The Organ Scholars of Worcester College, Oxford.
Henry James Martin Dalton (1952)
James Dalton studied at the Royal College of Music with George Thalben-Ball and (when Thalben-Ball was away for a term) with Ralph Downes. This turned out to be of enormous importance, particularly as it came at the time when Downes was working on the completion of the Royal Festival Hall organ. On leaving the RCM, James was encouraged by Downes to travel to The Netherlands, where he met Dirk Flentrop (Downes arranged this) and visited magnificent organs such as the Van Hagerbeer/Schnitger organ at Alkmaar. James’s reminiscences of this visit—after taking the ferry to the Hoek, he cycled his way north to the Flentrop factory and then on to Alkmaar—and of this seminal period are recounted by him in a recent article in the BIOS Journal (2014) dedicated to the RFH organ. James Dalton subsequently became organ scholar at Worcester College, Oxford and then graduate assistant at Oberlin College, Ohio and organist of Wesleyan University, Connecticut. He became organist of The Queen’s College, Oxford in 1957, a post he held until 1995, when he was made an emeritus Fellow. He was also a Fellow of The Queen’s College, and a university lecturer in music.
http://www.queens.ox.ac.uk/academics/other-fellows/emeritus-fellows/
https://www.rco.org.uk/news_displaystory.php?newsid=259
Richard Jeremy Drakeford (1955)
Born in Southwark (London), Drakeford became a composition pupil of Herbert Howells and Edmund Rubbra and studied at Worcester College, Oxford, where he was the Organ Scholar between 1955 and 1958.[2] He was one of the founders, in 1961, of the Little Missenden [Music] Festival and acted as its Music Advisor until his death. Several of his compositions were published by Novello. He was also active as a music teacher and critic, writing for several publications including The Musical Times. He taught music at Harrow School between 1961 and 1985, serving as the school's Director of Music from 1976-79 and head of academic music 1979-85. One of the few composers to have written and dedicated a set of Canticles to Worcester College. He achieved a 1st in Finals.
http://www.organ-biography.info/index.php?id=Drakeford_Richard_1936
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Drakeford
Robert James Neil Stewart (1958)
Notes on the early days of Minehead and Exmoor Festival by founder Tim Reynish
Over the coming years, the shape settled down to a first week which would include school concerts, brass bands, Morris dancing, jazz and a revue, with a second week of chamber and orchestral music. The principal conductor in those early days was Robert Stewart, one of the most talented musicians we knew, pianist, organist, bassoonist, composer, repetiteur and a conductor of enormous charisma. Elected organ scholar at Worcester College Oxford, he died far too young, but life was certainly merry. There were many wonderful performances for West Somerset to enjoy under his baton, a large chunk of Bartered Bride at one Summer Serenade, Bach and Handel in Dunster Church (strangely poor acoustic but what an incomparable setting) StraussMetamorphosen, concertos with soloists such as Campoli, Dennis Matthews, Liza Fuchsova and Yaltah Menuhin. Chamber music highlights included Leon Goossens and the Dartington Quartet giving the world premiere of Elizabeth Lutyen’s Fall of the Leafe.
1966 had a memorable Summer serenade on that fateful day whenEngland beat Germany in the World Cup. Our librarian, HenryScheuer played second flute, wicket keeper and goalie for the CBSO and despite an incredibly thick accent, was more English than the English and used to swear endlessly about “those bloody foreigners”. On the day of the final, his loyalties were somewhat divided, but he solved the dilemma by bringing down Merrie England by Edward German.
In 1968, we were hit by a cancellation from our conductor, Robert, who had a tour of “Robert and Elizabeth” extended.
http://freespace.virgin.net/crispin.hodges/ReynishNotes.html
A former Chorister contacted this site to reminice of an arrangement made by RJS for Rubbra (who would have been fellow at that time) of Adam Lay Bounden, and of recording the Silver Swan with him, Humprhey Norrington and Roger Lawrence.
