The Precentor
Canon Patrick Woodhouse
The Precentor has oversight of the Cathedral’s music and liturgy. He is responsible for the work and welfare of the Cathedral’s organists and choirs and, in addition to the daily run of services, the Precentor is involved with planning special services and festivals. His particular concerns include the recovery of a more contemplative spirituality within the life of the church and a deeper understanding of, and respect for, other faith traditions.
Patrick was ordained in 1972, having been educated at Clifton College, Christ Church Oxford, and St John’s Nottingham. He served in city centre and suburban parishes, and had a period of ministry abroad in Tanzania before spending ten years in the church’s ministry of Social Responsibility as Adviser, successively, to the Dioceses of Carlisle and Winchester. In 1990 he became Vicar of St Andrew’s Chippenham, and in February 2000 he joined the Wells Cathedral Chapter as Precentor. His writings include Beyond Words, an introduction and guide for a contemplative way of prayer (Kevin Mayhew 2000), and With You is the Well of Life, a collection of prayers for private and public use (Kevin Mayhew 2005). Recently he published Etty Hillesum, a Life Transformed (Continuum 2009), the story of a young Jewish diarist who died in Auschwitz. Over the last three years he and his wife Sam have led a diocesan pilgrimage to south India each winter, exploring the practice of meditation in three faith traditions. Patrick and Sam have two daughters and five grandchildren.
