The Choir 2005/2006

Senior Organ Scholar - Joseph Fort

Joseph Fort (b. 1985) is the Senior Organ Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he is reading Music. Prior to this he studied at the Royal Academy of Music, simultaneously holding the Organ Scholarship at All Saints, Margaret Street, London.

He has recently given recitals at St Paul’s Cathedral, in Worcester as part of the 2005 Three Choirs Festival, and at St John’s College, Cambridge. He has performed a concerto with the Guildford Symphony Orchestra and features with other RAM students on a CD of South London organs. Future plans include recitals in Berlin and at Magdalen College, Oxford, and a performance in the Cambridge Music Festival.

Joseph studied at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music for seven years, and played the bassoon in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Proficient on the piano and harpsichord, he is increasingly in demand as a chamber musician and répétiteur. He also enjoys working on education projects with children.

Assistant Organist - Benjamin Chewter

Ben Chewter is the Assistant Organist at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He graduated in Music from Emmanuel College in 2006, where he was also the Organ Scholar. Educated at Christ's Hospital School, he was Organ Scholar at Canterbury Cathedral before coming up to Cambridge. Frequently in demand as an organist and conductor, he has performed at venues including the Purcell Room in London's South Bank Centre, St Paul's and Westminster Cathedrals in London, the Sherborne and Three Choirs Festivals, Bruges
Cathedral and various colleges in Cambridge.

Recent conducting performances have included Dvorak's 'New World' Symphony, the Faure, Durufle and Victoria Requiems and a critically acclaimed performance of the Bach St John Passion. He continues his studies in conducting with David Hill and Christopher Robinson. Conducting performances of Brahms' Fourth Symphony, Stravinsky's 'Dumbarton Oaks' Concerto and Berlioz's Symphonie Funebre at Triomphale are scheduled for 2006-7.

Ben holds the ARCO diploma and studies organ with David Briggs; he was also awarded the DipChD (Diploma of Choral Conducting) in October 2005 and is currently the youngest person in the country to haved passed the diploma. In addition to his duties as Assistant Organist at Emmanuel College, he is also Organist to King's Voices (the mixed-voice choir at King's College Chapel), pursues freelance work in Cambridge and London, and teaches in the Music Faculty at Cambridge.

The Dean - Revd Jeremy Caddick