Steuart John Rudolph Bedford (1961)
Steuart John Rudolf Bedford (born 31 July 1939, London) is a British orchestral and opera conductor. He is the brother of composer David Bedford and a grandson of Liza Lehmann. Bedford is particularly associated with the music of Benjamin Britten, and conducted the world premiere of Death in Venice in 1973. Bedford has also conducted Britten's other operas, and made an orchestral suite of music from Death in Venice. Between 1974 and 1998, he was one of the Artistic Directors of the Aldeburgh Festival. In 1989, he became joint artistic director with Oliver Knussen. His other work in contemporary opera has included conducting the 1996 world premiere in Monte Carlo of Lowell Liebermann's The Picture of Dorian Gray and also the 1999 US premiere. Bedford has conducted several commercial recordings of Britten operas, including the first recording of Death in Venice (Decca), as well as The Turn of the Screw (Collins Classics, since reissued on Naxos) He has also recorded his Death in Venice suite and the major vocal cycles by Britten.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steuart_Bedford
Christopher Gordon Swain (1964)
Christopher Swain was born, sang as a boy chorister and began learning piano and organ in Coventry. He became an Associate of the Royal College of Organists at the age of 16, and subsequently a Fellow. He was awarded an Organ Scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford, and remained after graduation to do research and teach. He was, for a number of years, Director of Music and Organist at Manchester College (now Harris Manchester College, Oxford).
After a further year’s study at Selwyn College, Cambridge, Christopher became a school master. He was Director of Music at Colston’s School in Bristol from 1975 until 1983 and at Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire from 1983 until 2008. Here, as well as teaching A level and GCSE music, he conducted the Choir, Orchestra and String Group, and organised concert tours to France, Spain, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy and the USA.
He founded Wycliffe Choral Society for parents, staff and friends of the College in 1983. He has been Organist and Choirmaster at St Mary’s Church, Painswick since April 2003, is an examiner for the Royal School of Church Music and is frequently invited to serve as an adjudicator.
Nicholas Randall Cleobury (1968)
Nicholas Cleobury was born in Bromley in 1950 and educated at King's School Worcester and as Organ Scholar at Worcester College, Oxford, winning the Limpus Prize in his FRCO. Early in his career he was Assistant Organist at Christ Church, Oxford and Director of the Schola Cantorum, then Chorus Master at Glyndebourne and Assistant Director of the BBC Singers.
Subsequently his conducting career developed more widely and he has conducted all the major orchestras and opera companies in the UK, notably for the BBC and many times at the Proms. He has conducted extensively abroad, particularly in all parts of Europe (extensively at Zurich Opera) and Scandinavia, but also in Australia, South Africa, Singapore and the USA. He is a fervent champion of New Music and education in music, broadcasts regularly on BBC and Classic fm and has an extensive discography, most recently with the Britten Sinfonia and Royal Philharmonic.
In the 1980s he was Principal Opera Conductor at the Royal Academy of Music (where he is an Hon RAM) and Founder Director of Aquarius. He founded the Britten Sinfonia in the early 90s when he was also Music Director of Broomhill Opera.
At present he is Associate Director of the Orchestra of the Swan, Principal Conductor of the Oxford Bach Choir and Artistic director of the Canterbury based Sounds New (which is the leading contemporary music organisation in Kent and beyond) and for the 2006 Mozart Now.
http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/support/registry/graduation/cathedral/fellows/fellows05.asp#cleobury
Denis Kiddy (1971)
Elected as the Organ Scholar and Choral Director, Dennis earned his master's degree in music at Worcester College , Oxford University . As an experienced music educator, he spent many years as Director of Music in a number of prestigious independent schools in the United Kingdom, most notably at St. Edmund's School in Canterbury. During his tenure in Canterbury, he was responsible for the general musical education of the 30 choristers of Canterbury Cathedral and numerous other music scholars, many of whom have gone on to pursue international careers in music.
Prior to coming to Hong Kong in 2004, Dennis spent a number of years in Thailand where he was invited to set up the inaugural Music Department of the prestigious Harrow International School. He also lectured in theory, history and analysis at Mahidol University's College of Music in Bangkok before taking up the post of Director of Music at the Thai national representative office of Trinity College, London.
