Martin Gerard James Neary LVO (born 28 March 1940) is an English

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

and choral conductor. Neary was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in 1940 and was a chorister of the

Chapel Royal A chapel royal is an establishment in the British and Canadian royal households serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the royal family. Historically, the chapel royal was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarc ...

St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, England. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster. Although no longer the principal residence ...

from age eight, singing at the christening of

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

in 1948 and the coronation of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

in 1953. He attended the

City of London School The City of London School, also known as CLS and City, is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school for Single-sex education, boys in the City of London, England, on the banks of the River Thames next to the Millennium Bridge, ...

. He went on to read theology and music at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, where he was organ scholar at Gonville and Caius College. He was Organist and Director of Music at

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

from 1972 to 1988, and Organist and Master of the Choristers at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

from 1988 to 1998. In 1984 he was Artist-in-Residence at the University of California at Davis. In addition to extending the traditional choral repertoire at Winchester, Neary commissioned new works from Jonathan Harvey and, in particular,

John Tavener Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer, known for his extensive output of choral religious music, religious works. Among his best known works are ''The Lamb (Tavener), The Lamb'' (1982), ''The ...

. Overseas tours were made with the Cathedral choir, and in addition to his own organ recitals at the Cathedral he drew organists from across the world to play there, including Daniel Chorzempa, Daniel Hathaway and Marilyn Keiser from USA, Raymond Daveluy from Montreal, Peter Planyavsky from Vienna and (among others) from the UK, Ralph Downes. With his assistant organists James Lancelot and Timothy Byram-Wigfield he was responsible for planning of the major rebuilding and enlargement of the Cathedral organ by Harrison and Harrison in 1986–88. As the organist at Westminster Abbey, he was the musical director of the funeral service for Princess Diana. In the 1998 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) "for services in connection with the funeral of the late Diana, Princess of Wales." In accordance with Neary's promotion of the music of

, the latter's " Song for Athene" was performed by the choir of the Abbey as the coffin was borne out by the

pallbearer A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person. Some traditions distinguish between the roles o ...

s. On 22 April 1998, Wesley Carr, the Dean of Westminster Abbey, dismissed Neary from his position at

on the grounds of gross misconduct regarding the finances of a company that he and his wife had set up to administer fees from concerts at the Abbey.The Independent,
Dean censured for callous sacking
', Thursday 10 December 1998 (retrieved 18 March 2013) Neary petitioned

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, as Visitor of the Abbey, to resolve the dispute. The Queen appointed

Charles Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle Charles Eliot Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle, PC (8 May 1925 – 18 July 2007) was a British judge and advocate. He was often praised as one of the finest legal minds of his generation in Scotland, and his legal opinions - both as a prac ...

, to be her Commissioner. After a 12-day hearing, Lord Jauncey determined that the decision to dismiss the organist and his wife "must score gamma minus on the scale of natural justice", though upheld the previous verdict. The report also stated that Neary's musical abilities, and the hard work which he and his wife had done on behalf of the Abbey and the choir, were not in question.‘Determination Of Lord Jauncey Of Tullichettle Acting as a Special Commissioner Appointed by Her Majesty The Queen as Visitor to Westminster Abbey and as Arbitrator’, 9 Dec 199

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neary, Martin English classical organists English male conductors (music) Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music Living people Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey 21st-century English conductors (music) 21st-century English organists 21st-century English male musicians English male classical organists Lieutenants of the Royal Victorian Order Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 1940 births