HTR Magazine June21 Web - Flipbook - Page 11
THE REVD CANON PAUL ROSE
Last month we reported on the sad loss of Paul Rose, who was the Vicar of Rothwell
with Orton from 1984 to 1997 and also the Vicar of Rushton with Pipewell from 1987
to 1997. This month we would like to share from the tribute given by his son Edmond
at his funeral in Peterborough Cathedral on the 5th May 2021.
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PAUL ROSAMOND ROSE, 1932-2021
The apocryphal book, Ecclesiasticus,
encourages us to praise famous men.
Paul Rose may not have fulfilled all of
the characteristics listed in
Ecclesiasticus; he was no Enoch, Noah
or Abraham. But in his busy way he led
people, gave counsel, found out
musical tunes, was furnished with
ability. And he is praised and talked of
by many.
My father led a very full – some would
say a restless – life. He had numerous
interests – his own entry in the Nene
Valley Probus Club members’ directory
lists railways, music, travel, Germany,
singing and organ playing. That leaves
out many of the interests and activities
he was involved in at various times
from being a Samaritan to serving on
committees and boards of hospitals,
ruralpromotion agencies and charities.
His two principal life-long pillars were
his strong faith; and music. He was
born into a comfortable family of music
lovers. His maternal grandfather was
organist at St Thomas church in
Salisbury; his parents, keen string
players. He was brought up with great
German (or would be German)
composers ringing in his ears: Bach,
Brahms and Elgar. Their music
remained his favourites and were
represented in the music he chose for
his funeral.
At a young age, Paul was sent to a small
prep school in Kent, St Michael’s
Otford, which had an avowed aim to
foster vocations and it seems to have
been very successful in this case,
including giving Paul a respect for
proper liturgy which lasted throughout
his career.
By the time he left his secondary
school, Christ’s Hospital, he was already
facing the choice between the call of a
vocation in the church and his love of
music. Happily, he was able to combine
both, initially by being organ scholar at
his Cambridge college and later by
being closely involved in two annual
music festivals, at St Endellion in
Cornwall and the festival of music
within the liturgy at Edington in
Wiltshire.
His two stints as a Precentor, here at
Peterborough and later at Canterbury,
