David Pipe
David at the age of 15 became the church organist at Redhill URC following the retirement of Robert Wadey. There were one or two concerns because he was so young but there proved to be no problems. Robert had been very kind to David, encouraging him in playing the organ and gradually increasing his skills, gradually increasing his repertoire, playing for the collection, introit and hymns and anthems.
David became interested in the organ when he was a pupil at Reigate St Mary’s Prep School. One of the teachers at the school, Simon Dinsdale, was a keen organist. David had started to learn the piano aged 5 so it seemed a natural progression to learn the organ.
David continued as church organist at Redhill until he won a scholarship to Downing College Cambridge as Organ Scholar. After three years at Cambridge David moved to t he Royal Academy of Music studying for a Masters Degree in Music. During this time he held an Organ scholarship at All Saints Margaret Street, a high Anglo Catholic church near Regents Street. All Saints had an adult professional choir.
Following time spent at All Saints, David moved to be assistant director of music at York Minster. He spent from 2008 to 2016 in that post during when several recordings were made often of Christmas music, many of which found them being played on Classic FM!
David then moved on to Leeds Cathedral as Director of the Keyboard Studies programme and Cathedral Organist. He will be guest Curator of Organ Concerts at Huddersfield Town Hall Next Season and he is also an Examiner for the Royal College of Organists.
Geoffrey Pipe