The Organists

Sir Gil Simpson Assistant Organist: - Jeremy Woodside

Jeremy was born in 1989 in Christchurch, New Zealand. He began his musical career at the age of four when he started piano lessons. Becoming a chorister at ChristChurch Cathedral, he switched to the organ at the age of ten, and has been pursuing this career ever since. He became organ scholar at Christ’s College, Canterbury with Music Director, Robert Aburn, in 2004, while at secondary school there. Formal lessons began with Russell Kent nine years ago, and Jeremy passed his Licentiate with Trinity College, London, with distinction in 2005. Gaining this, he was appointed organ scholar at ChristChurch Cathedral under Brian Law, and Assistant Music Director at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Christchurch.

In 2007, Jeremy held the position of Junior Organ Scholar at Wells Cathedral under Matthew Owens, and was also the music administrator for the concerts department at Wells Cathedral School. Whilst over there, he had a number of compositions premiered by Wells Cathedral and Chapel Choirs. He also was the accompanist for the very successful Christ’s College Chapel Choir European Tour in 2007.

Performances have seen Jeremy play in such venues as Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand; Wells, Portsmouth and Manchester Cathedrals and St. George’s Chapel Windsor, England; The American Cathedral and Notre Dame, Paris, and various venues in Switzerland and Austria including the Musikverein in Vienna. He has participated in masterclasses with Judith Clark and Christopher Herrick, has been involved in performances with Dame Malvina Major, Hayley Westenra, Will Martin, and Fiona Pears, and has accompanied concerts with world-class trumpeter Crispian Steele Perkins, and was the rehearsal accompanist for the John Rutter Requiem in Wells, with the composer as the conductor.

In 2008, Jeremy was the organist/accompanist for the ChristChurch Cathedral Choir tour of the United Kingdom, playing for services and concerts in such buildings as Bath Abbey, Hereford Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, Exeter Cathedral, and culminating in a week at Westminster Abbey.

Jeremy is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Music degree with Honours at the University of Canterbury, and is also the Sir Gil Simpson Assistant Organist at ChristChurch Cathedral. He was recently made a Fellow of Trinity College London (October 2009) in Organ Performance and will tour Europe in 2011 with the Christ’s College Chapel Choir playing in venues in Italy, Austria and France. He has released three CDs on the Cathedral organ.