An organ scholarship at Christ's College can be a wonderful opportunity for organists who want to continue playing to a high standard and receive coaching and conducting training from experts. The commitment at Christ's is easily combined with non-musical study and also allows for involvement in many other University activities such as sport or theatre, and provides the opportunity to work with a choir of a high standard in a role of responsibility.
To get in touch with Tom, James or Davon, please contact the choir administrator, Tom Baarda, at choir.admin@christs.cam.ac.uk. They can be available for weddings, christenings and other events and are happy to answer queries from potential applicants.
Organ scholars James Tett (l) and Tom Burrows (r) with Director of Music, Professor David Rowland (c)
Organ Scholar: Tom Burrows
Tom is in in his third year studying Computer Science. Before coming to Cambridge, he was a member of the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, where he was taught organ by Simon Mercer. As well as organ, Tom plays both jazz and classical trumpet. He currently plays with the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra (CUJO), and has previously played both lead trumpet in the JRNCM Big Band and principal cornet for the JRNCM Brass Band.
Organ Scholar: James Tett
James is an organist and violinist, currently studying organ with Ann Elise Smoot and violin with Professor Ani Schnarch.
James started organ lessons with Tim Wakerell at St Paul’s Cathedral School, before being awarded a music scholarship to Westminster School, where he was the organist for the 2017 school performance of Saint Saens’ ‘Organ’ Symphony No. 3 in C minor at St John’s Smith Square. James was made a Royal College of Music (RCM) Scholar in 2018, joint principal on violin and organ, and was awarded a first across his first year BMus programme. During this time, he studied with Professor David Graham and was awarded the George-Thalben Ball Cup and Suffolk Organ Champion prizes at the Suffolk Festival of Performing Arts and won second prize in the London Organ Competition (2019). James has been a regular at ‘Oundle for Organists’ where he was also awarded recital prizes in two consecutive years.
Whilst organ scholar at Christ’s, James reached the finals of the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition 2020. He has also continued as a recitalist, with past highlights including Truro, Winchester, Brentwood and Bristol Cathedrals and future opportunities in 2022 at St John’s College and Queen’s College, Cambridge. He has participated in masterclasses with Thomas Trotter and Daniel Moult.
A keen violinist, James studied at the junior and senior departments of the RCM, during which time he won the prestigious Angela Bull Memorial Competition (2018), Westminster Young Musician of the Year (2018), Rickmansworth Young Musician of the Year (2019), Instrumental Champion at the Suffolk Festival of Performing Arts (2019) and second prize in the Sevenoaks Young Musician of the year (2019). James is a third year Physicist and also enjoys chess, table tennis and cycling.
Organ Scholar: Davon Halim
After playing the organ from the age of 15 at home in Indonesia, Davon came under the tutelage of Anthony Pinel during his final year at Concord College. He received a commendation in the Advanced category of the SOA Young Organists Competition 2021. He is also an accomplished pianist, regularly performing for school events. Davon is an avid composer and reached the final of the Commonwealth International Composition Award 2020.
Davon is currently a first-year mathematics student and his other interests include video games, football and motorsport.
About the position: Jonathan Ellse, Organ Scholar 2012-2016, says:
"Being an organ scholar at Christ's has been great fun – I've found it a great break from studying Maths and a really enjoyable and high quality musical experience too. We're fortunate to have an enthusiastic Director of Music, who manages to get through large quantities of music at a very high standard whilst maintaining a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. He ordinarily conducts most (but not all) of the twice-weekly term time services. This means that the organ scholars get to focus initially on playing, whilst honing their conducting skills when he is away. It's a nice balance between having enough time to get through degree work, time for practising and opportunity to hone conducting and directing skills. Whilst the time commitment is relatively low with only two services per week, the choir is still of a very high standard, sight-reading through 8-part works with ease.
The organ at Christ's is not the largest in Cambridge, but it is really well balanced for the space and incredibly flexible. Whilst most suited to Baroque repertoire, the addition of a balanced swell recently has made it at home in any style, for accompanying or solo work. The choir sings a range of music right through from Byrd to Britten and Howells and later, and the organ is easily up to the job of accompanying them. The variety of music performed is a big plus. Outside term, we sing a couple of larger works over the course of the year, for example Mozart's Requiem and Bach's St. John Passion. We also do a series of Christmas concerts at London venues and stately homes.
Christ's has also built up a reputation in Cambridge for the quality of its international tours. Every summer, we go away for around three weeks to some far-flung (and otherwise unobtainable) place, travelling and singing concerts in each location, whilst managing to fit in some sight-seeing too. In my three years, we've been to the USA, Canada, Singapore and New Zealand. It's a particularly good experience for the organ scholars – we spend the first part of the tour accompanying the choir and familiarising ourselves with the music under the direction of the Director of Music, before taking control of the musical side of things when he leaves. There's an organ solo in most of the concerts, so we get a chance to try out some bigger works on some fantastic and world-renowned instruments. It's heavily subsidised too, making it a really cheap holiday! The organ scholars don't have to do the organising of the tours either, so it's more relaxed than elsewhere.
As for provision of the organ scholars in Christ's, the organ scholars' rooms are luxurious, being furnished with a practice organ and a piano. Christ's as a college is really supportive of its musicians and goes out of its way to make life manageable for them. I've always found the college authorities as well as the Director of Music friendly, supportive and open to suggestions, which has made it a great place to be."