AN ENDORSEMENT on the cover of Cloister promises that “readers still mourning the passing of Colin Dexter and John le Carré will have reason to rejoice.” My expectations were, therefore, high when I read Will Fraser’s first novel.

Cloister, however, is neither a whodunnit nor a spy thriller. It is an entertaining and thought-provoking reflection on the vocation of music contained in an engaging narrative that takes us into the world of cathedrals, with all their ambitions, tensions, and joys, as well the heady atmosphere of the blues.

As an Anglican choir director, blues specialist, and award-winning filmmaker (about both classical and blues music), Fraser is well qualified to meditate on the juxtaposition of, and harmony between, these genres.

Set mainly in early-1990s Bristol, the plot involves the return of a young organist, Matthew, from his post in Germany to attend the funeral of his old teacher and cathedral organist, Richard. Matthew, perhaps presumptuously, assumes that he will be Richard’s successor as director of music in the cathedral. Of course, this does not go to plan, and the flawed incumbent of the post, Geraint, becomes a thorn in our protagonist’s side as Matthew takes up the position of assistant organist.

Matthew’s musical and personal worlds are challenged and enlightened by encountering a blues singer, Chloë, a relationship that shows potential, but for the arrival of Chloë’s dangerous and obsessive ex-lover from Southern America. The story weaves to a tantalising twist, in which lives are transformed, for better and for worse.

For those involved in church or cathedral music, or the blues, there is plenty of accurate descriptive detail. For me, the text would have benefited from more ruthless editing, to create a shorter work that drives the drama forward at a brisker pace towards its climax. But this is a quibble about what is an enjoyable delve into a world of music, obsession, and death which, perhaps, challenges and questions our own assumptions, too. 

The Revd Dr Jonathan Arnold is Michael Ramsey Professor of Faith, Culture and the Arts at the University of Kent, and Executive Director of the Social Justice Network, in the diocese of Canterbury.

Cloister
Will Fraser
New Generation Publishing £18.99
(978-1-83563-527-8)
Church Times Bookshop £17.09