Book devoted to Cathedral's Music-Making

Brian Dooks Yorkshire Post Monday 30 June 2008

A book charting the long and distinguished tradition of music making at Ripon Cathedral will help to finance its future.

Music at Ripon Cathedral, which traces its origins in the foundation of a monastery in 657AD through to the present day has been written by two former lay clerks in the Choir - Malcolm Beer and Howard Crawshaw.

The book grew out of an idea to stage an exhibition on The History of Music at Ripon Cathedral to coincide with the National Festival of the Federation of Cathedral Old Choristers’' Association in the city next month.

Mr Beer who was a chartered loss adjuster in Bradford and Leeds up to his retirement in 2000 said "So much information was forthcoming that it soon became clear an exhibition was not enough and a book on the music at Ripon Cathedral over its 1300 year history was called for."

He enlisted the help of his friend Howard Crawshaw, a former lay clerk and chapter clerk at the Cathedral, who was consultant surgeon to the Edinburgh Hospitals.

The project, which ended when the book was launched by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Reverend Keith Jukes at the weekend, has dominated their lives for more than two years.

Mr Crawshaw spent many hours in the Brotherton Library, Leeds where Ripon Cathedral archives from the 13th century to the mid 1980's are stored.  He said "It was enormous fun and enlightening and I feel a great sense of achievement now the book has been published."

The cost of publishing the book has been covered by the generosity of sponsors, patrons, and subscribers so all the income from its sales will go towards the Cathedral Music Foundation.  Music at the cathedral including choir school scholarships costs £130,000 a year.

You can buy a copy of the book at the Cathedral Gift Shop telephone 01765 601347