Catherine Ennis

Catherine Mary Ennis (January 20, 1955 – December 24, 2020) was an English[1] organist and music director. She was president of the Royal College of Organists, the director of music at the church of St. Lawrence Jewry, and the founder of the London Organ Concerts Guide.[2][3]

Catherine Ennis
MA, HonRCO
Born20 January 1955
Died24 December 2020
Occupation(s)organist, music director
Instrument(s)Organ

Early life and education

Ennis was born on 20 January 1955, the daughter of the Irish musician and music collector Seamus Ennis and Margaret Glynn, who had married in 1952.[3][4] She was born in England.[5] She did not see her father for most of her childhood.[4] She was brought up Roman Catholic.[4] Ennis attended Christ's Hospital school in Hertfordshire and subsequently Kingsway Further Education College.[3][4] She studied music at St. Hugh's College, Oxford, where she was organ scholar and exhibitioner.[3][6][7] One of her organ teachers was Gillian Weir.[4]

Career

Ennis served as Assistant Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.[3][6] Concurrently, she became director of music at St. Marylebone Parish Church from 1980 until 1992. Later, she was the director of music at the church of St. Lawrence Jewry in the City of London, beginning in 1985 and serving for 35 years until her death.[3][8][9][10]

She also established an international recital career, playing at the Proms, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Festival Hall, as well as many other venues in the UK, Europe and the United States.

In 1994, Ennis established the London Organ Concerts Guide.[3][6] She supported the Society of Women Organists.[2][3][11] She directed the John Hill Organ Series.[2][11] She was a trustee of the Nicholas Danby Trust.[2][3][11]

Ennis also taught the organ and had many students.[3]

She described experiencing sexism in her career, such as people assuming she was the page-turner rather than the organist, but also thought that "the rarity of being a woman [organist] led to some positive discrimination".[4][12][13] Her subsequent concentration on her post at St Lawrence Jewry was partly to fit work around family life.[3][4]

Organ creation

Ennis spearheaded the construction of organs in four buildings in London.[2][11] These include:

Royal College of Organists

Ennis was president of the Royal College of Organists from 1 July 2013 until 30 June 2015.[3][6][8] For the 150th anniversary of the Royal College of Organists she welcomed HM the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh to a celebration at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. She served as one of the vice presidents and trustees afterwards.[14]

In 2018, Ennis was awarded the RCO Medal.[2][7][11]

Personal life

Ennis was married to John Higham QC.[15] They brought up six children, three from Higham's earlier marriage and three whom they had together.[3][4]

Ennis died from breast cancer on 24 December 2020.[3][4][10][12]

References
  1. Oron, Aryeh (September 2009). "Catherine Ennis (Organ) – Short Biography". www.bach-cantatas.com. Archived from the original on 2010-02-17. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  2. Hamilton, Maggie (26 December 2020). "Organ world mourns death of Catherine Ennis". Rhinegold. Archived from the original on 2020-12-26. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
  3. Thomas, Anne Marsden (22 January 2021). "Obituary: Catherine Ennis". Church Times. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  4. Obituaries, Telegraph (2021-01-08). "Catherine Ennis, dynamic organist and director of music at St Lawrence Jewry church – obituary". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  5. O'Connor, N. (1991). Bringing it All Back Home: The Influence of Irish Music. BBC Books. ISBN 978-0-563-36195-4. Retrieved 16 Oct 2022.
  6. "RCO News: Catherine Ennis begins term as President of Royal College of Organists". www.rco.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
  7. "Congratulations to Catherine Ennis on receiving the RCO Medal" (Press release). St Hugh's College, Oxford. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
  8. "St Lawrence | People". www.stlawrencejewry.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-09-18. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  9. "Catherine Ennis, 1955–2020" (Press release). St Hugh's College, Oxford. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  10. "Catherine Ennis". The Worshipful Company of Constructors. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  11. "Our Members". Society of Women Organists. Society of Women Organists. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  12. "20/1/1955-24/12/2020 ISM member since 2002". Music Journal. 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  13. Stevens, Clare (1 June 2020). "Spotlight on the Music Journalist". Society of Women Organists. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  14. "About RCO | Our People". www.rco.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2009-09-14. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  15. "Mrs Catherine Mary Higham HonRCO (née Ennis, Music, 1973) 20 January 1955 – 24 December 2020" (PDF). Chronicle. St Hugh's College. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
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