List of Westminster Abbey organists

This is a list of Westminster Abbey organists, containing the names of the musicians who have been appointed an organist, sub-organist, assistant organist and organ scholar since the sixteenth century.[1][2]

The Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster in London, located close to the Palace of Westminster.[3] It is the traditional site for the coronation of the British monarch, for royal weddings and funerals and for other state occasions. In addition, the organist oversees the music for daily services sung by a choir of 12 professional adults and up to 30 boys from the adjacent choir school, accompanied by a Harrison & Harrison installed in 1937.[4]

Andrew Nethsingha is the current organist and master of the choristers, Peter Holder is the sub-organist, Matthew Jorysz is the assistant organist and Carolyn Craig is the organ scholar.[4]

Organists and Masters of the Choristers

• 1559: John Taylour
• 1570: Robert White
• 1574: Henry Leeve
• 1585: Edmund Hooper
• 1621: John Parsons
• 1623: Orlando Gibbons
• 1625−1644: Richard Portman
• 1660: Christopher Gibbons
• 1666: Albertus Bryne
• 1668: John Blow
• 1679: Henry Purcell
• 1695: John Blow (reappointed)
• 1708: William Croft
• 1727: John Robinson
• 1762: Benjamin Cooke
• 1793: Samuel Arnold
• 1803: Robert Cooke
• 1814: George Ebenezer Williams
• 1819: Thomas Greatorex
• 1831: James Turle
• 1882: Sir Frederick Bridge,
• 1918: Sir Sydney Nicholson,
• 1928: Sir Ernest Bullock
• 1941−1945: Osborne Harold Peasgood (acting)
• 1941: Sir William Neil McKie
• 1963: Douglas Guest
• 1981: Simon Preston
• 1988: Martin Neary (acting, 1988−1989)
• 2000: James O'Donnell
• 2023: Andrew Nethsingha

Sub-Organists

• 1860: Charles Sherwood Jekyll
• 1875: Sir Frederick Bridge
• 1881: Henry Davan Wetton
• 1896: Sir Walter Galpin Alcock
• 1917: Stanley Roper
• 1921: Osborne Harold Peasgood
• 1941−1946: vacant
• 1946: Osborne Harold Peasgood
• 1954: Derek Holman
• 1956: Robert Henry Charles Palmer
• 1962: Simon Preston
• 1967: Tim Farrell
• 1974: Sir Stephen Cleobury
• 1978: Christopher Herrick
• 1984: Harry Bicket
• 1988: Iain Simcock [fr]
• 1988: Andrew Lumsden
• 1992: Martin Baker
• 1998: Philip Scriven (acting)
• 2000: Andrew Reid
• 2004: Robert Quinney
• 2013: Daniel Cook
• 2017: Peter Holder

Assistant Organists

• 1875: Charles Sherwood Jekyll
• 1886−1895: W.J. Winter
• 1896−1916: Walter Alcock
• 1947−1950: Hugh Marchant
• 1950−1959: Hugo Limer
• 1959−1984: Rilford Trafalgar
• 1968−1974: David Bruce-Payne
• dates unknown: Christopher Herrick
• 1978−1988: Geoffrey Morgan (later sub-organist at Guildford Cathedral, then organist at Christchurch Priory)
• 1989−1991: Miles Quick
• 1991−2001: Stephen Le Prevost (later organist and director of music at the Town Church in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey)
• 2001−2002: Simon Bell (later assistant director of music at Winchester Cathedral, then director of Schola Cantorum, Tewkesbury Abbey)
• 2003−2005: Daniel Cook
• 2005−2008: Ashley Grote
• 2008−2011: James McVinnie
• 2011−2015: Martin Ford
• 2016−present: Matthew Jorysz

Organ scholars

• James Cryer
• Jonathan Dimmock
• Adrian Lenthall
• Simon Morley (later assistant organist at Lincoln Cathedral, then organist of Ripon Cathedral)
• Geoffrey Styles (later organ scholar at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford) [1]
• Nick Murdoch
• 1981−1982: Jane Watts
• 1990−1992: Richard Moorhouse (later organist at Llandaff Cathedral)
• 1992−1993: Meirion Wynn Jones (later assistant organist at Brecon Cathedral)
• 1993−1994: William Whitehead
• 1994−1996: Louise Reid
• 1996−1999: John Hosking (later assistant organist at St Asaph Cathedral)
• 1999−2000: Iestyn Evans (later organist st St James's, Spanish Place, London)
• 2000−2001: Simon Bell
• 2001−2002: Justin Luke
• 2002−2003: Daniel Cook
• 2003−2004: Richard Hills (later organist of St Mary's, Bourne Street, London)
• 2004−2006: Ian Keatley (later organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin)
• 2006−2007: Simon Jacobs
• 2007−2008: Benjamin Chewter (later assistant organist at Lincoln Cathedral, then assistant organist at Chester Cathedral)
• 2008−2009: Léon Charles
• 2009−2010: Samuel Prouse
• 2010−2011: Edward Tambling (later assistant organist at St James's Church, Spanish Place, London)
• 2011−2012: Andrej Kouznetsov (later organist at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane)
• 2012−2014: Peter Holder (later sub-organist of Westminster Abbey)
• 2014−2015: Jeremy Woodside
• 2015−2016: Matthew Jorysz
• 2016−2018: Benjamin Cunningham (later assistant director of chapel music, Winchester College)
• 2018−2020: Alexander Hamilton (later assistant organist at Wells Cathedral)
• 2020−2022: Charles Maxtone-Smith
• 2022−2023: Dewi Rees
• 2023−2024: Carolyn Craig (later Assistant Director of Music at Wells Cathedral)

References

1. John E. West, Cathedral Organists Past and Present, "London: Westminster Abbey" (1921), pp. 142−149.
2. David Stanley Knight, "The organs of Westminster Abbey and their music, 1240−1908", King's College London doctoral dissertation, 2001.
3. Westminster Abbey website. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
4. Westminster Abbey: The Abbey Choir and musicians. Retrieved 15 May 2023.