Lucian Nethsingha 1936-2021

Source : smcsociety

It is with great sadness that we were informed of the death, on Friday 12th February 2021, of Lucian Nethsingha. Lucian had been in poor health for a while, and latterly had been in a hospice in Cambridge.

Born in Colombo, Ceylon, in 1936, Lucian was educated at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, (STC) Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

We, together with the Thomian family and Lucian’s friends around the world fondly remember, with admiration and thanksgiving, Lucian Nethsingha, the extremely talented, successful Organist and Masterful Trainer of Choristers.  He was a gentle, humble loyal Thomian gentleman, in every sense of the word, and a fellow chorister with many of us in the era of Chaplain and Choirmaster, the Rev’d Roy H. Bowyer Yin. Lucian was also an organist of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Lucian Nethsingha’s mentor was Rev’d Roy Henry Bowyer Yin. In December 1947, the Revd Roy Henry Bowyer Yin (“Father Yin” as he was affectionately known at STC) introduced the annual Christmas Festival service of Nine Lessons and Carols to S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, aspiring to achieve the highest standard of Anglican choral music excellence and tradition in the Chapel of the Transfiguration. Sadly the traditional service was not held in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. The 75th Festival Service of Nine Lessons and Carols was held at STC on Sunday, 5 December 2021. The link to this service is here: 75th Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Father Yin’s service template was the world-renowned, popular Christmas Service of Nine Lessons and Carols sung by the famous King’s College Choir in his beloved Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, U.K. under the direction of Boris Ord, who became a lifelong friend. Father Yin completed his tertiary education at King’s College, Cambridge, reading mathematics and history, before he was ordained a deacon in 1933 and appointed Chaplain in 1934 by his highly respected friend and mentor, Dean Dr Eric Milner-White. Father Yin was Chaplain at Kings College, Cambridge until 1937 when he left to become Chaplain at Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex, U.K., where he served until 1946, before he arrived in Colombo, Ceylon on 26 December, 1946 to take up his new appointment as acting Chaplain of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia.

Father Yin discovered Lucian’s exceptional musical talent and pleaded with his good friend, (The late) Mrs Irene van der Wall – a lovely lady in every sense of the word, also a very fine Sri Lankan musician, excellent concert pianist and piano teacher –  to take Lucian as a pupil to teach him to play the piano. Despite having a full book of students at the time, she agreed to take this young man as a piano pupil, purely on Roy Yin’s enthusiastic and high recommendation.

***

Lucian was, indeed, a very talented and naturally gifted musician who learnt to play the organ in the Chapel from Father Yin, who held him in high regard. He is listed in the College records as one of the College organists. When Lucian’s mother died, Father Yin’s high regard for him and respect for his family was apparent when he arranged for the entire College Choir and servers to go to Lucian’s parents’ family home in Dehiwela (the neighbouring suburb to Mount Lavinia) and walk, singing in procession following the hearse in the funeral cortege all the way along the Galle Road to the Mount Lavinia cemetery.

The photo below is of the 1951-1952 School Choir of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where Lucian’s great journey in Church Choral and Organ music began. The young Lucian is seated at extreme left in the middle row.

Lucian received his first opportunity to direct the STC Choir when Rev’d Roy Yin went on leave, as described in Chaplain Rev’d Roy H. Bowyer Yin’s STC – Term 1 Chapel Notes Pages 2 & 3 – published in the College Magazine in September 1955, in which he stated,

“On returning after five months’ leave, the Chaplain found himself deprived of the gratification of being able to say that the Choir had deteriorated in his absence. On the contrary, it had noticeably improved, thanks to the excellent work of Lucian Nethsinghe (sic) who, although he officially left college at the end of the First Term, continued to play for all services and to conduct Choir practices up to the time of his departure for England at the end of June. L.A. Nethsinghe (sic) must be both one of the most loyal and most talented organists that the College ever had, and we wish him every success in the further studies of music for which he has gone to England.”

In 1955, at Father Yin’s recommendation to Lucian and his parents, Lucian went to the Royal College of Music in London, UK, and studied with Ralph Downes and Herbert Howells.

He then was awarded an Organ Scholarship and studied music at King’s College, Cambridge, with Boris Ord and David Willcocks.

Lucian was then appointed to the plumb UK post of Organist and Master of the Choristers at St. Michael’s College (SMC), Tenbury, Worcestershire, UK in 1959, succeeding Kenneth Beard, a post he held until 1973, when he moved to Exeter Cathedral where he was Organist and Master of the Choristers for over 25 years until his retirement. His successor at St Michael’s, Roger Judd, described his distinguished predecessor as “a lovely, gentle man, and a very fine organist and choir trainer. May he rest in peace.”

