It was impossible to find buyers for the beautiful works of art it housed before the cathedral crumbled because people were no longer interested in religious artifacts after the church became a mirror of society, the only success achieved by His Darkness before his forced retirement a generation ago.
Plagued by rumours of financial irregularities and nepotism among those charged with ensuring that there was no church impropriety, the congregation just faded away because nobody heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
Bastineau 23 November, 2043
The countryside is already littered with the spectacle of many "bare ruined choirs" as a result of the controversies of a previous age. Soon there will be many more - if they are not flogged off for redevelopment as housing or shopping centres.
ReplyDeleteRedevelopment?
ReplyDeleteIt will be sold off as a Mosque and the Dean's cock will become a Crescent.
See page 10 of today's South Wales echo - Clarissa is still not doing her job!
It's not only the people of "Landaft" who have seen through Moorhouse, there's been no cheques forthcoming from anyone, anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThe best plan the current choir burger flippers have come up with is to invite the Chapter to attend the two Christmas fund raising events organised by the boy chorister parents.
The first is a black tie ball in the banqueting hall at Caerphilly Castle.
Fund raising to save the choir?
No! It's to send their privately educated children on their next foreign concert tour.
Poor Llandaff Cathedral! Why does our mother church suffer so much? Ruined each in turn by an un-holy trinity: Oliver Cromwell, Adolf Hitler and Barry Morgan.
ReplyDeleteYes, from without and from above, but from within? That is the real tragedy.
DeleteIn terms of causing damage to Llandaff, Cromwell and Adolf were rank amateurs compared to ++His Darkness. It will take much longer and far more effort to repair the damage than re-roofing the nave.
DeleteThe problems are twofold; ++Darth Superbia lacks a conscience and the Chapter haven't got a spine between them.
Things will get worse before they get better!
Towards the end of his life, the late Dr G.O.Williams Archbishop of Wales, Bishop of Bangor, saint in Christ Jesus, had disagreement which led to misgiving and regret concerning one who eventually was to become his successor. Today, G.O, would undoubtedly agree that to be hoodwinked by this liberal fraud was his biggest mistake.
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday, 28 November, at 7pm, a service to celebrate the Centenary of the birth of Archbishop Gwylim will be held at Bangor Cathedral. No prizes for guessing who the guest preacher will be. You've guessed it - the Archbishop of Wales.
Remember this is Barry Wonga's World. You just happen to be in it.
Incredible – His Darkness is truly a legend in his own mind!
DeleteOf course, 'Impeach the Bishop now'. He is 'a danger to himself and to the souls of others'.
DeleteWhat I find so odd is that if the several allegations about the mismanagement of the cathedral have any truth behind them, why doesn’t someone ‘in the know’ inform the Charity Commissioners and or HMRC? Let’s have the whole thing investigated. Enough of these rumours and counter rumours. An internal enquiry is not good enough. All of this mess needs to be examined by an external, +Barry-independent tribunal. It is further surprising that not one of the canons of the chapter has the courage to face down +Barry and Peggy and stand up for the cathedral and all that it has represented in the past. Or perhaps the privileges, rank and honour of being an eminent Canon of Llandaff far out weigh decency, honesty, integrity and probity? When faced with a ranting, machinating His Darkness could it be that the Canons of Llandaff are just as spineless as the Bench? If, on the other hand, one or two canons were to resign their canonries, that would speak as powerfully as the still silent last dean.
ReplyDeleteThe ears in the "Landaft" walls hear that the Employment Tribunal continues and Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs were notified some time ago and are on to the tax free house fiddles. The Information Commissioner's Office is on to them aswell.
DeletePeggy the chartered accountant is overheard regularly by the Cathedral office staff bitching about having to spend so much time sifting through the thousands of emails left in an unholy mess by Captain Peacock.
Significant fines could well see off what little cash is left on the Cathedral's balance sheet and no-one in their right mind would give another farthing to the "Hannibal the Cannibal/Clarissa Dickson Wrong" regime.
