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Tamar Organ Club welcomes Jonathan Mann as new Honorary President
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It is several months since our first president Dudley Savage MBE passed away, and a very fitting memorial service was held for him and his dear wife Doreen at St Andrew's Church on 7th February. Tamar Organ Club members were honoured to act as stewards for the occasion.
Having said our fond farewells to Dudley, we feel that our very own Tamar Valley organist Jonathan Mann was the natural choice to follow in Dudley's footsteps as our new president, and we are most grateful and delighted that he has accepted the invitation.
Jonathan studied the organ in Launceston with the late Royland Jordan, with whom he gained his ARCM and entry to the Royal College of Music. Whilst there, he studied choral training under Sir David Willcocks, and the organ with John Birch (Chichester Cathedral), being awarded the Parratt and Haigh prizes for organ playing in his third year. This led to a further year of study, after graduating, specialising in organ playing (with John Birch) and theory and composition with Dr William Lloyd Webber who, along with classical organ, wrote and arranged music especially for theatre organ.
Returning to Cornwall, Jonathan resumed studies with Royland Jordan, and was for many years Organist and Choirmaster of St Mary Magdalene's Parish Church, Launceston. He has broadcast on both radio and television. He directs the Launceston Choral Society, and is Assistant Music Director of the Launceston Male Voice Choir, as well as being Chairman of the Royal School of Church Music, Cornwall Area, and Diocesan Organ Advisor.
Having spent some twenty-five years teaching music in a large comprehensive school, he now works full time for the Launceston Steam Railway. In his spare time, he drives steam locomotives on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales, designs railway publicity materials, and enjoys playing the Cinema Organ!
Jonathan was a good friend of Dudley Savage and visited him regularly in his retirement home in Liskeard right to the very the end. He was able to keep Dudley updated about what was happening with the Dingles Compton, and Dudley was very impressed with the photo of the restored Dingles console in the recent "Old Glory" magazine article about Dudley. Jonathan is also able to play Dudley's organ arrangements and it is no surprise that he is a good proponent of Dudley's organ playing style.
There's no better memorial we can give to Dudley here in the Tamar Valley, than to carry on his legacy, so it is very fitting that Jonathan has taken up the baton (as it were) and will help us in promoting the theatre organ tradition in the South West.
