School offers place Musical discord

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DANIEL QUINLAN, the 12-year-old schoolboy who was refused permission to attend St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Comprehensive School in Peckham, East London, because his parents had lapsed from their Faith, has been offered a place at the John Griffiths School, in Wandsworth, London, SW19. Westminster Cathedral have denied that the reason they appointed an Anglican as Master of Music, is so that they can phase out traditional liturgy.
The suggestion was made in the 'Sunday Times' last weekend, but a spolumman for the Cathedral said it was "rubbish — sheer nonsense", and added that Mr Stephen Cleobury, the new Master of Music had been appointed on merit alone.
At Westminster Choir School's close of term prizegiving ceremony last Sunday, both Cardinal Hume and the headmaster, Mr Hannagan, mentioned the new master. On both occasions, some parents in the audience broke into spontaneous applause.
However, this contentment is not universal. In a letter to the Catholic Herald this week, a former deputy-headmaster at the choir school, Mr J. K. Manighetti claims that 'most parents are far from delighted'.
He bases this assertion on the fact that "this residential school is unique" whereas there are about twenty such Anglican establishments. He also complains that the parents were not consulted over such a sensitive issue.
Mr Douglas Daymond, head of the civil service selection board chaired the panel which selected Mr Cleobury. The other members of the selection panel were Sir Lennox Berkeley the composer, Mr George Guest, organist of St John's College, Cambridge, Mr George Malcolm, himself a former music master at the Cathedral, Mr Nicholas Kenyon, a BBC producer and music critic, Fr Crichton a liturgy expert and Fr Higgins Precentor of Westminster Cathedral.
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