20+ empty car parking spaces available around the Cathedral Green at 11:05 this morning.
One wonders if any of the pew-sitters have had the courage to suggest that the Chapter should cancel their annual "Chapter lunch" as a cost saving measure?
My dear 'Impeach the Bishop' you are getting the hang of it but have not quite understood what His Honour Michael Evans said at the Provincial 'court' in Caernarfon 1997 "We continue as we please". It basically means "sod off, we will do whatever we like ".
DeleteSome months later, after squandering £250,0000 in one week alone, he was asked at the Governing Body how much more financial recourses would be spent in order to silence Clifford Williams. His reply to those assembled ; "How long is a piece of string"? (Church Times).
As has been already maintained : "When a dead man speaks, who is there who can silence him". Will it be Dr Wonga, His Hon Michael Evans, Recorder Stuart Batcup , Lord Martin Thomas QC or Eversheds of Cardiff?
Wherever Peers, silks and judicial office holders gather for self interest and gain, whether it be the committees of the Church in Wales or a Masonic Lodge, there inevitably will be corruption, gagging , dishonesty, archaic and unlawful proceedings in order to hide the truth or save the skin of a corrupt bishop, as there was in 1997.
You are correct, Cathedral chapters are normally spineless as a result of the doctrine of election. They owe their title to one man - the bishop. Are these the "high standards" which Aberficer refers to? Come off it man/woman, whatever your gender or persuasion. Pull your finger out. Do you think we've all arrived on the last tide?
And who pays for the Chapter lunch?
DeleteNot the Chapter, anonymous.
DeleteWhen and where is the Chapter lunch?
DeleteIn the Prebendal House, usually in June around the time of the patronal festival.
DeleteLarge quantities of free alcohol ensures a convivial atmosphere.
They had bring the event forward because there may not be any cash left for next year's freebie!
DeleteWith no Dean and two vacant stalls what skullduggery is going on in the background? How about a couple of lay canons to bring some order to the Chapter?
DeleteMr Williams - I'd be grateful if you would refrain from drawing me into your polemic. As far as I am concerned the only way to make things better is by doing something to make them so, which for me happens here in these four parishes of the Diocese of Monmouth. I have views on the situation in Llandaff which I have shared directly with those concerned, and I have shared with you my primary aims in my role here as Vicar. The best I can do for the situation in Llandaff now is to pray for all involved, and the same goes for your own specific situation, where in the absence of direct knowledge and of anything practical that I might do about it, I pray for both you and the Archbishop.
DeleteMy apologies Abervicar. References to third parties and invitations to name names are normally weeded out to avoid what may be unwelcome attention. Sorry for the lapse on this occasion.
DeleteDr Morgan has never listened to any one, he has his own opinions, he has built his so called camp with yes men and women to whom he has lavished favours. The C I W has been led down the path of no return because of one man, who is there among you if your son asks for bread would you give him a stone! I am afraid in Wales we have been fed on stones for all the years that ++Morgan has been in control. He is passive aggressive and in time the whole world will see him for what he is his followers will all go the same way. We all need to go back to the true gospels.
ReplyDeleteWhy be limited to just the "true gospels"?
Delete++Darth Insidious is prepared to spend thousands of other people's money on hiring 'consultants' to churn out reams of meaningless bumff.
The one 'experiment' he is unwilling to try is placing a King James Bible, a 1662 book of Common Prayer and Hymns Ancient & Modern (revised) on every chair in Llandaff Cathedral and finding a Director of Music who will do more than a 25 hour week
The task now,Ancient Briton, is to ensure ++Barry reads your blog !
DeleteSimple Soul, you can be certain, that bully boy Bazza reads this blog more than he does a Bible.
DeleteThe ears in the walls around "Landaft" say that he is furious about the revelations published here, especially those concerning his plans for a nice little retirement earner for Hilary (Diocesan Registrar) and the 'consultancy' work he sends to Lucy.