Among other initiatives, he re-organised the teaching of theory to extend the examination success rate to diploma level (AMusTCL) and also devised several support courses in General Musicianship for practical candidates of the Trinity College examinations.
Dennis has commissioned and directed the first performances of many choral and instrumental works. These include Carmina Bellociana by Gordon Jacob, Blues with Fanfares by Gabriel Jackson, Seven Proverbs for Five Brass by Derek Bourgeois, and numerous sacred choral works by Herbert Sumsion, including They that go down to the sea in ships . His own latest composition ?Six Songs for Serious Subjects ?was published in July, 2007.
From 2004-2015 he worked freelance in Hong Kong as a teacher, lecturer and arts journalist for the South China Morning Post. In 2013 he became Editor for the website and global marketing initiatives of Naxos, the classical music record label and the world's largest group of classical music companies. He retains this post in Bangkok, having relocated back there in 2015.
http://www.academy.com.hk/pages/dk.html
Marcus Huxley (1972)
Marcus Huxley read Modern Languages at Oxford University and studied the organ in Paris with Marie-Claire Alain. On his return to Oxford he was elected Organ Scholar of Worcester College, where he directed the Chapel Choir and read for a degree in Music. He went directly from Oxford to be Assistant Organist of Ripon Cathedral, where he also lectured at the University College of Ripon and York St John. While in Yorkshire he founded the York Early Music Choir and was Conductor of both the Ilkley and Otley Choral Societies.
In 1986 he was appointed to his present position as Director of Music at Birmingham Cathedral. Under his direction the Cathedral Choir has given first performances of works by John Joubert, Alan Ridout, Andrew Downes, Andrew Carter and John Sanders, most of which were specially commissioned. He also oversaw, in 1992, the setting up of the Cathedral Girls’ Choir, one of the first in the country. Over the last few years the Cathedral Choir has collaborated with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Emma Kirkby, the Choir of King’s College Cambridge, St Paul’s Cathedral Choir, the Richard Hickox Singers, the San Francisco Boys’ Chorus and many other distinguished musicians.
Marcus has appeared as Guest Conductor with Kidderminster Choral Society and as organist with the CBSO, Ex Cathedra, the Tallis Scholars, the Dresden Kreuzchor and the Swingle Singers. He is also an Examiner for the Associated Board.
Awards & Prizes
• St Albans International Organ Competition 1977: joint 2nd prize in Interpretation & Audience Prize
Publications
• Of A Rose (Banks Music Publications)
• Article in Cathedral Music 2006/1
• Regular reviews for Organists' Review and Mastersinger
http://www.conservatoire.bcu.ac.uk/profiles/marcus-huxley
Colin Anthony Pettet (1973)
Colin has his own website:
He worked for twenty five years as assistant Musical Director on the West End Production of Les Miserables. He is a pianist, organist, musical director, arranger and teacher, equally at home in classical, jazz and popular music.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/colin-pettet-q1261540/credits/all
He may have attended Wolverhampton Grammar School
Christopher Michael John Barton (1975)
Christopher Barton was born in London and was, from 1975 to 1978, Organ Scholar of Worcester ollege, Oxford. He also studied organ with Richard Popplewell and James Dalton, and composition with Edmund Rubbra. In 1979 he was appointed to his present post of Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Woolos Cathedral, Newport, one of the six cathedrals of the Church-in-Wales. Here he is able to indulge to the full his passionate love of choirtraining, and under his direction the choir of boys and men has broadcast frequently and toured widely both inland and overseas (Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Belgium and Canada), as well as fulfilling its prime responsibility of providing choral worship at the cathedral. Many new works have been written for the cathedral choir, by such eminent composers as William Mathias, Herbert Sumsion, Philip Moore, Richard Shephard, Robert Ashfield, Elis Pehkonen, John Sanders, Andrew Seivewright, and Adrian Williams amongst many others. In 1996 he was also appointed Assistant Regional Director with responsibility for South Wales for the Royal School of Church Music; in 2000 he received the honorary award of Associate of the Royal School of Church Music, and in 2001 the Archbishop of Wales Award in Church Music, both in recognition of his outstanding contributions to church and cathedral music in and beyond Wales. From 1985 to 1998 he was also Music Director of the Dyfed Choir, one of the leading mixed voice choirs of the country, and with that choir and many nationally and internationally renowned soloists and orchestras he has conducted many major choral works including Bach’s Mass in B minor, Christmas Oratorio and the St John Passion and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. Their