SPOTLIGHT ON... Judith Pendrous, professional organist and teacher, and SWO Newsletter Editor

What prompted you to start learning the organ?

During the 1980s I was studying piano at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester and at that point had not really heard the organ. When I was growing up, there was a harmonium, not an organ, in my church, and the same piece was played during Communion every single week… I can still hear it in my head now! Anyway, I became friends with some of the organists at college and got to hear all the pieces they were learning. I soon wanted to play the organ myself, but at first wasn’t sure whether I would be up to managing such a complicated-looking instrument. I was wrong! I had my first lesson as an Art of Teaching “guinea pig” for organist friends and took to it immediately. The pieces I was most inspired by were the Bach Fifth Trio Sonata, Hindemith Second Sonata, and the Duruflé Suite. The Fifth Trio Sonata was the first piece I learned, after a few lessons, followed by the Demessieux Te Deum.

That’s impressive repertoire for such an early stage of learning! Who was your teacher at that time?

My college piano teacher was Sulamita Aronovsky. Organ-wise, I continued to receive support from organist friends, and eventually took some lessons from Derrick Cantrell, formerly Organist of Manchester Cathedral.

When did you decide to study music full-time?

It was a foregone conclusion rather than a decision to take this career path; music has always been my whole world, and I’ve never really considered doing anything else. I grew up in a household which revolved around music: my dad had been a violinist in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and my mum studied piano at the Birmingham School of Music; both were music teachers, and my siblings are also musicians. There was music being played in our house most of the time!

Do you think that family background helped? Did it give you confidence that you would succeed in the musical world?

My family background certainly gave me a blueprint for going on to be a musician. I think I had conviction, rather than confidence in success, and just kept going. I naively assumed that a career in music would somehow just work out, and it seems to have done so.

When you started at RNCM, what did you imagine your career would be?

I had initially hoped to do a lot more recital work. Some health issues have made this challenging to accomplish, though I do engage in some recital work and would love to do more. My career path has taken me more down the church music route than I initially envisioned, but I now feel as comfortable as an accompanist as I have always done as a recitalist.

When did you notice the gender imbalance in the organ world? Has it affected the choices you made?

I noticed the gender imbalance immediately: as I recall, the RNCM organ department in the 1980s had only one female organ student, and no female members of staff. I felt slightly in awe of the organ world in general, though I had a sort of privileged access to it via my circle of friends.

This didn’t affect the choices I made, however, as I felt myself very much to be on the right path.

You then became organ scholar at York Minster, at a time when women in cathedral music were still rare. Did you ever feel extra pressure because of your gender?

Actually I didn’t. Everyone was lovely at the Minster: Philip Moore and John Scott Whiteley were very supportive. I felt more pressure because of my lack of experience in Cathedral music.

My first organist position had been at the Birmingham Oratory, so I could accompany plainchant from the neumes but had never accompanied Anglican chant!

Has teaching always played an important role in your work?

Yes indeed. I began teaching piano and organ whilst in York and have taught continuously since then. I don’t actually remember learning how to play the piano myself and seem to have absorbed it at home at an early age. The process of teaching others has subsequently helped me to develop and improve my own learning process. My current students comprise adults and young people, with a 50/50 gender balance.

Tell us about your current working life.

I’m based in Abergavenny, South Wales, where I play at St Mary’s Priory Church, which holds up to three choral services a week. I teach piano and organ, both privately and in school, and take on freelance playing work, such as accompanying the Gwent Bach Choir’s autumn concert last year.

Do you have time to explore other interests apart from music?

I play timpani in our excellent local Symphony Orchestra .. and class this as a hobby!

However, it has led to some engagements: I was organ soloist in the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony last year in Llandaff Cathedral, with Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra.

I love reading and creative writing. Living so near the Brecon Beacons National Park, there are many lovely walks to do. I also run a monthly Zoom discussion group.

If you could live your life again, what would you tell your younger self?

I’d tell myself to feel more confident and be more proactive, because we do receive what we need and are always blessed - but more asking is better! Also to trust, because life really is on our side. And I would be more persistent in getting the right medical help for regular severe migraines. I spent decades just managing to keep things together and often performing whilst not being very well at all. Things are much better now as the cause was identified & successfully treated.

What changes would you most like to see now in the organ world?

More churches being filled for worship, organs being saved and restored, and plenty of funding available for the training of organists. More enthusiasm for organ recitals and organ music, with seats being filled up and down the country, in venues large and small. Is that too idealistic?

Thank you for the important work you do in editing the SWO e-newsletter. What does it involve?

I copy and paste the news items and insert the photos I’m sent into the Mailchimp application and edit the sizes and fonts and so on. In my six months as Editor, there has been a small learning curve, with Mailchimp not always behaving quite as I expected! I think I have its measure now, and it’s always a pleasure to see the finished Newsletter go out.

It gives us great pleasure, too, to have such an efficient Newsletter editor - thank you for all you contribute, Judith, both to SWO and to music!