Having disposed of the awkward troublemakers on the Llandaff PCC last year, his priorities are now to reduce the size of the committee of the Friends of Llandaff Cathedral to a more "manageable" size (his 'yes' men in other words, so he can get his grubby mits on their £400k), get rid of Moorhouse and his motley minions and then shut down this blog as he did the Llandaffchester Chronicles.
Without achieving all of the above, he won't be able to find another mug to take over as Dean!
Anonymous, do you really think Moorhouse does as much as a 25 hour working week?
DeleteJust browse the December music scheme for the Cathedral choir.
1 December (Sunday), no Evensong.
3 December (Tuesday), no Evensong.
7 December (Saturday), no Evensong.
8 December (Sunday), no Cathedral choir at all, guest amateurs (unpaid) filling in.
14 December (Saturday), no Evensong.
17 December (Tuesday), no Evensong.
21 December (Saturday), no Evenosng.
25 December (Wednesday), no Evensong.
Thereafter it's the Cathedral Choir's Christmas holiday.
To cap it all, Moorhouse and his minions will still be paid for not performing all those services.
Bazza and his coven wonder why there's a wopping £80k deficit.
The gullible pew-sitters might do well to remember that the Cathedral Organist & Master of the Choristers only works a 36 week year. The rest of the time he's either in Switzerland at the family holiday home or swanning around Europe on his top of the range BMW motorcycle.
DeleteNice work if you can get it.
Find another mug to take over as Dean? Unlikely.
DeleteThe ears in the walls at Llys Esgob report that bully boy Bazza has already offered the Llandaff Deanery to a couple of his chosen possible candidates only to be turned down and his ++Darkness is not amused to find that his offers of employment are about as welcome as a nasty stink in a spacesuit.
The gullible pew-sitters in Landaft have had 13 years to work out that their Organist and Master of the Choristers does the absolute minimum he can. At the time of his appointment the boys sang seven services a week (two services on Sunday with one day off midweek) and a long Saturday morning rehearsal. The men sang 5 services a week with the boys in the full Cathedral choir format.
DeleteAs soon as the girls choir Consort was introduced - as a temporary "experiment" you understand - the boys services were reduced by two per week, men only Evensongs were introduced (and handed over to the assistant organist to conduct) plus Moorhouse cancelled the Saturday morning rehearsals awarding himself even more time off.
When, not if, the current Chapter proposals go ahead, the number of rehearsals and services will have been cut by almost 60% but he'll still be living in free accommodation with no equivalent drop in salary or risk of redundancy!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteFound at http://savellandaffchoir.weebly.com/
ReplyDeleteISM attacks plans to scrap Llandaff’s professional choir
Wednesday 13 November 2013 - Only professional Cathedral choir in Wales under threat
The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), the professional body for musicians, has spoken-out against Llandaff Cathedral’s plans to shut down its professional choir due to a budget deficit. The choir, which has appeared twice on the BBC’s Songs of Praise this year, would lose all its professional singers under the proposals. It is the only professional Anglican cathedral choir in Wales.
Richard Moorhouse, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Llandaff and ISM member, said
‘The contribution the professional choir makes to Cardiff is immense.
The professional musicians underpin this excellence, working with others to improve the life of the cathedral and wider community.’
What utter self-deluded drivel.
"Contribution to Cardiff"?
"Immense"?
"Working with others"?
Improving the "life of the cathedral and wider community"?
Moorhouse is clearly referring to that Outreach program that he hasn't set up and doesn't run, or maybe it's that internationally famous Music Festival that he doesn't direct, or the Choral Society that he doesn't conduct!
Moorhouse can't even teach his boys to do basic alternate verse chanting of Psalms.
His ++Darkness isn't the only one in Llandaff who is a 'legend in his own mind'. It must be catching!
I can't stop hearing the Dad's Army theme to the words
Delete'Who do you think you are kidding Mr Moorhouse?'
It will soon be 24 hrs since we heard from you last Ancient Briton. Has your fate been that of the 'Chronicles'? Or has his +Darkness been in touch?