final concert together, in October 1998 was a performance of Dvorak’s Stabat Mater in the Smetana Hall in Prague with soloists and orchestra from the Czech National Opera; he returned to the choir to guest conduct a performance of Bach’s Mass in B minor in St David’s Cathedral last summer. The magnificent rebuild of St Woolos Cathedral organ in 1997 by Nicholsons has led to a renewed interest in playing the organ, and recent recitals have included Brecon, Bristol, Carlisle, Hereford, Clifton, Chester, St Asaph, Leicester, Dunblane, St Giles (Edinburgh), St Machar’s (Aberdeen) and St Woolos Cathedrals, St Mary Redcliffe, Cartmel Priory, Tewkesbury Abbey (two), Bath Abbey, Grimsby Parish Church, Leominster Priory (two for the Leominster Festival), Ludlow Parish Church and the National Museum of Wales (three), Leeds Town Hall, the Caird Hall, Dundee, and the magnificent Hradetsky organ of St Salvator’s Chapel at the University of St Andrews, as well many other churches and also concerts in Germany. Christopher Barton is also active as a teacher, with many students at Monmouth School and Rougemont School, as well as private pupils. What little spare time is available is spent walking, reading and enjoying the theatre.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stwooloscc/Biographies/Barton.htm (photo here)
Neil Sissons (1977)
Neil Sissons studied organ at The Royal College of Music (with Richard Popplewell) subsequently gaining an organ scholarship to Oxford University, where he read music. Since graduating he has had an extremely diverse musical career including....
• Repetiteuring for the Batignano opera festival and for the BBC 3 "Flashmob" operas
• Teaching general musicianship at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
• Accompanying at the Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth hall on the South Bank
• Playing at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in Soho
• Teaching small children to play the piano
• Teaching actors to read music (including Ewan McGregor and Joseph Fiennes)
• Arranging and conducting for a Frances Ruffelle album (produced by Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet)
• Accompanying Stephen Varcoe in lieder
• Trying to teach piano to Beryl Bainbridge, but mostly drinking whisky instead
• Conducting the track "Red Right Hand" sung by Nick Cave, for the film "Scream III" at Abbey Road
• Concerts with baroque flautist Stephen Preston
• Conducting The Soviet State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography, in Moscow
• Writing "Read Music from Scratch" for Boosey & Hawkes
• Playing the organ at Shillingstone parish church
http://www.musicatgmc.org.uk/past-events-2007/2007-summer-recitals/
Gareth Green (1979)
MA (Oxon), MA (Leeds), FRCO (CHM), FLCM, ARCM
Gareth Green achieved his first musical diplomas at the age of fifteen. By the age of 18, he had collected the Dixon and Turpin prizes for FRCO and was already engaged as a recitalist around Europe. Following his time as a Junior Exhibitioner at the Royal College of Music, Gareth spent a year at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London as Organ Scholar, before going up to Worcester College Oxford, again as Organ Scholar. On graduation, he became Organ Scholar at Canterbury Cathedral before taking up the position of Assistant Organist at Wakefield Cathedral in 1983. In 1985, he was appointed Director of Music at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, leaving in 1990 to pursue his free-lance interests as an organ recitalist, accompanist, adjudicator, Associated Board examiner, and composer/arranger. He has also worked for BBC Religious Broadcasting as a musical director for `Daily Service` and as an organist & pianist on `Songs of Praise`, `Sunday Half Hour`, `Chorister of the Year Finals` etc. Gareth has released various recordings, both as a soloist and choral accompanist, and his musical endeavours have taken him as far afield as America, Bermuda, Hong Kong and Singapore. He is one of the two choral directors for the popular “Come and Sing” weekends organised by `Music Matters`, at which new participants are always welcome. Gareth is a member of the panel of Trainers for the Associated Board and is one of their International Co-ordinators. He offers consultation lessons at his home in South Yorkshire and does plenty of coaching with singers and instrumentalists. He also teaches theory of music online/ by correspondence. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking, swimming and consuming blue Yorkie bars. You can discover more about him and about the fun-packed “Come and Sing” weekends via his website at www.gareth-music.org.uk
http://schoolofeverything.com/teacher/garethgreen
David Halls
Director of Music, Salisbury Cathedral
David Halls was born in 1963 and was taught the piano and cello from the age of four. Whilst a pupil at Harrogate Grammar School, he was assistant Organist at St. Wilfrid's Harrowgate, studied the organ with Ronald Perrin at Ripon Cathedral and later with Thomas Trotter in London.