Lucian at the 2006 Centenary Reunion at St Michael’s College, Tenbury, UK

One of Lucian’s lasting legacies was to ensure that the high standard of the Choir and Organ of St Michael’s reached a wide audience. During his time at SMC, a good number of broadcasts were made, along with recordings for LPs such as ‘Sing Joyfully’, issued in January 1965. (Argo ZRG 5423, LP), as per details below.

The outstanding review of this excellent recording in the January 1965 edition of ‘The Gramophone’ which summed up by saying ‘in short a winner.’ A description of which Lucian was very proud. It can be viewed in full on this link:

https://view.publitas.com/archive-of-…​

From the very early days of broadcasting, St Michael’s College, with its superb choir directed by Lucian Nethsingha, and it’s beautiful ‘Father’ Willis organ, provided the high standard required by broadcasters and recording companies, and in doing so brought the College and its choir to the awareness of a wider audience. The principal events were broadcasts of Choral Evensongs, and Choral and Organ Recitals. Additionally there are Talks from and about the College.

During Lucian’s time at the Cathedral the choir developed an international reputation and made its first foreign tours.

He inspired and nurtured generations of choristers and choral scholars, and took the daily worship of Exeter Cathedral to new heights of musicianship.

Lucian made many broadcasts and recordings with the Choir of Exeter Cathedral including the following:

A still photo from the British Pathe Film clip – Christmas 1963 at SMC. A Young Lucian Nethsingha conducts the choir

Father Yin was absolutely correct, and has proved to be an astute, excellent judge of musical talent and ability, as history now records, today, in his accurate early judgement of Lucian!

I am pleased to share with you a few tributes, copied below, as received from two of my friends, Gordon Hawley and Basil Rebera, in prompt response to the news of Lucian Nethsingha’s death, on 12^th February 2021.

“Dear Roger

Very sad news indeed, but I feel so privileged to have met Lucian on our visit to Sri Lanka, where he very kindly autographed my copy of the recording he made when Director of Music at St Michael’s College, Tenbury. 

This record remains one of my absolute favourite albums of fine English Church Music.

Vale Lucian Nethsingha

Gordon”

Lucian Nethsingha autographs the cover of the ‘Sing Joyfully’ recording for Gordon Hawley at Mount Lavinia Hotel, Sri Lanka, in March 2016

“Dear Roger,

Thank you for passing on the sad news of Lucian’s passing.    I do recall our past association fondly.    Lucian was a classmate, a fellow member of the choir and then organist.    Our families were also members of Christ Church, Dehiwela.    The Nethsinghas lived in Station Road, Dehiwela.    Lucien’s sister Clodah later became the organist at Christ Church.

Kind regards

Basil”

(The late Basil Rebera)

Most certainly Lucian has made a significant contribution to church music, in the UK, and throughout the world, through his dedication, and sheer hard work in harnessing and using his extraordinary gift of natural talent to the fullest, and we as Thomians can be very proud of him, as no doubt his family and close friends are too.

It was a great delight for me to meet Lucian again at STC in Sri Lanka at the Service of Music, Prayers and Readings from Passiontide to Easter on 6^th March 2016 held in the Chapel of the Transfiguration (which visit my friend Gordon referred to). I had arranged the Order of Service and then was delighted and honoured with the privilege of directing the College Choir in leading the singing, in commemoration of our highly respected friend and mentor, dear old Revd. Roy H.B. Yin. Lucian flew out from the UK especially to attend this service, which he enjoyed, and it was wonderful to have him in the congregation.

Roger Aldons, Sneha & Eddie Appathurai and Lucian Nethsingha in the College Hall after the Service of Music, Prayers and Readings for Passiontide to Easter, Commemorating the Late Rev’d Roy H. B. Yin, on 6th Match, 2016.

Most certainly Lucian has made a hugely significant contribution to church music, in the UK, through his dedication, sheer hard work in harnessing and using his extraordinary gift of natural talent to the fullest, and we as Thomians can be very proud of him, as no doubt his family and close friends are too.

“For mine eyes have seen thy salvation”.

May Lucian Rest in Peace; May Light Perpetual shine upon him; and may he Rise Again in Glory!

