We are pleased to share that Ian Wicks has joined the Cathedral team this week as Interim Director of Music.
The Revd Canon Pete Gunstone writes: “Ian has a remarkable depth and breadth of professional expertise as a cathedral musician, a teacher and as a school leader. Ian will commence his duties on 1 September in time for the beginning of term. I am grateful to Ian and to his wife Elizabeth for being willing to move to Carlisle to assist us whilst we recruit a permanent Director of Music. An advertisement will be appearing shortly, with interviews and auditions taking place during November.”
Ian writes: “I am delighted to have been invited to join the team at Carlisle Cathedral as Interim Director of Music. I am very much looking forward to getting to know everyone and working closely with the Choristers, Lay Clerks, Consort, Cantate, Ed Taylor, Canon Pete Gunstone and the whole community of Carlisle Cathedral as we all make music to the glory of God in this beautiful place.”
Biography:
Ian has a lifelong association with choral singing and choristers having worked at Salisbury Cathedral School as Director of Music and Acting Assistant Organist at Salisbury Cathedral and earlier at Exeter Cathedral School as Acting Director of Music. In addition, he was Headmaster of The Chorister School, Durham Cathedral and therefore brings a wealth of experience of cathedral music. As a choir trainer he founded the Salisbury Cathedral Junior and Youth choirs and was the conductor of The Romsey Singers, the St John Singers of Salisbury and assistant conductor of Salisbury Musical Society, where he conducted major works with orchestra. Most recently he has been Head of Keyboard at Rugby School, a role that included helping to found The Rugby Choristers at Bilton Grange; a new choral foundation of two choirs of boy and girl choristers who between them sing six services a week; he was their organist and conducted rehearsals and services with the choristers.
Ian is also a singer and sang as a Lay Clerk at St Alban’s Abbey with Dr Barry Rose and Andrew Lucas and before this was a Choral Scholar at Exeter Cathedral and Organ Scholar at Exeter University Chapel. Ian and his wife, Elizabeth have been chorister parents of both a boy and a girl chorister and understand the commitment choristers and their families make to experience the joys and professional training that they will receive. Their children are both professional singers: Joseph Wicks is a member of The Gesualdo Six and Rosanna Wicks sings regularly with Tenebrae, The Sixteen, The Tallis Scholars, the BBC Singers, Ex Cathedra, and ORA Singers amongst others.
Ian is a published composer with several pieces published by the RSCM including his Swanage Service for their latest Evensong Collection book.
Ian’s philosophy is that music is for everyone and he has been at the forefront of music outreach into primary schools throughout his career, developing programmes that led to the government SingUp! campaign and the programmes that now operate across the country.
📸Al Gurr