David won an Organ Scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford and graduated in 1984 with an Honours Degree in Music. He passed both the Associate and Fellowship Examinations of The Royal College of Organists in the same year, being awarded five prizes and the Silver Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians.
He studied in Winchester for a post-graduate Certificate in Education and was Organ Scholar of Winchester Cathedral under the guidance of Martin Neary and James Lancelot.
In September 1985 he was appointed Assistant Organist of Salisbury Cathedral and Director of Music of Salisbury Cathedral School. In addition to his daily duties in the cathedral, he has toured France, Holland and the USA with the cathedral choirs and has appeared as conductor, accompanist and soloist in many concerts and recordings. In demand as a recitalist, he has recorded two solo CD's on the Willis Organ in Salisbury Cathedral. He is also active as a composer and has choral works published in the UK and USA. He regularly plays harpsichord for the Sarum Chamber Orchestra and has deputised for David Hill by taking rehearsals of the Bach Choir. In September 2000 he took up the new full-time post of Organist and Assistant Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral.
He is a member of the Salisbury Diocesan Choral Festival Group, regularly conducting Diocesan Choir Festivals, and he is an Organ Consultant to the Diocese of Salisbury. He conducts the Salisbury Musical Society and the Salisbury Orchestral Society. Recent works conducted include Britten's St. Nicolas, Noye's Fludde (recorded for BBC TV) and The Burning Fiery Furnace, Janacek's Glagolitic Mass, Poulenc's Stabat Mater, Elgar's Sea Pictures and Holst's The Planets and forthcoming work includes Dvorak's Stabat Mater and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4.
http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/music.david.php
Philip Howard Crookes (1983)
It has not been possible, yet, to find out anything about this organ scholar.
Andrew Charles Severin Johnstone
http://people.tcd.ie/johnstoa
Andrew Johnstone, The English Services and Anthems of William Byrd, Woodbridge, Boydell & Brewer, 2012
Andrew Johnstone, Tallis’s Service “Of Five Parts Two In One” Re-Evaluated, Canons and Canonic Techniques, 14th–16th Centuries, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 5–7 October 2005, edited by Katelijne Schiltz and Bonnie J. Blackburn , Peeters Publishers, 2007, pp375 - 399
Andrew Johnstone, “High” Clefs in Composition and Performance, Early Music, 34, (1), 2006, p29 - 54
Notes: [Correspondence prompted by this article appeared in vol.35 p. 166]
Url
Andrew Johnstone, “As it Was in the Beginning”: Organ and Choir Pitch in Early Anglican Church Music, Early Music, 31, (4), 2003, p506 - 525
Notes: [Correspondence prompted by this article appeared in vol. 32 (2004), pp 348–9.]
Url
Andrew John Post (1986)
Andrew Post was born in 1966. His early musical experience was shaped by his being a chorister under the legendary Dr. Sir George Thalben-Ball, rising to become head chorister in the Temple Church choir. Whilst Organ Scholar at Tewkesbury Abbey he won the Organ Scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford. His first Cathedral appointment was at Salisbury where he was Deputy assistant organist, before moving to Lincoln Cathedral in 1995 as Assistant Organist. Between 1996 and 2006 Andrew was been Director of Music at the Priory, and now lives in Salisbury with his wife and three children. He owns Vif record, for which he produces and records.
