Biographies

John read music and held the university organ scholarship at the University of Bristol, before being appointed organ scholar at Chichester Cathedral and latterly Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. Whilst there he studied organ with Tristan Russcher and Andrew Johnstone, and conducting with Judy Martin. John became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 2014.

John spent three years as teacher of music and organist at Loretto School, Edinburgh. He sang counter-tenor at St. Mary’s Cathedral and during this time accompanied the choir on a tour of the Far East. John’s teaching then took him to Berkshire where he served as Head of Co-Curricular Music at Bradfield College. Whilst there he led the choir on tour to New York and Boston, and campaigned successfully for the restoration of the college organ, which was completed this October. John was appointed Director of Music at King’s School Rochester in September 2017 and oversaw the fundraising and opening recital of the new Bechstein 7’6″ grand piano in December 2018. He conducts both the Senior Choir and school orchestra, challenging them and enjoying watching them all rise to each challenge.

Separate to his teaching work, John often collaborates with young performers as an accompanist in exams and recitals. John has served as assistant staff and organist on the Eton Choral Courses since 2010. In his capacity as an organist, John’s career has taken him to some of England’s finest organs both as an accompanist and a recitalist. One of his favourite instruments to play is the organ of Bristol Cathedral, which is affectionately known in the trade as ‘Aunt Elizabeth’. As a conductor, John has had the pleasure of conducting Bradfield Choral Society, and founding the Berkley Singers, Bristol. He currently directs the school’s choral society ‘King’s Chorus’ and is delighted to have been appointed Director of Music of Rochester Choral Society, having first joined the team as their accompanist in January 2019. He looks forward to all the exciting concerts and projects to come.

When not playing, conducting or teaching, John submitted his edition of a newly-discovered mass by Dionisius Prioris (c1450-c1515) for a Master of Arts at the University of York in January 2020. At all other spare moments in the day, John enjoys spending time with his wife Harriet and their two children, Millie and Arthur.

Jeremy is the Assistant Director of Music and Sub Organist at Rochester Cathedral, a role he has held since September 2018, in which he accompanies and conducts the cathedral choirs on a daily basis, and teaches Organ and Piano at the King’s School, Rochester.

Jeremy is a prize-winning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied the Organ with Susan Landale and David Titterington. Whilst at the Academy, he performed in masterclasses with Olivier Latry, Bine Bryndorf and Eric Lebrun, and performed on two of the Academy’s residential tours to Neresheim Abbey in Southern Germany. Jeremy combined his academic studies with Organ Scholarships at The London Oratory and Methodist Central Hall Westminster, at which he played on several radio broadcasts, and was heavily involved in the many services to celebrate the Hall’s centenary in 2012.

After graduating with a first-class degree, Jeremy spent two years as Organ Scholar at Peterborough Cathedral, where, in addition to playing for the daily round of services, he accompanied the cathedral choirs in numerous concerts and on tours to The Netherlands and Germany. Jeremy then spent a further two years at York Minster as the Assisting Organist, where he continued his organ studies with Gordon Stewart, and worked with numerous choirs including The Ebor Singers and The York Musical Society.

Jeremy is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and holds the LRAM teaching diploma from the Royal Academy of Music, as well as a diploma in Piano performance from Trinity College, London. He has given organ recitals in venues including the Cathedrals of St. Paul’s, St. Edmundsbury, Westminster and Southwark, as well as Westminster Abbey and Reading Town Hall.