Ashley Grote

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Ashley Grote (born 1982) is Master of music at Norwich Cathedral and a fellow of the Royal College of Organists. [1]

Born in 1982, Grote grew up in Colchester and attended Eld Lane Baptist Church with his family, where he sang in the choir and first played the organ. [2] He joined the Choir of King's College, Cambridge at the age of eight [3] in response to a newspaper advertisement for voice trials. [2] [4] He then attended Uppingham School [4] and returned to King's in October 2001 as an organ scholar. He won first prize in the 1999 Royal College of Organists' Young Performers' Festival. [4] In 2000 he was the first organist ever to win a place in the keyboard final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition. [4]

Prior to appointment as Master of Music at Norwich Cathedral in 2012, Grote was Assistant Organist at Westminster Abbey, and Assistant Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral. [3]

He has regularly competed in the London marathon to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital, following his daughter's diagnosis with a brain tumour in 2014. [5] [6]

In 2018, Grote competed on MasterChef UK. He was eliminated in the first heat.

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References

  1. "RCO awards Diplomas, Certificates & Medals in cathedral ceremony". Royal College of Organists . Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Organist interview: Ashley Grote". Colchester Moot Hall Organ. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 "How music is one of Norwich Cathedral's greatest treasures". Norwich Evening News . 18 April 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Lexden Heath: Ashley makes event history". Daily Gazette . 10 February 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  5. "Master of Music at Norwich Cathedral raises £50,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital". Norwich Evening News . 26 April 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  6. "Norfolk fundraiser bearing up well in his unusual London Marathon bid". ITV News. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2019.