These arrangements were prepared by a small group of organ teachers and other musicians who wish to encourage young people, or adults who already have some skills, to offer themselves as future church organists. They are by Pat Lynch, Joan Proven, Brigitte Harris , and Andrew Carvel. The Editors are Brigitte Harris and Michael Harris.
Patricia Lynch
Patricia Lynch became a cathedral chorister at the age of 12 and sang as both a treble and a (female) lay clerk for many years. It was during these years that she studied the organ and often played for services. Discovering the joys of parish church music in her 40s she developed a passion for congregational song and has spent many years investigating the issues of the ageing untrained voice. As organist at St Adrian’s (Episcopal) Church in Gullane, she looked for ways to support congregational singing in a small church with few musical resources and, using her experience and further investigation, in 2010 graduated from Bangor University’s International Centre for Sacred Music Studies with a Masters Degree. Patricia has recently retired as the Chair of RSCM Scotland.
Joan Proven
Joan Proven was born in Edinburgh. She is a graduate of RSAMD, now the Royal Scottish Conservatoire. She has taught in various schools and sang for eight years in the Edinburgh Festival Chorus. She gained an ATCL in organ in 2002, became organist of St John’s, Bathgate, and later gave a few recitals at Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow. She is currently bassoonist with and secretary of Bathgate Concert Orchestra. She has recorded a CD on three varied organs, which include both sacred and secular music: St John’s, Bathgate (Hill, Norman and Beard 1927), Dalmeny (Lammermuir 1984) and South Queensferry (digital, Allen Quantum QL225).
Andrew Carvel
Andrew Carvel graduated in 2011 with first class honours in music from Edinburgh Napier University and recently completed the Composition MMus at Edinburgh University.
He is in demand as a composer and arranger and has worked on projects across numerous musical genres, including writing multi-movement works for choir and ensemble, collaborating in the writing of a new musical, and various commissions of choral introits and anthems that have been recorded by various choirs in the UK and abroad. Recent works include commissions for the 50th anniversary of the Scottish Chamber Choir and the 21st birthday concert for Edinburgh Young Musicians.
He has worked as Assistant Director of Music in a leading Edinburgh church as well as being the associate conductor of the community choir ‘Gaudete’. He is also a lay clerk in the professional Robin Chapel Choir, a member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus, and a founding member of the a cappella group Vintage Twelve.
Andrew has a busy teaching schedule which embraces piano, recorder, clarinet and saxophone, from the very young upwards. Some of his simple hymn arrangements were originally published in two volumes edited with Brigitte Harris.
Michael Harris
Michael Harris has been Organist and Master of the Music of St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, since 1996; he is also a Lecturer in Music at Edinburgh Napier University. Prior to moving to Edinburgh he held posts as Sub-Organist of Leeds Parish Church and Assistant Organist of Canterbury Cathedral.
As Organist of St Giles’ Cathedral he hosts many organ concerts on the famous Rieger organ (built in 1992) and his work has involved him in numerous recordings and broadcasts, both for television and radio. Under his direction the Cathedral Choir has visited the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Greece.
He has made a number of solo recordings, including two discs released in 2016, a disc of Scottish and French organ music, The Auld Alliance AGD003, and the complete organ sonatas of August Gottfried Ritter for Priory Records PRCD 1162. He has directed the Cathedral Choir in a series of CD recordings, with two recordings, on St Giles’ own label, Aegidius, released in 2014 to critical acclaim.
Michael has given recitals at many venues in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Poland, USA, Australia and New Zealand, as well as in the UK, where he has played in many of the major venues. He was Music Director of the Scottish Chamber Choir from 1998 to 2010, and is currently director of the a cappella vocal ensemble, Cantica Alba, who have given concerts in Scotland, Germany and Malta, and Denmark.
He is also much involved in organ and choral education. He has led a number of study tours to Germany, with a special interest in the organs of Thüringen and Saxony. His Edinburgh Napier University duties include supervision of final year performance students, and directing the University Chamber Choir.
Brigitte Harris
Brigitte Harris graduated from the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany, with an A-Exam (Master) in Church Music having studied organ with Helmut Tramnitz and Gerhard Weinberger, and choral conducting with Alexander Wagner. Her career in Britain has involved her in instrumental teaching and performing, both as an organist, and as a specialist teacher of recorder.
She has always been active in the field of organ education and has a busy organ teaching practice in and around Edinburgh, reaching as far as Midlothian, Fife and beyond. Back in 1999 she established an organ teaching scheme in the Scottish Borders in association with The Borders’ Guild of Organists, of whom she is a past President.
Brigitte is a Lecturer in Harmony, Keyboard Skills and Improvisation at the Ian Tomlin Academy of Music at Edinburgh Napier University. She has taught at the Vicenza Music Conservatoire as part of an Erasmus exchange and has been an organ tutor on RCO Academy courses. She also teaches the organ at George Watson’s College.
She has served on the Committee of the Edinburgh Society of Organists and has been a regular member of the teaching staff of the Edinburgh Organ Academy. In addition she is much involved in advising and training musicians in organ and choral skills. Her arrangements were originally published in Hymns for Lent and Easter and Fifteen Christmas Hymns with Andrew Carvel.
Copyright
Where a tune is still under copyright, details are given on the score. The copyright of the arrangements rests with the arrangers, whose names are given on the score.
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