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Enforcer, the powers of darkness will be met with light.
ReplyDeleteAt least you're breathing then Ancient Briton. Apart from Mrs Briton. be careful should someone offer you a cup of tea or coffee. Have them taste it themselves first.
ReplyDeleteAnd whatever you do, don't take communion from his ++Insidiousness.
DeleteIt would be quite understandable if the good people of Llandaff stayed away and boycotted any and every service presided over by ++Darth Suberbia.
Indeed, now I think of it, that would be the best way of indicating to him that he should resign in shame and disgrace.
Over to you good Llandaff people.
Send an Advent message, prepare ye the way of the Lord and the way of departure for the Dark Lord.
Yes Anonymous, he, along with his wife and henchmen, should hang their heads in shame. But he is a premier league schemer, a 'thinking Anglican' with an ego of a ruthless fundamentalist. He has manipulated and manoeuvred the church to serve himself. It is clear, from the diocese of Bangor down to Llandaf that he cannot be part of the solution because he is the problem.
ReplyDeleteHe heads a hierarchy which despises its own faithful. the Dark Angel,' Dr Wonga' who, added failure and fraud as its chief characteristics, where he ruled, but never conquered - "Vengeance will be mine, says the mouse".
How quickly things change in the dark domain of ++Darth Insidious.
DeleteFound at http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2013/04/5598/
"Organists, choral leaders and singers will be presented with awards and certificates by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, at a ceremony at in Abergavenny on Saturday (April 27).
There will be two types of presentations – the Archbishop of Wales’ Award in Church Music recognises people of outstanding musical ability who contribute to worship, while the Certificate of Merit pays tribute to the talents and devoted service of musicians who contribute without being professionally trained. The awards are open to musicians from all denominations of Christian worship. This year, three people will receive the Archbishop’s Award and five will be presented with the Certificate."
Now get this people of Landaft.
"Dr Morgan says, "Music is an intrinsic part of Christian worship, nowhere more so than here in Wales. Our churches and chapels have a wonderful heritage of excellent choirs and talented organists. These awards recognize and celebrate the dedication, talent and hard-work put in week after week by those people – from the professionally-trained musicians achieving exceptionally high artistic standards to the army of skilled volunteers we rely on so heavily to nurture and encourage an enjoyment of music in each generation. I am delighted to be presenting these awards this weekend.
The Archbishop of Wales’ Award in Church Music will be presented to:
• Richard Moorhouse, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Llandaff Cathedral.
He has served in this position for 12 years and has maintained the high standard of the Cathedral choir. He has developed good relations with the University and the Royal College. He has acted as the consultant for the new organ and worked tirelessly to ensure its installation. The Choir has made a CD in October 2012."
As the lay clerks and burger flippers get their redundancy notices on Christmas morning, Moorhouse should hand back his medal and tell Bazza where to stick it.
Or should that be Moormouse?
The ears in Landaft report that it has finally dawned on the music department.
ReplyDeleteBazza's "consultation" process over proposed choir redundancies is a charade and was only ever going to be a means of determining how much of a hue & cry the Cathedral pew sitters might make over the demise of the Cathedral Choir.
His ++Darkness now has his answer.
There has hardly been a stir and no offers of any cheques, large or otherwise, from "outraged" 11am and evensong congregations.
Make the most of Sunday's Advent Carol Service boys, it's going to be your last!
The ears in the walls at the Cathedral report that Moorhouse's minions were so badly behaved at Evensong last Sunday they were on the receiving end of a dressing down from the acting Organist & Master of the Choristers for flipping "V" signs to each other across the chancel.
DeleteMembers of the congregation have allegedly made complaints too.
The response?
The author of the "Landaft" script has walked out and has not been seen since.
Later that evening, senior members of the Chapter were reportedly treated to a further demonstration with much thumping on the table tops.
Will the Director of Music support his deputy over his minions, or will he call in his pet burger flipper from St. Mary's Whitchurch to write another rude six paragraph email to the Chapter?
