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Peter Siepmann explains why St Barnabas Cathedral has always been close to his heart.
Peter Siepmann has taken a circuitous route to his new role as Nottingham Cathedral’s Director of Music. His mother is a piano teacher and his late father - Jeremy Siepmann - was Executive Producer at BBC World Service Music. Throughout his career, Peter’s father wrote and broadcast extensively about classical music and so it was expected that Peter’s path to music, would be straightforward.
It certainly seemed to be going that way in Peter’s early years. “I think one doesn't appreciate the influence that one's parents have when we’re young,” says Peter. “But then you look back when you’re older and you think ‘actually they did play a big role.’ They made sacrifices for us and worked very hard. My brother and I had a wonderful education and with that came a fantastic musical experience. My senior school was St Edward’s Oxford - affectionately known as Teddie’s - the teachers there were fantastic and hugely influential.”
It was at St Edward’s that Peter learnt “everything I know - certainly about playing the organ” and as he flourished under such exceptional tutelage, it was expected he would either become an organ scholar at Oxford or Cambridge University. So, it was a surprise when Peter decided instead to read Computer Science at Nottingham University, a decision about which he now has some regret.
Despite his choice of undergraduate degree, Peter was instantly drawn to all that Nottingham had to offer musically. He was soon accepted as an organ scholar to support the Director of Music at the Anglican church of St Peter’s and by his third year of studies, he was conducting the University’s Chamber Choir, and he didn’t want to give any of it up.
“So, I wasn't quite sure what to what to do about that,” he explains. “Then the opportunity came up to do a PhD in the Computer Science department and it was going to be fully funded. They would pay the tuition fees, and they would give you a maintenance grant and it meant I could stay in Nottingham and stay doing all the music that I was doing. So, I thought, ‘oh, fantastic, I'll do that.’ Turns out that's a pretty bad reason to do a PhD, but it was about halfway through the degree that I realised that music is what I really wanted to do.”
By the time he finished his PhD he was Director of Music at St Peter’s Nottingham and went on to become a part-time teacher of music at Uppingham School. Four years later he moved to Repton School in Derbyshire where he became Head of Academic Music and later became a panel member of the Cathedral Music Trust, where he assessed grant applications from cathedrals up and down the country.
Last summer, he elected to take redundancy from his job at Repton School and went on to work part-time for Peterborough Cathedral in the fundraising department, bringing with him all his experience from his involvement with the Cathedral Music Trust.
Despite being Anglican rather than Catholic, Peter developed a fondness for St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham during his undergraduate years, where he directed occasional concerts.
“It’s a building I've always loved,” he says, “and that acoustic has always been inspirational for me, to make music in. So, I applied for the Director of Music role and here we are.”
Along with his part time work for Nottingham Cathedral and fundraising for Peterborough Cathedral, Peter also conducts the Nottingham Bach Choir and is an examiner for ABRSM.
Reflecting on his transition from Anglican worship to Catholic liturgy, Peter says: “Catholic liturgy and music - particularly polyphony, plainsong and the traditional core of the repertoire - has always been close to my heart.
“Coming to the cathedral and working in that environment and working with the choir has felt like this is where I'm supposed to be, because it is this repertoire that just sets me alight.
“I was rehearsing with the choir before my first Mass at the cathedral and they had just sung through the Credo or something and it was just brilliant. It was inspirational. I was playing the organ and marvelling at this incredible space, this amazing acoustic and the cathedral and I just thought, ‘Oh yes, this is what it's all about.’
“So, although I haven't worked in the Catholic Church before, it weirdly feels like I'm sort of coming home because musically and liturgically I think that's where I have always been.”
If you would like to meet Peter in person, Nottingham Cathedral is hosting ‘Meet the Director of Music’ on January 9th at 7pm. You can register here.
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