Six months into the pandemic, Eileen and I took the risky decision to retire out of area to the West Midlands. Risky because, for decades my freelance music career had been based in Yorkshire and to relocate in this drastic way at our time of life went against best advice.
But it has worked out on every front beyond our most optimistic expectations.
Walking away from choirs, orchestras, singing pupils, friends, contacts was tough. But it offered the opportunity to re-evaluate myself as a person, to make new friends – many outside the musical scene – and to redevelop old skills, like organ playing.
No sooner had we made the decision to retire and relocate than gongs started coming – a timely coincidence? First in 2020 came honorary fellowships from the Guild of Church Musicians and the Guild of Musicians and Singers, followed by honorary university doctorates and fellowships. Then, on the day of my farewell Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir (YPC) concert in 2023 the award of ‘Medallist of the Order of the British Empire’ was announced in the King’s first birthday honours’ list.
Now, to my surprise, it’s the prestigious honorary award of Fellow of the Royal Schools of Church Music (FRSCM) ‘in recognition of outstanding and dedicated service to Church Music.’ There has never been any question that church music is my first love, so it has been hugely encouraging to receive the following citation:
‘Andrew Padmore has given a dedicated and lifelong contribution to church music to a very high standard. His time with the Church of Ireland at both St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, and St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast was highly regarded both north and south of the border, as was his work for RSCM Ireland. Subsequently he has conducted church music festivals in SE Asia, acted as Director of Music for the Bradford Choristers, conducted RSCM festivals and been an examiner for the RSCM chorister awards.’
In 2023 the award was bestowed on a recipient in America and one in Wales; in 2024 both awards went to Australia. In past years recipients have included the composers, Sir Edward Bairstow, Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gerald Finzi, Herbert Howells and Sir John Rutter. I find myself in exalted company! The award will be officially presented to me in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford during the RSCM Celebration Day in October.
The ‘lifelong contribution’ continues because church music is still my number one passion. Since retiring to Ludlow I have been warmly welcomed into the music making at St Laurence’s Church, playing for services in this huge building of cathedral proportions with its 4-manual Snetzler organ. It has been fun to dust off repertoire acquired in my teens and twenties and to learn new pieces, but my greatest fulfilment still comes from accompanying at services.
Both the vice presidency of the YPC and presidency of the Cumbria Singers have come my way recently, and I’m still happy to take on choral conducting engagements in ecclesiastical and concert hall settings. This has been my main occupation for decades and I am keen to continue to help singers achieve their potential and gain enjoyment from their singing.
Thank you Royal School of Church Music for this honour.