Adrian Bawtree (1988)
Adrian is Organist at Christ’s Hospital. After 22 years in the music business, he still retains his passion for teaching the organ, for giving solo organ recitals and for accompanying choirs. The majority of his work has been in the South of England, most notably with the BBC Singers, but he has also undertaken tours to the USA in one direction and to Hungary and the Czech Republic in the other.
Adrian was educated at Christ’s Hospital, the Royal Academy of Music and Worcester College, Oxford. During this time he studied the organ with David Sanger and then with other great organists in this country as well as abroad. As a church organist, he was Organ Scholar at St Bride’s Church Fleet Street, Director of Music at St Mary’s Portsea and then St Peter’s Hammersmith. In 1992 he won the silver medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians for coming top of the class in the FRCO exam. He is currently engaged in schools outreach work in conjunction with the Royal College of Organists – seeking to reveal the organ as an engineering, artistic, architectural and musical masterpiece – a truly Wondrous Machine!
Adrian studied orchestral conducting at the Royal College of Music on a post-graduate course which he completed with distinction. He is the musical director of Worthing Choral Society and conductor of the Weald Choir of Crawley, and is a guest conductor for the Dorking Chamber Orchestra and Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra. Previous conducting appointments have been Harpenden Choral Society, Guy’s King’s and Thomas’ Medical Schools Music Society and Southampton University Chamber Choir.
Away from the organ and conducting, Adrian enjoys composing. His latest piece is called Footsteps along the road which was inspired by poetry written by elderly people from Guild Care, a day centre in Worthing. This was premiered in the Worthing Assembly Rooms in July 2008 in front of a capacity attendance. Adrian is passionate about inter-generational music. All this has been inspired by his work with the Silver Songs Clubs set up by Sing for your life. He has also worked as a tutor at the Orpheus Centre, a performing arts organisation for people with disabilities founded by Richard Stilgoe.
Finally, his enthusiasm for teaching and communication led him to set up Conducting Business which demonstrates Management Development and Leadership issues within the context of music making. This venture is flourishing with some highly successful sessions having taken place in England and Scotland.
http://www.adrianbawtree.com/profile.html
Neil Elliott Weston (1990)
CD - In His Temple - The Church Music of Elgar in Washington DC
The Choir and Organ of St Paul's, Rock Creek Parish, Washington DC, Graham Elliott (director), Neil Weston (organ)
1996 Assistant organist Chelmsford
A native of England, Neil Weston was a treble chorister at Chichester Cathedral and an entrance scholar in music at Harrow School. He went on to study at the Universities of Oxford and London, and at the Royal Academy of Music. He also holds the Associateship Diploma of the Royal College of Music, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. For four years he was Assistant Master of the Music at Chelmsford Cathedral, before moving to the United States. He has held positions at two Episcopal churches in the Washington, DC area, and is currently the Director of Liturgical Music at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Annandale, Virginia. He is active as a conductor and performer and has appeared as a soloist, continuo player, and conductor in the Kennedy Center, the National Cathedral, and other major venues in the city. He was awarded second prize in the final of the AGO National Competition in Organ Improvisation in July 2002.
Neil Weston is Assistant Conductor of the Alexandria Choral Society; Keyboard Artist of the Washington Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra; and organ teacher at Northern Virginia Community College.
Alexander Mason
"formidable technique...impeccable sense of proportion...sheer variety of invention"
Review from The Organ of "Beyond the Score" CD of organ improvisations recorded in Gloucester Cathedral
"...an important contribution to the new English Renaissance in organ improvisation... a truly inventive and fluent musical talent"
Critics Choice, Gramophone Magazine
Alexander Mason took up the post of Organist and Master of the Choristers at St David's Cathedral, Pembrokeshire in September 2007. This followed his time at Lichfied Cathedral, where he was appointed Assistant Organist in September 2002. He is also Associate Conductor of the Lichfield Cathedral Chamber Choir and Founder-Director of the Lichfield Cathedral School girls' Choir. He previously held posts at St Bride's Fleet Street as organ scholar, HM Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace as Assistant Organist, All Saints' Fulham as Director of Music and King's College School, Wimbledon as Organist.
