Organ scholar


An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at a cathedral, church or institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and administrative experience. It is an important part of music-making in Christian worship and is strongly associated with, but is not limited to, Anglican church music in the United Kingdom, Australia and the USA.
Organ scholars may sometimes be found at a cathedral or a collegiate church. Many colleges at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Trinity College Dublin, as well as other universities, offer organ scholarships to undergraduates. At some institutions, the organ scholar work under the direction of a full-time professional director of music. At other institutions, the organ scholar is in charge of running the choir.
One of the first organ scholarships in the University of Cambridge was set up by Queens' College, Cambridge. An early scholar there was the composer Charles Villiers Stanford, who took up his position there in 1870.
Many organ scholars have gone on to notable careers in music and in other fields. Two notable ex-organ scholars who went on to achieve fame in other fields are Edward Heath, who read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Balliol College, Oxford and later served as British Prime Minister 1970–1974; and Dudley Moore, who read music at Magdalen College, Oxford and went on to a career in acting.

Notable organ scholars at universities and colleges

NameInstitutionDatesLater appointmentsRef
1892–1895Organist of St Asaph Cathedral, Ely Cathedral and New College, Oxford; professor of music at the University of Oxford and director of the Royal College of Music
2016−2020Organist of Truro Cathedral, 2023−present
1972–1975Organist of Bristol Cathedral, Wells Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral; director of chapel music and organist of Winchester College
1961Music Director of Welsh National Opera and Scottish Opera
1919-1921Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
1985–1988Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral
1993-1996Assistant Director of Music Winchester Cathedral, organist of Chichester Cathedral, director of music at Winchester College
1961–1964Organist of Lagos Cathedral
1972–1975
1997–2000
1949–1952Organist of Southwell Minster
and Lincoln College, Oxford1955–1958
? 		Organist of Blackburn Cathedral
1980–1983Director of The English Concert
1963–1967Organist of Wakefield Cathedral
1883-1886Organist of Worcester Cathedral
1978–1981Organist of St Edmundsbury Cathedral
1982–1985Organist of St Davids Cathedral and Hereford Cathedral
1922Organist of Truro Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral
1955–1960Organist of Southwark Cathedral and director of the Royal School of Church Music
1883–1885Composer, organist of Bristol Cathedral and Gloucester Cathedral
1981–1984Organist of Truro Cathedral and Gloucester Cathedral
1983–1986Organist of Sheffield Cathedral, director of music at All Saints, Margaret Street.
1910–1912Composer and music critic
1979–1982Gardiner Professor of Music, Glasgow University
1982–1985Sub-organist of Winchester Cathedral, organist of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, St George's Chapel, Windsor. Director of Music at Jesus College, Cambridge, and now at All Saints, Margaret Street
1987–1991Director of Music at Saint Paul's Cathedral, Wellington and organist and master of choristers at Croydon Minster
1968–1971Assistant Organist of Chichester Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
1967–1971Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral, director of music at King's College, Cambridge
1907–1909Organist of Manchester Cathedral
Organist of Southwark Cathedral
Organist of St. Paul's Cathedral (London, Ontario)
1938–40, 1946–1947Broadcaster and musicologist
1967–1970Organist of Norwich Cathedral
1931–1934
1990–1993Assistant director of music at Blackburn Cathedral, director of music at Rugby School Thailand
1971–1974Organist of St Albans Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
1963–1966Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
1948–1952Organist of Salisbury Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral
1925–1928Professor of organ at the Royal College of Music, organist of the London Oratory and designer and curator of the organ of the Royal Festival Hall
1996–1999Sub-Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
1982–1985Music Director of Academy of Ancient Music
1983–1986Music Director of Opera North
1984Sub-organist Christ Church, Oxford, Sub-organist Winchester Cathedral, organist of Guildford Cathedral
1996–1999
1905
and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge1982–1985Organist of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, artist-in-residence at Washington National Cathedral
1959–1962Organist of Chester Cathedral
1926BBC Controller of Music
1991–1994Organist of Eton College
Magdalen College, Oxford1958 - 1961Assistant Exeter Cathedral, Organist and Master of the Choristers Portsmouth Cathedral Master of Music at Peterborough Cathedral
1998-2001Organist & Director of Music at St Marylebone Parish Church, assistant organist of New College, Oxford, Director of Music, Trinity College, Cambridge
Organist and Master of the Choristers, Truro Cathedral ; Director of Music, St John's College, Cambridge
1973–1976Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Organist of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, 2024−present
