Rupert Jeffcoat

Last updated

Rupert Edward Elessing Jeffcoat (born 23 June 1970) is a Scottish organist, composer and Anglican priest. [1]

Contents

Early life and family

Jeffcoat, whose family's roots are in Birmingham, was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a chorister at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh under Dennis Townhill before attending Glenalmond College as a music scholar. He later studied music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he was also an organ scholar, studying under Peter Hurford, David Sanger, Robin Holloway, Hugh Wood and Alexander Goehr. [1] [2]

Jeffcoat became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists at the age of 20.

In 2001 he married Catherine Corrigan in a service at Coventry Cathedral featuring some of his own compositions, [3] and has three children.

Career

Early in his career Jeffcoat held positions with the Edinburgh International Festival (premiering operas by James MacMillan and Craig Armstrong), Ampleforth College in Yorkshire and the Birmingham Bach Choir under Paul Spicer.

He became Assistant Organist at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham, under Marcus Huxley, in 1995 and was appointed Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral in 1997. At Coventry he led choir tours to Europe, America, South Africa, Russia and Japan. In 2005 he moved to Australia as Organist and Director of Music at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane, but left the post in 2010 following disagreements with the cathedral authorities.

He was ordained to the priesthood at St John's Cathedral in 2006, having trained at The Queen's Foundation in Edgbaston, England. He has also been published as a theologian by Epworth Press, in a symposium entitled The Edge of God (2008).

As a composer Jeffcoat has composed in numerous languages, including English, Welsh, German, Dutch, Russian, Hungarian, Czech, Arabic, Aramaic, Vietnamese and Maori, as well as the more usual liturgical languages (Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Church Slavonic). As an organist and pianist he has performed widely, recording with Emma Kirkby (music by Francesco Scarlatti) and giving recitals on some of the world's most prestigious organs such as those at Westminster Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral, St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Queen's College in Oxford, Sydney Town Hall, Caird Hall in Dundee and Lambertikirche in Münster. [1]

Special achievements include two Firsts in music from Cambridge, prizes from the Royal College of Organists and a Best Entertainment award from the Royal Television Society (for a BBC Songs of Praise programme).

Works

Compositions (selected)

Jeffcoat has composed over 200 works, as well as numerous psalm chants.

Recordings

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truro Cathedral</span> Church in Cornwall, United Kingdom

The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Truro, Cornwall. It was built between 1880 and 1910 to a Gothic Revival design by John Loughborough Pearson on the site of the parish church of St Mary. It is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom featuring three spires.

Edgar Thomas Cook CBE D.Mus. (Cantuar) FRCO FRCM was an English organist and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Henry Harris</span> English organist and composer

Sir William Henry Harris was an English organist, choral trainer and composer.

Barry Michael Rose OBE FRAM FRSCM HonFRCO is a choir trainer and organist. He is best known for founding the choir and the pattern of daily sung worship at the new Guildford Cathedral in 1961, as well as directing the music at the 1981 wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

David John Briggs is an English organist and composer.

Geraint Bowen is a British conductor and organist. He is Organist and Director of Music at Hereford Cathedral.

George Guest CBE FRCO was a Welsh organist and choral conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle</span>

The Choir of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle exists to sing services in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

James Anthony O'Donnell is a British organist, choral conductor and academic teacher who has been a professor of organ at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music in Connecticut, United States of America, since 2023.

Philip John Moore is an English composer and organist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Nethsingha</span> English choral conductor and organist (b. 1968)

Andrew Mark Nethsingha, FRCO, ARCM is an English choral conductor and organist, the son of the late Lucian Nethsingha, also a cathedral organist. He was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey in London in 2023, having previous held similar positions at St John's College, Cambridge, Gloucester Cathedral and Truro Cathedral.

Katherine Dienes also known as Katherine Dienes-Williams is a New Zealand-born organist, conductor and composer. She is currently Organist and Master of the Choristers at Guildford Cathedral and is the first woman to hold the most senior musical post in a Church of England cathedral. Her husband is Patrick Williams, librarian of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and they have a daughter, Hannah, who sang as a chorister at Guildford Cathedral.

Kerry Jason Beaumont is a British organist and choir director.

James Bennett Lancelot was master of the Choristers, and cathedral organist at Durham Cathedral from 1985. He retired in 2017 and was appointed canon organist emeritus by the bishop of Durham.

Roy Cyril Massey is a British organist and conductor.

David Bruce-Payne is a former cathedral organist, who served at St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah MacDonald (musician)</span> Choral conductor and organist (b1968)

Sarah MacDonald FRCO is a Canadian-born organist, conductor, and composer, living in the UK, and currently holds the positions of Fellow and Director of Music at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and Director of the girl choristers at Ely Cathedral. She has been at Selwyn since 1999, and is the first woman to hold such a post in an Oxbridge Chapel. In 2018 MacDonald was given the honorary award of Associate of the Royal School of Church Music (ARSCM).

Philip W J Stopford is an English organist and composer best known for his choral works.

Reginald Alwyn Surplice was an English organist and composer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rupert Jeffcoat website. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  2. St Mary's Music School, Edinburgh, Former Choristers. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  3. "Wedding ancient and modern", The Coventry Telegraph, 26 June 2001. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
Preceded by
David Poulter
Director of Music, Coventry Cathedral
1997 2005
Succeeded by