Alexander Mason was born in Cheltenham in 1974 and was educated at The King's School Gloucester where he was a chorister and organ scholar at Gloucester Cathedral. He continued his education at Worcester College Oxford, The Royal Conservatory The Hague and at The Royal College of Music. His teachers have included David Sanger, Jos van der Kooy and Paul Spicer. He became an FRCO aged 18, winning the Turpin, Durrant and Dixon prizes and later received awards from the Countess of Munster, Ian Fleming and Eric Thompson trusts to support his studies abroad.
Well known as an organist-improviser, Alexander has won prizes at international competitions: Grand Prix d'Improvisation , Biarritz 2001 - 1st prize and variation prize; Tournemire Prize, St Alban's 1997 - runner-up. His debut solo CD of improvisations, Beyond the Score, earned a Critic's Choice in Gramophone 2001 and has featured on BBC Radio 3. In November 2003 he became only the second organist to improvise 'live' at the end of BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong from Lichfield. He teaches improvisation at the Birmingham Conservatoire and has given masterclasses at the Royal College of Music, The Charles Wood Summer School, Northern Ireland and for the Royal College of Organists.
His growing reputation has led to recitals at the Cheltenham, Norwich, Petworth and City of London Festivals, and at major UK venues including Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral. Tours abroad have taken him to Bermuda, France, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Norway and Switzerland. He works regularly as an accompanist and continuo player for the Birmingham Bach Choir, Ex Cathedra, Tenebrae, ECO and ESO. In addition he has recorded for The Vicar of Dibley (BBC 1) and featured on Howard Goodall's Organ Works (Chanel 4).
He is currently Director of Chapel Music at Shrewsbury School
http://www.ctcinternationalartists.com/popup.cfm?p_n=369790&p_i=369790
Simon Whalley (Director of Chapel Music)
Matthew John Raisbeck (1994)
Matthew educated at Eastbourne College where he held Music and Organ scholarships. After a year as Organ Scholar of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, he read music at Worcester College, Oxford where he was Organ Scholar. There he conducted a number of choirs including the choir of Oxford University Press, The Cherwell Singers and the specialist contemporary repertoire choir Musica Beata. At present he is Programme Director for Sing For Your Life, a charity which uses music to tackle mental health issues in the elderly.
Christopher Charles Sparkhall (1995)
Christopher Sparkhall began learning the organ at the age of 10. Within a year he was assistant organist at his local parish church, playing for services and accompanying the choir in concerts. He attended the King's School in Gloucester and was organ scholar at the cathedral during his last year there. Having gained the prize for the highest mark in A level music in 1995, Chris left Kings and took up the organ scholarship at Worcester College Oxford. During his time as senior organ scholar he re-introduced tours and made the first choir CD, 'Christmas Carols from Oxford' which was commissioned by the 'Past Times' chain of shops. In his final year he gained his ARCO. Leaving Oxford in 1998, Chris studied for a PGCE at Cambridge, filling in time singing in Peterhouse Chapel Choir. He was appointed Assistant Director of Music at Canford School in 1999 and took on the position of Organist at St Mary's Church, Fordingbridge in 2000. He was appointed Director of Music at Canford School in September 2005.
Myles Hartley (1997)
Myles Hartley was born in Whitehaven, Cumbria, in 1977. Whilst a chorister at Exeter College, Oxford, he began organ playing under Richard Tanner before gaining a Music Scholarship to Radley College, continuing studies with Robert Gower and David Sanger. Myles spent a year as Organ Scholar of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, before going to Worcester College, Oxford, fulfilling his duties as Organ Scholar alongside his degree studies in Music. Having been Organist of St. Alban’s Church, Oxford, and a teacher of music at the Royal Latin School, Buckingham, Myles is now Organ Scholar at Harris Manchester College, undertaking post-graduate research into the music of the seventeenth-century composer, William Child. A Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, he accompanies choirs and gives recitals extensively. Non-musical interests include cooking and conjuring, occasionally at the same time!
