungo being the patron saint of Glasgow, to whom that church is dedicated).
On a related topic, the city of Glasgow actually contains four cathedrals: St Mungo's, St Andrew's Roman Catholic, St Mary's Scottish Episopalian, and St Luke's Greek Orthodox.
Update: in September 2012 both Iain Simcock and his girlfriend were, unsurprisingly, completely cleared in relation to the claims that they engaged in sex in the graveyard.
That's the way to get an audience; have a grabbing headline!
ReplyDeleteShagging on a grave outside a cathedral - one of my 100 things to do before I die.
I, ofcourse, immediately turned to the Daily Mail which had the most extensive coverage of the story. I also looked up his CV, quite impressive.
The trouble is he's spent far too long in France - they do things differently there being Catholic. Such behaviour would have occasioned nothing more than a "Mais oui". In hell fire and damnation Calvinist Scotland a kiss on the cheek in a holy place is sacriledge.
Yes, of course it's ludicrous to suggest he was shagging, I seem to remember it was described as not much more than a kiss & cuddle. As you say, that's Calvanists for you! Probably one for my list too.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed that I'm the only one to comment. But you must have had loads of views.
ReplyDelete101 page views as of a few moments ago. I don't get many comments on my blog, so I don't notice it as being odd that there are few on a particular post. Maybe people are staying well clear of this, those who are my real life friends who read this will know some of those involved!
ReplyDelete