Profile – Professor Peter Toyne CBE, Chairman FCM

‘Cathedral Voice’ talks to our Chairman to discover the roots of his ceaseless energy

An encounter with our Chairman, Professor Peter Toyne, is an exhilarating experience. It’s not always easy to keep up, for a flow of memories, stories, and ideas issue forth in a good-humoured way. He can make the dullest experience sound exciting and there is always laughter, a sense of fun and schoolboy adventure surrounding him.

Members who have attended FCM National Gatherings will have heard Peter welcome guests to the Festal Dinner which is always part of our programme. His sheer enthusiasm is infectious and aside from the wit, which embellishes his conversation, he has the gift of making everybody feel an essential missionary in spreading the gospel of FCM. He is also a great encourager and is quick to offer praise but can be tough if standards show signs of slipping. He also has the unique ability to take the heat out of a difficult situation and bring about harmony.

Peter maintains that nothing in his life was ever planned and in his own words his ‘career has always veered off course’. He was born in 1939 near Rotherham, where his father had a butcher’s shop. In those days most young men expected to end up down the pit and Peter felt fortunate to have escaped that prospect. He was offered a place at Ripon Grammar School during which time he became head boy and sang in the Cathedral choir. He ended up at Bristol University where he read geography, “So I didn’t end up in a bank like my headmaster wanted me to”, he laughed.

Peter comes over as an adventurer and this is echoed in the number of places he has lived, Rotherham, Ripon, Bristol, Exeter, Chichester, Romford, Liverpool (The Wirral) and now London. Whilst at Bristol he worshipped at St. Mary Redcliffe where he was a server. “The Vicar wrote to the chaplain of Exeter saying I was going there and that he should get me involved in chapel affairs. Some ‘affair’ that turned out to be“, he roared, “for that’s where I met Angela, my future wife, then still a student, reading theology. She was Chairman of the Anglican Fellowship and sang in the Exeter University choir. In due time and acting on the proverb ‘Faint heart never won fair lady’, Peter proposed to her at a University ball and the rest, as they say, is history.

Their one son, Simon, was born when they were at Exeter during which time Lionel Dakers was organist. Peter and Angela became firm friends with his successor, Lucian Nethsinga whose son Andrew became head chorister. Simon followed him as head chorister and was a music scholar at Eton and organ scholar at University College Oxford. He is now an Assistant Head and Director of Music at Tiffin Boys’ School, Kingston-on-Thames as well being Director of Music at Kingston Parish Church.

Angela lives a very full life being a JP and serves as a member of Employment and Mental Health Tribunals. She shares with Peter a great interest in concert-going, the theatre, opera, fine cuisine and wines; travel, especially planning exotic holidays in remote locations. Peter finds not the slightest problem going along with all this. Perhaps his love of travel comes from being Senior Lecturer in Geography at Exeter University, of which I was sharply reminded when I asked once asked him if he used a SatNav in his car. “Goodness no”, he shouted, “I’m a geographer”.

Peter left Exeter in 1978 to become Head of Bishop Otter College, Chichester, and a couple of years later became Deputy Rector of N. E. London Polytechnic. His really big move was to Liverpool in 1986 where he eventually became the Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of John Moores University (JMU), Liverpool a post he occupied until retirement.

At the time of his interview for the post, Liverpool’s reputation was at a very low point, bankrupt and unloved under the militant leadership of Derek Hatton. “My colleagues in London thought I was mad but I fell in love with the place the moment I arrived at Lime Street station. It was full of bonhomie. Whilst I was there I visited at the Anglican Cathedral and it blew my mind and I’ve loved it ever since. It has a ‘wow’ factor like no other building”.

Much of Peter’s life in Liverpool was taken up with the Cathedral where he was a member of the Council. He is Life President of the Liverpool Organists Association, President of the YMCA, a past Chairman of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, Honorary Colonel of 33 Signal TA Regiment and was High Sheriff of Merseyside 2001/2. He was largely responsible for the City’s successful bid to be European Capital of Culture for 2008.

To quote the Liverpool Daily Post “He electrified Liverpool! At times dramatic, theatrical and multi-various., Peter encouraged those who considered themselves lame ducks to soar”. There was no sphere of endeavour that he did not follow and his work in and for the city has at last been recognised with a CBE.

In 2002, Peter succeeded Alan Thurlow as Chairman of FCM. “Until then I’d never heard of the organisation and to be asked to consider becoming its Chairman was clearly a challenge. It’s been a great experience and there’s a real sense of being privileged to be trying to do something that’s really worthwhile. As our slogan says, we’re involved in safeguarding our priceless heritage of cathedral music, and there’s little in my book more fulfilling that that. My concern is the way FCM isn’t recognised enough for what it is and my overall aim is to improve that concept externally and bring visionary and caring leadership from the inside.”

When Peter became FCM’s chairman he said “I will be more of a figurehead, banging the drum, getting a higher profile for cathedral music, steering us into new areas and looking for extra funding from corporate business, the lottery etc with no holes barred”. I asked him how he felt that has worked out looking at things six years later. “So far, so good.” he replied. “Our profile is continuing to rise and that’s thanks to the efforts of so many people, not least our President, Vice-Presidents and Patrons who are able to spread the word in places to which we have not previously had access. As far as funding is concerned, the vision is being realised but not as quickly as I would have hoped and the present economic climate is a serious worry and simply means that we must redouble our efforts in this regard. We have steps in hand to help reinvigorate our network of Diocesan Representatives and further ideas about growing our membership with new initiatives such as recruiting choristers who are about to leave their choirs. We are making progress by creating greater liaison with organisations such as the Royal School of Church Music. Overall, I see these hard times not as a threat but as a real business opportunity to grow.”

Peter is always willing to lend support where he can at National and Local Gatherings, and travels miles preaching the gospel of FCM. Retirement hasn’t meant a slowing down, “But it presents an opportunity to do more of the things I enjoy such as concert-going, opera, theatre, train-spotting good holidays and cooking when Angela is out JP-ing etc. I enjoy being on the Board of Governors of Glyndwr University at Wrexham and the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts which Paul McCartney founded”.

Peter and Angela are now living in London in an apartment overlooking the Thames at Battersea Reach. “We are still ‘sampling’ worship at various locations’ says Peter, ‘But we do like Southwark Cathedral (our Diocese), Westminster Abbey and St Mary’s Battersea, our nearest church”.

Finally I asked Peter if there was any one person who has influenced his life more than any other. “No, there are three” he replied. “First and foremost, Angela because she has managed to keep me on the straight and narrow, and stopped me doing all kinds of things I would have lived to regret. Then it is the late David Sheppard, the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool and the RC Archbishop, the late Derek Worlock. They were such exemplary leaders in so many different ways - peace-making, ecumenical development and civic responsibility – that they were a real inspiration to me in my role as Vice Chancellor at JMU.

When Peter eventually shuffles ‘off this mortal coil’, which we sincerely hope wont be for many years, he will not go quietly. Rather, he will, I’m sure, emulate the prophet Elijah who “went up by a whirlwind into heaven”. They will certainly know when he’s arrived.

Trevor Godfrey