http://www.divine-art.com/AS/hartley.htm
Sholto Kynoch (1998)
Sholto Kynoch was born in 1979 and was an Organ Scholar of Worcester College, Oxford before beginning postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Michael Dussek and Malcolm Martineau and most recently at the Guildhall School of Music with Ronan O'Hora and Graham Johnson. He was awarded an entrance scholarship to the Royal Academy where he won the Michael Head Song Accompaniment Prize. Other awards come from the Musicians' Benevolent Fund and Leverhulme Trust. As a member of the Prometheus Piano Trio he won the 2005 Anglo-Czechoslovak award. Recent events include a performance at the Wigmore Hall with violinist Kaoru Yamada, at the Oxford Lieder Festival with mezzo-soprano Sarah Walker and a composer portrait for the 2005 BBC Proms which is also broadcast on Radio 3. He is class accompanist to several singing professors and official audition accompanist at the Guildhall School of Music and Royal Academy of Music.
http://www.paxosfestival.org.uk/sept05/students.html
Judy Martin (Director of Chapel Music)
Judy Martin was organ scholar of Selwyn College, Cambridge between 1986 and 1989, where she studied conducting under Dr Andrew V. Jones. On graduating, she worked as an organist and conductor with posts at Exeter College, The Queen’s College and Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. At this time, she founded the nine-voice professional vocal ensemble, Voces Sacrae, a group she continues to direct. Voces Sacrae has recorded for BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4 and on national television in Australia, and has performed at venues both at home and abroad. The group has recorded seven compact discs, most of which feature first recordings of contemporary sacred music, including the music of Michael Finnissy, Gabriel Jackson, Michael Berkeley, Edmund Rubbra, Bob Chilcott and Magnus Williamson.
In 1991 Judy spent six months in Sydney, as part of the Music Department at Christchurch St Laurence, conducting, teaching and playing the organ. She also holds a PGCE (Secondary) Music qualification and in 1995, after two years of teaching, she was appointed Head of Music at The Abbey School, Reading, UK. Having relinquished this post in order to pursue a career as a conductor and teacher, Judy co-founded the professional eight-voice choir at the church of St Mary Magdalen in Oxford, with whom she performed and recorded regularly in association with Oxford University Press, promoting contemporary choral repertoire. In 2001, she was appointed Director of Chapel Music at Worcester College, Oxford, where, in addition to maintaining the college’s chapel choir of men and boys, she also founded a new mixed choir which rapidly gained an excellent reputation both within the university and further afield.
Judy is actively involved with Royal School of Church Music choirs and courses. She was, until recently, Assistant Director of the RSCM Southern Cathedral Singers. She has also been a tutor of the RSCM Millennium Youth Choir, which performed in London’s Millennium Dome on New Year’s Eve 1999.
Judy was appointed to the post of Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin in 2003. Her work there centres on the provision of music for the five choral services held in the Cathedral each week during term time. She maintains a high profile in the musical life of the city and is in demand as an adjudicator for choral competitions both in Dublin and around the country. She directs both the Cathedral Choir and the Cathedral’s Girls’ Choir. This work, together with her enthusiasm for the promotion of contemporary choral music, maintains the educational ethos which has been part of the life of the Cathedral for the past 500 years.
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Tristan Russcher (1999)
Born in Perth, Western Australia, Tristan Russcher has been playing the piano since he was three years old. At the age of 14, at the time the youngest ever in Western Australia, he was awarded his Associate Diploma in Music (A.Mus.A), along with the Australian Music Education Board award for outstanding piano recital and best A.Mus.A performance. In 1996 he began to study the organ with Ian Hockley and in 1997 obtained a full music scholarship to study at Ampleforth College, York, where he gained his ALevels. In October 1999 he gained an unconditional entry to Worcester College, Oxford to take up the position as Organ Scholar, where he studied the organ with David Goode and was tutored by Robert Saxton. He graduated in 2003 with a BA in Music. Tristan was awarded the Organ Scholarship at Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin for the period 2003-2005. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and has an active recital program around Dublin. In 2005 Tristan was runner-up in the Pipeworks International Organ Competition.
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