Organ Recitals
Organ Recitals at St John's usually take place on Sundays at 6pm, prior to Evensong at 6:30pm.
You can read more about our current Organ Scholars below, and if you are interested in becoming an Organ Scholar, further information is available here.
A programme of recitals for this term is available below:
Current Organ Scholars
George Herbert
George was born in Manchester in 2001, and his passion for music was kindled in earnest when he became a chorister at Manchester Cathedral. He joined Chetham’s School of Music at this time too, where he studied the trumpet after leaving the cathedral choir. George spent four years at St John’s College, Cambridge, first as an organ scholar studying Music and German, and latterly as Assistant Organist. In these roles, George accompanied St John’s College Choir in its daily sung liturgy, as well as its broadcasts, recordings and tours. He also regularly directed the choir, including live on BBC Radio 3 in its Advent Carol Service in 2021.As Assistant Organist, he was musical director of Aquila, the college’s all-female a cappella group. George is now the Assistant Director of Music at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace. As an undergraduate, George was a pianist in Pembroke College’s Lieder Scheme, taking regular classes with Joseph Middleton. In 2021 he won first prize and the accompanist’s prize in Clare College’s biennial song competition, and in 2023 he won the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition. He is a passionate environmentalist, and wrote his final year dissertation on 1980s East German environmental policy and foreign relations. George is now living in London and working as a freelance pianist, organist and director. He works regularly as an accompanist with the Royal Academy of Music, Kantos Chamber Choir and Tenebrae, and has enjoyed recent collaborations with the Gabrieli Consort (Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius), the Royal Northern College of Music (Bernstein’s Mass) and English National Opera (Britten’s Peter Grimes). He looks forward to upcoming organ recitals at Westminster Abbey and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.
Reviewed 15/09/23
Alex Robson
Alex is the Herbert Howells Organ Scholar at St John’s, where he studies Music in his first year. Alex found his love for music on the piano at age 6, and began organ lessons when he started secondary school. He received his ARCO diploma in 2019 and while still at school he played for the parish choir at St Paul’s, Rusthall for services, concerts and cathedral visits. He has also played the piano and clarinet in the Kent Youth Wind Orchestra and Kent Country Youth Orchestra.
In 2021, Alex was Organ Scholar at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where he played regularly for the daily services and special events. Besides accompanying the choir, he enjoyed teaching the younger choristers in the mornings as girls were admitted for the first time, and conducting the Lay Clerks once a fortnight. Particular highlights of the year included recordings with the choir, the services in Holy Week including the Royal Maundy service, and the Garter Day service.
Alex studies the organ with Ann Elise Smoot, and the piano with Marie-Noëlle Kendall. He has given recitals in Cambridge, London and Oxford, and looks forward to the tours and recordings with the College Choir. His other interests include cross-country running and learning foreign languages.
Gramophone