SPOTLIGHT ON... Hilary Punnett – the new Assistant Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Congratulations on your new appointment! When do you start, and what will your duties involve?

Planning and training begin on August 1st, with musical work starting in September. My main responsibility initially will be training the girl choristers, who will be a separate set of choristers in September, although I will have other musical and administrative work to do alongside this.

Will you have time to continue with your other work, as recitalist, teacher and singer?

I hope so, time permitting. My new role is my priority, but having a variety of work helps me to keep my musical brain active, making me a better and more interesting musician.

Having established such a great musical start in Canada, what prompted your move to England?

I was very lucky to be Assistant Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal from 2009-2011. The cathedral has a strong choral legacy and an excellent mixed choir of professionals and amateurs. Patrick Wadd, the Director of Music, was a huge inspiration and support. I moved to the UK after my master’s degree because I was completely in love with all aspects of cathedral music, and keen to continue building my skills through playing daily services. There is some excellent music-making in churches and cathedrals across Canada, but not many choral institutions offering daily choral worship.

Did you find that musical life in England was as you expected and hoped?

It has been interesting to work in both Canada and the UK. My organ scholarship at Southwell Minster threw me straight into the routine of daily services, and I improved in leaps and bounds in that first year. It was a steep learning curve, as the repertoire was almost always new to me, both because repertoire in Canada was different and because I hadn’t grown up in the UK tradition. That meant I was always learning everything from scratch, which was hard work!

When did you set your heart on becoming a cathedral organist – and why?

I don’t know that I ever thought about it in those terms – I just followed my curiosity, desire to learn, desire to be involved, excitement for making music, and my love for these amazing buildings and the wonderful tradition of daily services. In that way, I suppose my career strategy could be thought of more in terms of the journey than the destination!

Were you aware of the gender imbalance in cathedral positions? If so, how did that awareness affect you?

I have subsequently become aware of this, but I wasn’t aware of the imbalance until I arrived in the UK. There have been numerous points in my career where my gender has been pointed at, either in a positive way or a negative way. The main effect has been to motivate me to keep at it! I have never thought that my gender identity should change how I behave in the world. That’s not to say that I am unaware of how it matters to others, it’s just that I don’t view it as a barrier for myself.

You have been involved with SWO from even before it launched. Has that been important for you?

Yes, definitely! When I came to one of the first meetings of SWO, I felt quite emotional, being at a table with about 20 distinguished women in the same industry as me. It suddenly occurred to me that this must be how men in my position feel when going to almost any event in our industry, and I was struck with the realisation that I had never had such an experience before. This is why networks like this are important, so that people of all identities can feel they have a community that supports and champions their efforts.

It is striking that so many successful women organists in the UK, like you, were raised overseas. Why do you think that is?

This is a good question and could probably be its own round-table discussion! I can only speak from my own experience. The reason I am here is because, as an outsider, I observed that the legacy of choral music here is something incredible, and I wanted to be part of it, and part of its preservation and continuation.

Your UK appointments show an impressively steep career progression. How did that work – how did you know which appointment should come next?

I moved here 14 years ago, and since then I’ve worked at Southwell Minster, All Saints’, Northampton, Lincoln Cathedral, Chelmsford Cathedral, and Christ Church, Oxford, among many other things. I think that the questions I always ask myself (among others) when I’m considering applying for a new role are:

• Would I regret it if I didn’t apply?

• What can I learn from the post that I don’t already have in my current role?

• What do I have that I can I offer to the position personally?

• Is this a place that I’d enjoy working, and does it fit with my musical and individual personality?

These questions have served me well in keeping me fulfilled, with a sense of direction. They also help me to feel as if I’m adding value to the musical world!

Do you have any advice for girls considering a career in church or cathedral music? Is it a good life, and what are the sacrifices?

There’s no one way to do your career, or to be involved in professional music, and success is exactly what you decide it should be – it’s always your own choice to define your own direction and happiness. Every career choice has rewards and sacrifices, but the weight of these in your own life will be determined by your own priorities and what makes you tick. That being said, here’s what I can offer – take it or discard it as you’d like:

• Discern what fulfils you musically, not what other people think is acceptable or impressive

• Practice! This applies not only to the music you think is hard, but the music you think is easy, so that you’re striving to be a well-rounded musician

• Take lessons in choral conducting, if you think your career is heading in a direction that will require you to do this

• Be willing to side-step, and to take a diversion from a linear career path

• Be helpful, enthusiastic, curious, and hard-working to the best of your ability

• If you find yourself not being able to motivate yourself to do certain things, don’t take on or apply for roles that include a lot of tasks that you can’t motivate yourself to do on a normal basis, or that you don’t really enjoy.

• Be yourself. It’s important to learn from colleagues, mentors, and other musicians, and to be open to advice and constructive criticism, but you need to be your own musician at the end of the day!

• Ask for help – so many people are afraid to ask for advice, help, mentorship, or to do things like shadow someone, watch their rehearsal, etc.

Hilary, thank you, and we wish you much fulfilment and enjoyment in your new post!