Organist and Choirmaster's Collection

Beating time continues as late Organist and Choirmaster's collection is to be sold.

The residual collection of the late Michael Peterson is to be sold at auction. The Organist and Master of the Choristers at both Tewkesbury Abbey and The Abbey School died in April this year, leaving an estate estimated to be £1.6 million. 

An auction by Simon Chorley Art and Antiques, to be held on 30^th November, includes many lots that graced Mr Peterson’s home in Tewkesbury. Oil paintings watercolours and prints begin the sale. The highlight of this section is a particularly beautiful 18^th century oil painting after the Italian Old Master Correggio, a scene depicting Mary, Jesus and St John hung in Mr Peterson’s hall from the time he arrived in Tewkesbury and is expected to achieve a price between £1200 and £1500 

19^th century Dresden porcelain is included with other porcelain and pottery from the organist’s estate and a pair of candelabra and pear shaped vases are expected to achieve £200 and £100 respectively. An interesting decanter box followed in the catalogue by four liqueur decanters and one glass, will be keenly contested against the reasonable estimates of £180 - £220 and £150 - £200. The postal scales with their weights that also resided in the hall are expected to sell for between £80 - £120.                    

Mr Peterson arrived in Tewkesbury on his retirement as organist of St Peters Church Bournemouth in 1966. Moving with him was his Nanny, and her two sisters; adorning their quarters within the house were several carriage clocks given two them as 21^st birthday presents. They add to the array of very interesting clocks in the sale and collectively are expected to realise between £650 - £850.

The furniture section of the catalogue includes two good sets of regency dining chairs, both ebony and parcel gilt, and with cane seats and backs, one set of eight and the other of six should achieve a sale room price of between £950-£1200 and £500-£700 respectively. 

Director of the firm of the auctioneers instructed in the sale, Simon Chorley, knew Mr Peterson throughout his time in Tewkesbury, “It is without doubt the most difficult estate I have had to deal with emotionally, being involved with both choral activities of the Abbey Choir and Abbey School Choir and as Chairman of the Governors residing over the recent closure of the Abbey School, many of the personal effects have left me tearful.” 

 “ I have known the antiques within the estate for many years, and when instructed to appraise them for sale I had to put the emotions behind me and realise what a varied collection Mr P had. I am sure many of his enormous circle of friends will attend the sale to and try and secure a memento of this truly remarkable, generous and unassuming man.”  

The date of the sale is Thursday 30th November 2006 at 10.30

with viewing days as follows:

Tuesday 28th November from 5pm – 7pm and Wednesday 29th November from 9am to 5pm.