A highly awarded British musician will be trading the sites of Bristol for the Bridge as he heads Down Under to take up the Cathedral’s top musical position.
The Dean of Sydney, the Very Rev Phillip Jensen has announced the appointment of English church musician Ross J Cobb as Director of Music at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney.
Mr Cobb is presently Director of Music at Christ Church, Clifton, Bristol.
He is an Associate of Kings College London, and holds a Bachelor of Music from the Royal Academy of Music and Kings College, London.
Mr Cobb has also gained a Foundation Diploma in Music from the Colchester Institute, and in 1989 was awarded the Noel Bonavia Hunt Award from the Royal College of Organists.
In his current position at Christ Church Clifton, he is responsible for all music in the life of the church, and is responsible pastorally for the church's 140 musicians.
Prior to taking up that appointment in 1998, he was Organist and Director of Music at St Barnabas' Church, Kensington.
Mr Cobb has been Assistant Director of Music and Senior Organ Scholar at Kings College, London as well as a member of the Keyboards/Organ team at All Souls' Langham Place.
At Christ Church, and also Bristol Cathedral, he gave organ recitals and introduced and directed the biannual Creative@ChristChurch Church and Community Arts Festivals, which attracted much community and media attention.
He has a particular interest in the fusion of classical and contemporary church music styles.
He also enjoys working with young people, and at Christ Church conducted a performance of "Noye's Fludde'.
Mr Cobb has also produced some 20 CDs of Christian music.
"I am committed to the best of traditional church music where it sheds light on the written Word of God, as well as the role of contemporary church music, provided it does the same; and deeply love both," Ross Cobb says.
"At Christ Church I have modelled the use of the choir and the organ in contemporary church music, through arrangements and training of the musicians and the resulting fusion has been very powerful.
“I look forward to working with the Dean, the Chapter and the Headmaster of the St Andrew's Cathedral School, in giving leadership in the Diocese in the modelling of the best, in terms of standard and repertoire, of traditional and contemporary church music, and showing that the two are not mutually exclusive, as well as by the resourcing and training of parish musicians.”
The appointment comes after the search process for a new Director of Music, following the resignation of the Rev Michael Deasey who is moving to work at the Cathedral in Bathurst Diocese.
The position has been advertised widely both within Australia and overseas.
"I am delighted to announce this appointment of Ross Cobb, a deeply committed Christian and a first-rate and skilled church musician," Dean Phillip Jensen says.
"I look forward to him and his wife Georgie joining us, and also to his creative contribution to the music ministry of St Andrew's Cathedral and St Andrew's Cathedral School."
It is expected that Ross Cobb will take up his role at the Cathedral in November this year.
