Dr. A. E. Floyd

Whilst at Trinity Grammar School, Kew, Victoria, Bruce Naylor won a choral scholarship to St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, where at that time, Dr A E Floyd was organist and Master of the Choristers.
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Dr A E Floyd, a former organist of St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, often referred to St Peter's as that popish mass house on heresy hill.' So it was to some, but to Fr Wentzell it was very much a home where he learnt that very special gift he had of communicating through liturgical music and also where he learnt his religion under Fr Farnham Maynard in company with so many other young men of his vintage.

He was organist and Choirmaster at St Peter's from 1961-1962.

It was at St Peter's one year at High Mass on Pentecost Sunday that he had a spiritual experience about which he once or twice touched upon to his friends.Whatever form it took it certainly deeply effected his desire to proceed with preparations for ordination training.It was no doubt a seminal moment in his vocation.

He took a Bachelor's Degree in Music and Arts respectively at the University of Melbourne and read for ordination at St Francis College, Brisbane, and at Trinity College, Melbourne.He was ordained in 1966 and served his title at St Faith's Burwood.

In 1970 while extending his musical experience at Oxford and Paris, (where he was a student of the internationally renowned organist and teacher, Marie-Claire Alain and also of Anton Heiller) he was engaged in a ministry to undergraduates as a pastoral Chaplain at Magdalen College.

While Priest-organist at St George's Cathedral he brought the standard of music into line with the best of Cathedral music in Australia and indeed often eclipsed the accepted standards and patterns with his love and natural flair for the Baroque.

As founder of the Perth Organ Festival, an annual musical event in the city, he became an exponent of the work of some local composers.He also encouraged organ building in this State, often acting himself as advisor to many Churches who wished to have a suitable organ built for their Church.

He was also President of the Organ Society of Western Australia and before his death, in partnership with Annette Goerke, was performing a programme of the complete organ works of Bach, which was to spread over a series of concerts during the year.

He was a considerable communicator of his art, having taught the organ to a large number of students during the time he was in Western Australia.

Following so closely upon the glorious music at Easter this year (1973) it seemed impossible to learn, on the eve of Low Sunday, that all his gifts of music, personality and culture had abruptly come to an end on earth.It is unlikely that the special and individual style which was his alone will be repeated.

IX. MICHAEL DUDMAN 1973 -1975