NOT IN HARMONY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20639, 30 January 1937, Page 10

NOT IN HARMONY

ORGANIST AND CHURCH AUTHORITIES WHY DR. BRADSHAW RESIGNED Sy Telegraph—Pres: association CHRISTCHURCH, January 29. “The cause of my retirement is simply that the Bishop, Dean and Chapter have made it impossible for me to carry on as Cathedral organist and choirmaster and keep my selfrespect. For many years I had a very happy position. The Bishop and Dean of those days were heartily in sympathy with my work and in every way assisted the choir to carry out its important function in the service of the Cathedral. Under recent control, however, there has been a change and half-hearted support and pinpricks have culminated in a straight-out refusal to uphold my authority. In the circumstances nothing was left to me but to resign from an appointment which for 35 years formed a large part of my life.” These remarks were made hi a statement for publication by Dr. J. C. Bradshaw, commenting on his resignation last month as Cathedral organist and choirmaster and on the resignation of 10 out of the 14 members of the Cathedral Choir. Dr. Bradshaw said his attention had been drawn to a Press Association message published throughout the Dominion on January 4 about these resignations, and he had found that the matter had been completely misunderstood by the public. He had been told that some people had even expressed the opinion that the Cathedral Chapter must have had some serious charge against him or it would never have treated him in the manner it had. In justice to the choir and himself, he felt he should give the reasons for his resignation. Points at Issue Dr. Bradshaw appends to the statement the correpondence between himself and the Chapter. His first letter referred to the case of a choir boy who frequently played truant from practices and services and was guilty of other offences against the rules. After ignoring repeated chances, the boy was suspended from the choir, but the Chapter, through a sub-committee, asked Dr. Bradshaw to give the boy a further trial for three months. This he refused to do as he considered that the boy was unsuitable and an undesirable influence in the choir. The Chapter although the offences were admitted, allowed the boy to retain his Grammar School scholarship and Dr. Bradshaw was not permitted to replace the boy in the choir. Another matter dealt with in the correspondence was the allocation of certain offertories to the maintenance fund instead of to the choir fund, in respect of which Dr. Bradshaw and the choir men declare that the Chapter was guilty of a breach of faith. Another difference was the disciplining of the boys. Dr. Bradshaw was directed not to impose punishments to “infringe on their already limited spare time.” This meant, as Dr. Bradshaw states, that he was limited to the use of the strap, which he considered intolerable. Dr. Bradshaw refers to other differences on less Important matters with the Chapter and the headmaster of the Cathedral Grammar School, where the boys are educated. Bishop West-Watson refused to comment on Dr. Bradshaw’s statement.