Merus

06/04/2026

And here it is …

05/04/2026

Homeward bound now after a busy 10 days at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney. Since last Friday, we've been supporting the intensity of Holy Week — from the Palm Sunday procession through Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, to the Easter Vigil and Easter Mass on Sunday morning.

This year we ran 21 cameras and multiple microphones, inside and out, producing coverage for the congregation in the Cathedral and for those at home. Not an insignificant task, and there’s very little downtime.

About twelve months on from the sound system renewal, the gremlins have been flushed out and the fundamentals are right. When services carry this much meaning, the technology needs to disappear so the focus stays where it belongs. There’s a quiet satisfaction in that.

Earlier this year the camera upgrade to HD was completed and the CD-quality audio is now settled. Of course, high-definition vision and sound also expose the small details — the ones that determine whether the outcome feels natural and believable, or whether it doesn’t. The job is simple to describe and hard to deliver: people at home should be able to watch and listen as if they were there; those in the Cathedral want clear, intelligible sound. Glitch-free. Clear pictures. Quality sound.

I’ve watched plenty of streamed services over the last couple of years. Some are excellent, some barely watchable, and the difference is rarely one thing. It isn’t just microphone choice, the placement, camera positions, processing or the mix — it’s the whole chain, and the judgement applied at every step.

There’s no manual for that. No textbook will teach you what “right” sounds like in a complex space. You have to listen through the layers until you can hear what each microphone is contributing — and care enough to keep listening and adjusting until it’s honest.

But of course things are never perfect. Whether it's YouTube that doesn't cope with the dynamic range or the unpredictable nature of live production where things change (often at the last minute) - always expect the unexpected.

But the heart of this is without quality at the source, there is no output. The drive of St Mary's Cathedral Choir, Sydney to keep building their repertoire, and the unwavering commitment of Daniel Justin and Simon Niemiński in pursuit of excellence, is a privilege to work alongside.

Quiet work, long hours, high stakes — and when it’s done properly, nobody notices.

Which is exactly the point.

20/02/2026

Made me chuckle ...

15/02/2026

Finally getting back into the right timezone after a busy trip to Barcelona, London and Glasgow. I was very fortunate to meet up with George Inscoe at St Pauls (thanks to Daniel Justin for the intro) to look at the super clear PA system, a sneak peek at the organ layout, and to hear about their plans for recording the choir. I also dropped into Westminster Cathedral which hasn’t really changed much since I first stepped in all those years ago.

07/02/2026

Great to have a few days in London - the main purpose is to spend time in some of the world’s most recognised cathedrals. Today it’s St Pauls where I’m looking at their sound system, specifically the speaker set up to see what lessons can be learned and transferred to St Mary’s. And, of course listen to the organ and choir - what a long reverb !!

14/01/2026

All systems go at St Mary’s today - nearly completed the live stream upgrade works. All coming together well.

06/01/2026

I’ve been researching choices for music at funerals this week, thinking of Jerusalem, How great thou art and emotionally charged pieces such as Ni**od but never did I think these pieces would feature as requested pieces of music, but what would I know??

As one organist once said to me - we provide a service.

25/12/2025

Time to close the faders, mute the microphones and finally sit down with a well earned glass of bubbles.

The past ten days have been busy - supporting Christmas concerts, multiple Masses and Vespers through one of the busiest periods in the Church’s calendar. Long hours, constant focus, responding to last minute requests and it’s the kind of work where, when done well almost no one notices.

Did everything go according to plan? Mostly, yes. And those parts that didn’t stayed firmly behind the scenes, where you will find me - my comfort zone.

What always strikes me at this time of the year is how much Christmas relies on people that are just doing their job, some visible, some invisible. Masters of Music, organists (and organ tuners), musicians, chaperones, lay clerks and of course the choristers whose dedication, discipline and craft create moments that mean so much to so many.

It’s a privilege to play just a small part in helping that all happen.

Wishing all our followers a very Merry Christmas and a genuine thank you to everyone who makes Christmas look, sound, feel and resonate the way it should.

18/12/2025

Fantastic and fitting endorsement of Tuesday’s musical feast - humbled to be a part again in 2025, and make a subtle contribute to the overall sound in the Cathedral.

Above: Carols at the Cathedral 2025- St Mary’s Cathedral Choir and Sinfonia Australis were conducted by Director of Music Daniel Justin. Photos: (Above and featured): Keith Saunders. J…

09/12/2025

State Funerals don’t happen often (thankfully) but when they do, working seamlessly behind the scenes to make sure it all ticks along nicely is the job at hand.

Today we are at St James’ in Sydney supporting the Prime Minister’s office, interfacing between news crews, the Director of Music and the clergy to deliver a quality outcome for the family.

11/11/2025

There's a particular moment, when working with choral recordings, where you're listening for something that isn't actually being sung.

It's the meeting point between the voices and the building itself.

St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney has a very distinct acoustic. The choir carries a clear, confident line - but the space adds a long, rich tail of sound that can just as easily smother it if you're not careful. Getting those two elements to sit together is never a technical exercise alone.

It's feel.

A sort of muscle that develops from years of knowing what 'right' sounds like.

I've just finished the final edits for a new recording the choir will soon release on CD to support their UK tour in 2026. Much of my work was simply listening - not for mistakes, but for balance. Ensuring the sound was direct enough to feel human, yet spacious enough to place you in St Mary's.

When it finally clicked, it didn't sound impresive.

It just sounded honest.

And that's usually when I know we're there.

St Mary's Cathedral Choir, Sydney