Never mind the Advent Carol Service Anonymous, why would Moorhouse's burger flippers want to sing at his Christmas Concert on 21st December (to raise money for a foreign concert tour in 2 years time for rich kids on a £6k pa scholarship) when the Cathedral Choir Lay Clerks will not even be in a job in 2 weeks time?
ReplyDeleteAs soon as the redundancies are announced, they should just walk out.
The decision was made weeks ago.
One wonders whether there will be either a congregation, a choir or even a Chapter member at the Advent carol service tomorrow?
DeleteIf anyone bothers to show up, the key to the West door is under the mat, the light switch is on the right of the West door, the organ switch is under the keyboard and ++Bazza apparently knows how to play it.
"++Bazza apparently knows how to play it."
DeleteTrue. As a chapel boy he used the Church in Wales to learn how to play the organ and has used the Church for his own benefit ever since. - See Swan Song? If only...
http://ancientbritonpetros.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/swan-song-if-only.html
The story just keeps getting better and better.
ReplyDeleteAfter Evensong tonight, there was a meeting with the parents of the privately educated choristers to discuss their overriding concern that boy chorister scholarships will be no more and that they will have to fork out the full fees to the Cathedral school from September 2014.
All is not lost, as the proceeds from the burger flippers gig at St Mary's Whitchurch on 15th December will be going,...... wait for it,..... not to a Cathedral Choral Foundation fund, but ....., wait for it again, ..... straight
into the same privately educated chorister parents' foreign tour slush fund!
Why would the Cathedral Chancellor John Rowlands permit such shady goings on in St. Mary's Whitchurch?
DeleteThe published advertisement claims "The concert is to raise money and awareness for the plight of Llandaff Cathedral Choir, which is threatened with imminent closure for financial reasons."
One doubts that the Dean & Chapter have given permission for the concert to proceed or for the name of 'Llandaff Cathedral Choir' to be used.
Taking money to "save" the choir but paying it over to the parent's association for their foreign tour slush fund would be as fraudulent as allegedly skimming funds off the top of the Organ appeal account whilst refusing to publish a separate set of accounts.
It's business as usual in Landaft and the quicker HMRC stick their noses into the Landaft ledgers the better.
And you'd think that Catrin Finch would know better than to associate herself with the tainted name of Landaft.
Well, what do you know?
DeleteThe Landaft ears in the wall report the Advent Carol service was going to be so poorly attended that His ++Darkness felt it necessary to bus in coach loads of visitors from the valleys well to the north of Cardiff. Similarly to the recent disastrous broadcasts of Songs of Praise, it became an exercise of spot the Landaft regular!
The occasion was hijacked by yobbo chorister parents picketing the hill handing out propaganda leaflets from the back of their Chelsea tractors and then stage managing a round of applause from among their own little elite group at the end of the service. Clearly they don't know the difference between an act of worship and a concert!
The few Landaft regulars who bothered to show up are reportedly disgusted at the antics of Moorhouse and his minions - only 4 of the choir 'regulars' were present and the other 6 were imported burger flippers. The few Landaft regulars also report that the entire program was the usual stale stuff churned out year after year and that the quality of the singing was school assembly standard.
The quicker the girl choristers are brought in, the better.
Another rift among the Chapter is reported over the Cathedral choir burger flippers fundraising.
DeleteHow can Peggy the Pilot expect John Rowlands to control his church organist when she can't control her own Cathedral organist?
And how can Peggy expect John Rowlands to cancel the Cathedral burger flippers foreign tour fund raising gig in St. Mary's Whitchurch when she has authorised a full Cathedral Choir concert to take place in the Cathedral on 21st December for the same purpose?
While the Cathedral coffers are empty the chorister parents get the use of the Cathedral for the night free of charge!
So in 18 months time the Cathedral will be bust but the privately educated choristers will be on tour.
What is a burger flipper?
DeleteRead here and all will become clear.