Esto Perpetua – Pro Deo et Ecclesia (Be Thou forever for God and His Church)

Roger Aldons

Yin era STC Chorister (1955 to 1962)

Exeter Cathedral Choir*, Lucian Nethsingha – Evensong At Exeter Cathedral ‎(LP)

ACA 544

Exeter Cathedral Choir*, Lucian Nethsingha – Evensong At Exeter Cathedral

Label:

Alpha (6) – ACA 544

Series:

Alpha Collection

Format:

Vinyl, LP, Stereo

Country:

UK

Released:

1985

Genre:

Classical

Style:

Choral

Tracklist

LUCIAN NETHSINGHA Lucian came to St Michael’s as Organist and Choirmaster straight from King’s College, Cambridge where he had worked for his degree in music. In the chapel at King’s the music was directed by the legendary Boris Ord, whose work had a significant influence on Lucian. Watkins Shaw, in his tribute to Lucian when he left St Michael’s to be Organist and Master of the Choristers at Exeter Cathedral, wrote that he quickly won the loyalty of the choir, and praised the quality of his organ playing. As the writer of his obituary in the Church Times put it – he enhanced an already fine reputation. As a student myself at Cambridge, I heard Lucian return to play recitals at King’s, and listened to broadcasts of Evensong on the radio from St Michael’s. He regularly broadcast organ recitals from the College – perhaps it is largely forgotten that he was an extremely fine organist. Later still, a friend introduced me to the excellent LP that Lucian and his choir recorded for the ARGO label … Sing Joyfully. In due course I applied for the post at St Michael’s and met Lucian for the first time. He could not have been more supportive of me in my first position in charge. The phone line between St Michael’s and Exeter was busy in my early days as he patiently answered my questions about this and that aspect of the choir’s life and work. I was extraordinarily fortunate to take over a choir that was so well run and trained. This situation, of course, can be a daunting one … maintaining that level of excellence is a challenge as, if not sustained, the downward slope is all too obvious. Lucian went on to do similarly great work at Exeter, but that’s a story for another day. Here, at St Michael’s, his name will be treasured by countless boys who worked with him and the lay clerks who sang in his choir. St Michael’s was blessed to have had a share in this lovely man’s talents, and we are all the better for knowing him.

Roger Judd (Master of the Music, 1973-85) (ECOCA)

Recordings and Broadcasts by Exeter over the years.

Sing joyfully”: St Michael’s Tenbury 1965 (Lucian Nethsingha)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwkdcCDo3_I

Archive of Recorded Church Music

Commercial LP recorded in March 1964 and released on the Argo label (RG 423) in January 1965. With the choir of St Michael’s College Tenbury, directed by Lucian Nethsingha, who also plays the organ. The solo treble is Peter Brill.

1. If ye love me (Thomas Tallis)
2. Magnificat (Thomas Morley)
3. Laudate nomen Domini (Christopher Tye)
4. Sacerdotes Domini (William Byrd)
5. Rejoice in the Lord Alway (once attr John Redford)
6. Nunc dimittis (Orlando Gibbons)
7. Agnus Dei (Thomas Morley)
8. Sing joyfully (William Byrd) 9. From the rising of the sun (Frederick Gore Ouseley)
9. Evening Service in E (Herbert Murrill)
10. Beati quorum via (Charles Stanford)
11. My soul, there is a country (C Hubert H Parry)
12. O taste and see (Ralph Vaughan Williams)
13. Antiphon (Benjamin Britten)

The outstanding review in the January 1965 edition of ‘The Gramophone’ which summed up by saying ‘in short a winner.’ A description of which Lucian was very proud.

Comments:

I have had a copy of this record from the beginning, the day it came out actually, but to see it has made its place in the definitive Choral Archive truly gladdens my heart and has released a ton of memories as I listen 2021 style, on my I-Pad years and miles distant. This is the St. Michael’s College Tenbury Wells Choir in early 1964…then at an all-time zenith.

Connected to Kings and its traditions, especially holding every year at the end of Michaelmas term a Festival of 9 Lessons and Carols following the Kings tradition.

To see again Peter Woolnough , dear Ena’ Sharp, Potty Houghton (later a great Head Chorister on Decani), and to hear again Peter Brill, Michael Brill, and hear Mr Brown’s rich Cantoris Alto, Denis Parry’s decani tenor, dear Bursar, Mr Cole decani bass, along with John Gray as bass , wonderful Cantoris bass Michael Oldroyd. And Mr Demaus on decani one of the only falsetto alto I have encountered.

