s ▁tre ble ▁voice ▁broke ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 5 , ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁‘ art ic led ▁pup il ’ ▁to ▁Bre wer , ▁a ▁design ation ▁con not ing ▁a ▁three - year ▁app rent ices hip ▁in ▁organ , ▁ch oral ▁direction , ▁and ▁music ▁theory . ▁ ▁As ▁one ▁of ▁Bre wer ' s ▁art ic led ▁pup ils ▁S ums ion ▁was ▁following ▁in ▁the ▁foot steps ▁of ▁his ▁slightly ▁older ▁contempor aries , ▁Herbert ▁How ells ▁and ▁I vor ▁G ur ney . ▁ ▁S ums ion ▁passed ▁the ▁Associ ates hip ▁exam ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁College ▁of ▁Organ ists ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁and ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁joined ▁How ells ▁in ▁passing ▁the ▁Fellow ship ▁exam ; ▁though ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁ 1 7 , ▁S ums ion ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Tur pin ▁prize ▁for ▁the ▁second - high est ▁marks ▁in ▁the ▁practical ▁component . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁S ums ion ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁West min ster ▁R if les ▁and ▁spent ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁Fland ers ▁tren ches . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Gl ouc ester ▁c athedral ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁an ▁appointment ▁as ▁assistant ▁organ ist ▁to ▁Bre wer . ▁ ▁S ums ion ' s ▁duties ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁included ▁serving ▁as ▁accompan ist ▁for ▁the ▁Three ▁Ch oir s ▁Festival ▁Ch orus , ▁which ▁occasion