Music is an essential aspect of the life of a church, as is church-going in social history. AE Floyd was well known as St Paul's organist. When in June 1947 he unexpectedly resigned, he was succeeded in 1948 by Colin Campbell Ross, who made sweeping changes to the repertoire and his presence felt as an organist, choir director and orchestral conductor. His successor, Lance Hardy, another very capable organist, dispensed with professional singers, affecting on the musical performance of the choir, and so the scene changed.