Deletehttp://ancientbritonpetros.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/morgans-organ.html#comment-form
So today is D Day for bully boy ++Bazza's Landaft puppets to make their decision over the future of the choir.
ReplyDeleteOption 1, make redundancies to save £48k (but there's still another £34k to find from elsewhere) and keep His ++Darkness happy by getting rid of one of his biggest headaches in Landaft.
Option 2, same as the last decade, decide to authorise another £80k deficit, avoid bad PR but bring down the wrath of His ++Darkness on their heads.
Option 3, make no decision but dither by declaring an extension to the "consultation" process.
The ears in the walls around Landaft say the smart money is on Option 3 as the coven only seem to be capable of deciding on the date of their next meeting.
Well what do you know. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
DeleteThe ears in the Chapter walls report that the smart money is correct, with one small exception - the date of their next meeting has yet to be confirmed.
Clarrissa isn't capable of organising the proverbial party in a fermentation factory.
His ++Darkness is not amused.
Well, the story just gets better and better.
ReplyDeleteIt turns out that one of the choir members threatened with redundancy has not in fact sung a single service in 2013, as they have not bothered to turn up. But has this absent member been disciplined by Bazza, as any self-respecting employer surely would? You guessed it: nope. In the meantime, this employee has been receiving full pay for a job he isn't doing. Surely a good way to start reducing this deficit would be to stop giving out handouts like this? No wonder they're so eager to keep their jobs; nice work if you can get it. Another fine mess His Darkness has overseen.
Anonymous, that's chicken shit compared to the sums of money involved over Moorhouse's neighbour having had the free (and allegedly tax free) use of a Cathedral house with a resulting loss of income circa £150k to the Cathedral, PLUS, that individual has been suspended on full pay three times in as many years, the most recent being from May 2012 to January 2013. Whilst on a final written warning he misbehaved once more and was sacked in March only to get off on appeal because Captain Peacock screwed up yet again.
DeleteBonaparte left the mess, His Darkness made it worse while acting as Dean, Janet Henderson found about it all and ran back to the Dales and Peggy the chartered accountant Pilot is re-arranging the deck chairs while the vessel is sinking.
Sack the lot of them including Moorhouse and save £80k.
You have both underestimated the cost to the gullible pew sitters of Landaft.
DeleteDon't forget that while both singers are absent, deputies also have to be paid to cover for their absence.
So 10 1/2 years in a free house for Moorhouse's neighbour (since he chose to resign as assistant virger) comes to approx £160,000, Moorhouse's neighbour's eighteen months suspension @ £3,300pa comes to £4950, a deputy to cover for those eighteen months comes to another £4950, 11 months for the lay clerk or garden leave comes to £3025, a deputy to cover for the lay clerk on garden leave comes to another £3025 and bob's your mother's brother, you get a total wastage of....... wait for it, just re-checking the calculator,..... and yes that's it........, a staggering £175,950!
And Darth ++Insidious has the cheek to write to all the members on the electoral roll to ask for more money?
The buffoon, his puppet Peggy and Moorhouse should resign immediately but there's not an ounce of morality or conscience between them. In the mean time the blame game continues....
If the 'professional' singers of Landaft were that bothered they could push off elsewhere.
DeleteA brief look at vacancies in the The Church Times and one finds Choral Scholars at Lincoln are offered "£3,672 plus free accommodation". Even the 'amateurs' in St. Davids are paid more.
So why don't they all just walk out on Landaft and have done with it?
Anonymous of 8:48 PM is not quite correct.
DeleteMoorhouse's neighbour's most recent suspension was in March 2013 whilst already on a 12 month final written warning.
He was subsequently dismissed and then reinstated on appeal by Canon Kirk despite having missed an evensong due to 'stress' but singing in a fee paying Cathedral school concert in the Cathedral later the same evening.
You couldn't make it up.
You have all forgotten to add in the cost of Moorhouse suspending the entire complement of adult members of his Cathedral Choir for the first 2 weeks of the new term in January 2013-all on full pay once more!
Delete