It was an ‘Oxford Movement’ powerhouse for Anglican choral music …. Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley made a nurturing environment for Arthur Sullivan, Stainer, and its Fellows were many of the foremost canticle writers of the day. We would sing beautiful cathedral music to an empty church at matins, and evensong to the 50 or so boys who joined the school as boarders for academic work rather than the choristers. Full sung matins and evensong 12 services. But Sunday was special. Full sung Eucharist and mags Evensong.

Me … well I was there for nearly five years. But in late winter 64 I was at the back behind the choir with Simon Wyatt, Barry Rowe, Simon Webb and Kenneth Dagg all of us probationers who had joined the choir that academic year and so Lucian did not allow us to sing in this prestigious Argo recording but all of these we sang as trebles and choristers in the years ahead. I’m thinking of writing more about the recording, but the second side moved to Murrill and Vaughan Williams, and the Britten antiphon which is a romp and then becomes one of the most beautiful ending between the men and the treble soloists who were separated in distance to make the closing effect truly ethereal. One…..two…One……. Thank you for putting this up.

My apologies to dear Stephen Dagg (now with the Tallis Singers) for mistaking his first name.

NOTES:

1. Frederick Ouseley: https://prabook.com/web/frederick.ouseley/2448514

2. Frederick Ouseley March Composed 1833 at Age 6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOMISNa8aK4

Frederick Ouseley is a British composer who wrote music beginning at age 3. This March was written on December 22, 1832 when Frederick was 6 years old. It is performed here by Mariana Joyce at age 11.

BBC Choral Evensong: Exeter Cathedral 1979 (Lucian Nethsingha)

Archive of Recorded Church Music

Live BBC radio broadcast from Exeter Cathedral, 3 October 1979.

Choir of Exeter Cathedral, directed by Lucian Nethsingha. Organist: Paul Morgan.

Responses: Thomas Morley Psalm 18 (Goss, Hanforth, Cooper)

 Canticles: Blair in B minor

Anthem: Give us the wings of faith (Ernest Bullock)

BBC Choral Evensong: Exeter Cathedral 1990 (Lucian Nethsingha)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSZJRBF0Eds

Archive of Recorded Church Music

Live radio broadcast from Exeter Cathedral, 11 July 1990, with the cathedral choir, directed by Lucian Nethsingha and accompanied by Paul Morgan (Assistant Organist). This recording was edited before being donated to the Archive.

Introit: Lord, for thy tender mercy’s sake (Anon)

Responses: Humphrey Clucas

Psalms: 59, 60, 61 (Barnby, Parratt, Kelway, Stewart, Lloyd)

Canticles: Westminster Service (Herbert Howells)

Anthem: Cantique de Jean Racine (Gabriel Fauré)

Hymn: Father, Lord of All Creation (“Abbot’s Leigh”)

BBC Choral Evensong: Exeter Cathedral 1992 (Lucian Nethsingha)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2vyboe8JjQ

Archive of Recorded Church Music

Live BBC radio broadcast from Exeter Cathedral, 19 February 1992, with the cathedral choir, directed by Lucian Nethsingha, and Paul Morgan (assistant organist). Image credit: By Diliff:

Responses: William Smith

Psalms: 98-101 (Monk, Mann, Battishill, Attwood)

Lessons (RSV): Genesis 3; II Corinthians 2, vv 5-17

Canticles: Westminster Service (Herbert Howells)

Anthem: If the Lord had not helped me (Edward Bairstow)

Hymn: Love divine, all loves excelling (“Blaenwern”)

Organ voluntary: Allegro moderato e serioso, Sonata No 1, Op 65 (Felix Mendelssohn)

Comments:

• Lucian was a real master of singing in speech rhythm. Exeter’s recordings are a joy to listen to, especially the Psalms. So many choirs let themselves down by dull, laboured psalm singing – including some of our alleged “Premier League” establishments.
• Really excellent and crisp rendition of the Smith responses!
• Absolutely glorious!!!

REMEMBERING LUCIAN A. NETHSINGHA (1936 – 2021)

Posted on 21st Feb, 2021

(This tribute was written by Mr Yohesan Casie Chetty)

Lucian left Sri Lanka, the land of his birth, to return to his home in Cambridge, England on 12 February 2020, having spent his final annual holiday. By a remarkable co-incidence it was exactly a year later to the very day, that in the wee hours of 12 February 2021 he breathed his last at the Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge, which rendered excellent palliative care to him in the last fortnight of his earthly sojourn. He ‘moved on’ peacefully in his sleep with his daughter Alison beside him.

