Our 2021 Organ Recital series concludes with a recital given by Joel Colyer, Organ Scholar at Portsmouth Cathedral. No booking is required for free entry, with an offer of refreshments, including wine.
Joel Colyer was born in Manchester in 2003 and lived there for 18 years before taking up the organ scholarship at Portsmouth Cathedral in September 2021. He studied at Chetham’s School of Music from September 2014 to July 2021, initially studying viola and piano, and then transferred to learning organ and viola. Whilst at Chetham’s, Joel studied organ with Christopher Stokes, and viola with Sebastian Muller.
Previously he has worked as the Assistant Director of Music at St Paul’s Heaton Moor in Stockport, Greater Manchester, which involved playing for the majority of services and from time to time giving recitals and conducting the choir.
Day to day duties in Portsmouth involve playing for a share of services and assisting with chorister training, in addition to work as a department assistant in the music department of the Portsmouth Grammar School.
In January 2021, Joel attained the diploma of Colleague of the Royal College of Organists and was awarded the prizes for highest total marks, highest practical marks and highest written marks for that examination period.
When he has time, he plays viola with the Havant and Solent Symphony Orchestras, and enjoys playing keyboard in the orchestra pit at the theatre. In terms of the future, it is his ambition to continue to develop his abilities as an organist whilst pursuing further education in Chemistry at university in London.
Join us for a FREE evening recital with refreshments, no booking required. To find out more, please go to our website.
This recital will be performed on our temporary digital organ whilst our J.W. Walker & Sons pipe organ is being restored by Nicholson & Co. Ltd. We still need your support, please consider ‘playing’ and sponsoring a pipe: https://orgproj.co/MxTC.
Donations in aid of The Organ Project (theorganproject.org) – c/o St Mary’s Church Music Foundation (registered Charity no. 1020088)