1935–1939Organist of Westminster Abbey
1947–1951Director of Music of St John's College, Cambridge
1971–1974Rector Chori of Southwell Minster
1992–1995Organist and Master of the Choristers at Chichester Cathedral
1935–1939Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1954-1957Founding Professor of Music at the Open University
1959–1962Sub-Organist of Westminster Abbey
1967–1970Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
1966–1970Director of Music at New College, Oxford
1976–1979Master of Music of Westminster Cathedral and at Winchester Cathedral, director of music at St John's College, Cambridge, director of the BBC Singers
1949-1952
1949–1953Organist of St Albans Cathedral
1972-1974Organist of St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
2000–2003Organist and Director of Music at Saint Thomas Church, New York ; Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge
1978–1981Director of Music of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace
1989-1992Organist of Coventry Cathedral, organist and director of music at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane
1981-1984Director of Music at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Minneapolis
Organist of Harvard University
1996–1998Assistant Organist of Saint Paul's Cathedral, Wellington
1978-1981Organist of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham
1893Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
1971–1974Sub-organist of Winchester Cathedral, organist of Durham Cathedral
Anna LapwoodMagdalen College, OxfordDirector of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge and Associate Artist at Royal Albert Hall
1985–1988Director of Music, Trinity College, Cambridge
1906–1909Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
1952–1955Organist of Hereford Cathedral and Durham Cathedral
Director of Music at Sheffield Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral
1980–1983Organist of Portsmouth Cathedral and Worcester Cathedral
1981–1984Organist of Lichfield Cathedral and Winchester Cathedral
and St John's College, Cambridge1948–1951
1951–1953 		Organist of New College, Oxford and principal of the Royal Academy of Music
1992–1995Director of Music at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and of Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir
1958–1962Organist of Trinity College, Cambridge
1992-1995Organist of St Davids Cathedral
1921Organist of Westminster Abbey
1951–1955Dean, Faculty of Music, University of Western Ontario
1971–1974Organist of Guildford Cathedral and Exeter Cathedral
1955–1958Comedian
1928–1931BBC Controller of Music
1958–1963Organist of Winchester Cathedral and Westminster Abbey
1987–1990Organist of Truro Cathedral and Gloucester Cathedral, director of music at St John's College, Cambridge
1957–1960Organist of Norwich Cathedral
1979–1982Master of Music of Westminster Cathedral, organist of Westminster Abbey
1989–1992Composer, former organist of St George's Cathedral, Southwark, composer in residence for the Parliament Choir.
1920Organist of King's College, Cambridge
1929–1932Organist of St John's College, Cambridge
1951–1954Organist of St Edmundsbury Cathedral
1972–1975Assistant Organist of St Albans Cathedral
1978–1981Director of Music, Gloucester Cathedral
1949–1954Organist of Ripon Cathedral
1955–1956Organist of the Chapel Royal
1926-1928Organist of Wells Cathedral
1958–1961Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and Westminster Abbey
1969–1972Organist of Lichfield Cathedral and St George's Chapel, Windsor
1955-1958Organist of Worcester Cathedral and St George's Chapel, Windsor, director of music of St John's College, Cambridge
1935–1939Informator Choristarum of Magdalen College, Oxford
1939Organist of Derby Cathedral
1960–1963Organist of Norwich Cathedral
1952–1956Organist of Gloucester Cathedral
1974–1978Organist of St Paul's Cathedral, director of music at St Thomas Church, New York
Organist of Salisbury Cathedral
1898–1901
1984–1987
and Lincoln College, Oxford1961Anglican Bishop of Salisbury
1870Organist and director of music, Trinity College, Cambridge; professor of music, University of Cambridge
1903Organist of Rochester Cathedral
1986-1989
1989–1992Organist of Blackburn Cathedral
Organist of Chichester Cathedral
1972–1975Organist of St Edmundsbury Cathedral and Ely Cathedral
1976–1979Birmingham City Organist
2000–2003Assistant organist of Wells Cathedral; associate director of music at Christ Church, Greenwich, USA
1993–1997Director of Music at St George's Chapel, Windsor
1900–1903Organist of Carlisle Cathedral
1974–1978Organist of St Albans Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral
Assistant Organist at Chichester Cathedral
1922–1925Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
1977–1980Director of Music of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
1956–1960Organist of Leicester Cathedral
1990–1993Sub-Organist of Rochester Cathedral
1941–1946Organist of Canterbury Cathedral
1939–1940, 1945–1947Organist of Salisbury Cathedral, Worcester Cathedral and King's College, Cambridge, director of the Royal College of Music
1997-2000Assistant Organist of St Paul's Cathedral, Director of Music, Jesus College, Cambridge, Informator Choristarum, Magdalen College, Oxford
1968-1971Organist Emeritus, York Minster
and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge1888–1889
1889–1894 		Professor of Music, University of Cambridge
1973–1976Organist of Southwark Cathedral