His remarkable story commenced during the era of the legendary Warden of S.Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, the late Rev. Canon Reginald Steward de Saram, with the Chaplain of the College being Rev. Canon Roy Bowyer-Yin of beloved memory. It was the Chaplain, who was also the Choirmaster, who was struck by young Lucian’s exceptional musicality and talent. It was he who encouraged Lucian to pursue a career in music by hand-picking him and then persuading the student’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Nethsingha of Dehiwela, that their son was gifted with outstanding ability and talent, and that he could realize his potential studying organ at the Royal College of Music, London. His parents were convinced by Canon Roy Bowyer-Yin and at the tender age of 18 whilst still a student at S.Thomas’s College, Lucian left for England in 1954. His celebrated mentor at the Royal College of Music was Herbert Howells, the English composer who in Lucian’s end of year report had presciently noted “he is one of my most musical pupils”. From there he moved on to King’s College, Cambridge, where he read Music and came directly under the influence of Boris Ord whose popular Carol ‘Adam Lay Ybounden’ is regularly sung by the Thomian Choir at its annual Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols.

His first appointment was at a Choir School – St. Michael’s College, Tenbury, where he was the Organist and also trained the school choir for 13 years from 1959 to 1973. Thereafter, from 1973 to 1999 for over a quarter century he served in the twin capacities of Organist and Master of Choristers of Exeter Cathedral in Devon, which is widely regarded as one of the principal organ posts in England.

Over the years Lucian participated regularly in radio broadcasts and in television programmes together with performing several organ recitals in various parts of Britain. There are many commercial recordings of works performed by him and the choirs he has conducted. It was whilst he was at Exeter Cathedral that he had the rare honour of conducting its choir in the presence of the Royal Family including The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Reflecting on his distinguished career in his chosen field of Cathedral Choral Music in the second half of the 20^th Century, it would certainly be impossible to ignore the significance of his contribution considering the irrefutable factor of an Asian having made such an impact in the exclusive, conservative and ‘establishment’ world of Cathedral music. He was a trail blazer and pioneer in this hitherto ‘non- coloured’ world.

Though Lucian can justifiably lay claim to fame and recognition, he never forgot his roots in the country of his birth and his love for S.Thomas’ College where it all began for him in the post-World War II years of the late 1940’s into the early 1950’s. It would be apposite to mention at this juncture, that he visited Sri Lanka to give an organ recital in The College Chapel on its Allen Digital Computer Organ on Thursday 18 February 1993 to commemorate the 75^th Anniversary of his alma mater’s transplant from Mutwal to Mt. Lavinia 1918-1993.

He remained an unassuming, down-to-earth, simple and sincere individual who remained unswervingly devoted to his family, friends, the Anglican Church, S.Thomas’ College etc. He was also an avid follower of cricket.

He looked forward to his brief annual visits to Sri Lanka in the recent past. He chose to reside at The Mount Lavinia Hotel where on each of his visits he would occupy Room 111 overlooking the Indian Ocean and more particularly the Hotel’s picturesque Bay. He found it convenient to meet and host his relations and friends at the Hotel. On each Sunday morning of his stay he would invariably be seen walking briskly and purposefully at around 7.00 am to attend the Service of Holy Communion scheduled for 7.30 am in the Chapel of the Transfiguration of the College.

He loved and cherished the College Chapel with all his heart. It was in July/August 2016 that Lucian with his son Andrew and wife Lucy and their three children Emily, Peter and Helena, together with his daughter Alison visited Sri Lanka following the demise of Lucian’s beloved wife Jane whom he married in England in 1965. Lucian was particularly pleased, when with the kind permission of The Warden Rev. Marc Billimoria, he accompanied his immediate family members whilst visiting the College Chapel and the College campus on Saturday 30^th July.

It could truly be said that Lucian Nethsingha spent himself in the service of God, and his life’s contribution to the cause of choral music he was passionately committed and wedded to would be remembered forever by the many he touched and influenced. The heartfelt tributes keep pouring in with the news of his passing reaching the wider public.

Lucian was a trail blazing Thomian pioneer who truly struck a chord with all those who knew him intimately and who cherished his sincerity, simplicity and humility that he exuded and radiated in ample measure in his social interaction. His life would find ready encapsulation in the touching words of Dr. John Baillie, a former Professor of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh who in ‘A Diary of Private Prayer (1936) articulated:-

“Let my obedience be unto death. In leaning upon his Cross, let me not refuse my own; yet in bearing mine, let me bear it by the strength of His.”

Yohesan Casie Chetty

February 2021

https://www.elanka.com.au/a-tribute-to-lucian-nethsingha-1936-2021-by-roger-f-aldons-stc-chorister-1955-1962/