* Photographs credit to Maya Barter.
The Young Organs Scholars Trust was created in 2013 by Christopher Cowell to provide high quality training for young keyboard musicians that are developing an interest in the world of church music.
I was recently invited to attend the Choral Evensong at Southwark Cathedral that highlighted two YOST scholars’ (Austin and Tilly pictured above) contribution to the service. I had attended a similar event at the Chapel Royal back in 2019. With regret I admit that YOST had rather moved to the back of my mind so it was good to have the organisation brought back to my attention.
Opportunities for young musicians to engage with the organ
The main challenge to overcome is ensuring young musicians have opportunity to engage with the organ. School funding cuts and the cost of building and maintaining pipe organs all work against this objective. Some churches also irritatingly don’t overly welcome people to the organ console to experience the joy of playing, not just the instrument but the acoustic in which it sits.
Access to the organ was becoming the preserve of a privileged few, usually those in major independent schools with established chapel traditions. YOST set out to change this and also widen the access to students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds.
Working with the support of Dr Martin Clarke, a dedicated arts philanthropist, YOST has set up regional hubs that provide learning and performance opportunities. There are currently 51 YOST Scholars benefitting from funded organ tuition, and support extends to a wider group of youngsters through a YOST Affiliate Scheme.
YOST scholars have moved on to high profile placements at major places of worship including Hereford Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Beverley Minster and St Edmundsbury Cathedral as well as a number of Oxford & Cambridge Colleges. They have also gone on to study at the Royal Academy of Music, The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where they can play a Regent Classic Digital Instrument we installed some 12 years ago.
Working hand in hand with RCO
This initiative works hand in hand with the Royal College of Organists scheme to place digital organs mostly in state schools so that students can experience the joy and complexity of challenge that the organ can offer. Later this year the RCO scheme will have reached the 50th organ placed into schools since the scheme started some 5 years ago. Most of which are Viscount instruments.
The selected schools must also offer tuition on nearby pipe organs so the students get to experience the real thing, not just the digital organs that today offer a far better acoustic copy than the electric instruments of many years ago.
A wonderful musical experience
Evensong is a wonderful musical experience. Especially when seated in the choir stalls as we were on that June Monday evening. Young organist Austin, played some of the introductory music before the choir processed in. The bulk of the organ playing was done by Simon Hogan the cathedral organist. His psalm accompaniment was really splendid with numerous registration changes and volume changes to reflect the sense of the words being sung.
We produced a number of videos with Ralph Allwood and the Trinity Laban choir to help educate organists as to the skills of accompaniment in general and psalms in particular. Here is a link to Psalm 24, one of the 25 videos that demonstrate just how marvellous a teacher Ralph is.
The anthem had me somewhat confused, Tu es Petrus by Robert Lucas Pearsall (1795 – 1856) An early Victorian composer but a piece written in the renaissance style. A very beautiful A Capella performance enhanced by the acoustic setting.
The final evensong hymn and recessional was played by student Tilly. She, just 16 years old ended with a magnificently mature performance of the finale from Vierne Symphony No 1 which is technically very demanding.
The Southwark Cathedral Pipe Organ
The Southwark organ is a lovely sounding instrument and was amazingly well in tune considering the extraordinary temperature rise we all suffered just a few days before. I was fortunate to be invited to play the organ there a couple of years ago. You can read more about the organ on this earlier blog.
The service used the Francis Jackson’s Evening Service in G which I had not heard before. Francis was organist at York Minster and reached the amazing age of 105 passing away recently in 2022. Organ playing demands considerable physical strength and balance. I wonder if the average life span of organists is well above the national average mortality? A subject for research perhaps!
Sat in the stalls we were right in the centre of the sound. The organ sat mainly behind us on the south side but the choir divisions sits right behind the north choir stalls. It was a great pleasure to attend in such an intimate position.
Find out more and support YOST
Afterwards a small group moved to the south transept for a short reception and addresses by the Dean and Michael Nicholas a YOST trustee.
You can find out more information about YOST on their web site. There is a web link to make payments direct to the trust which will be focussed directly on assisting young musicians to master organ playing especially in the context of Christian worship settings. Alternatively, you can contact YOST via director@yost.org.uk.
I have had a passion for church organs since the tender age of 12. I own and run Viscount Organs with a close attention to the detail that musicians appreciate; and a clear understanding of the benefits of digital technology and keeping to the traditional and emotional elements of organ playing.
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