Grantham musician’s appointment at Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral has announced the appointment of Grantham musician Joseph Beech as Sub-Organist, starting in September 2019.

Joseph will be working alongside Daniel Cook, Master of the Choristers and Organist of Durham Cathedral, Canon Michael Hampel, Vice-Dean and Precentor of Durham Cathedral, organ scholars, the music team, and the cathedral choir.  Joseph’s role as Sub-Organist will consist of playing the cathedral organ during services, recitals and concerts; rehearsing and conducting the choir; taking an active role in the cathedral’s outreach singing programme, as well as close liaison with the Chorister School.

Daniel Cook said: “I am delighted that following what was an extremely competitive application process, we have someone of Joseph’s talent, skill and experience joining our music team at Durham Cathedral. We look forward to the valuable contribution that Joseph will make to the mission, ministry and worship at Durham Cathedral, and how he will help to develop the cathedral as a centre of musical excellence within the diocese and beyond.”

Born in Nottingham in 1994, Joseph Beech moved to Grantham when he was two.While attending Cliffedale School (1998-2005) and The King’s School (2005-2012) he was successively a chorister and then the inaugural Organ Scholar at St Wulfram’s Church, studying the organ with Tim Williams and the piano with Sally Anthony. He then took up the organ scholarship at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Joseph won an entrance scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where he was a prizewinning student of David Titterington. He has performed at numerous prestigious venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, and worked under noted conductors Marin Alsop, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Trevor Pinnock. His work as an organist has also been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4 in recent years.

Concurrent with his Academy studies, Joseph successively held Organ Scholarships at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace; the London Oratory; and St Paul’s Cathedral. Upon graduating with a first-class degree in 2017, Joseph was presented with one of the Academy’s coveted Regency Awards for ‘notable studentship’.

Joseph then moved to Edinburgh to take up the position of Assistant Master of the Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, where he is responsible for accompanying the acclaimed cathedral choir in sung services each week, in addition to its busy schedule of concerts, recordings and tours.

Duncan Ferguson, Master of the Music at St Mary’s said: “Joseph is a fine organist and we have greatly appreciated his contribution to our music over the past two years. We congratulate him on his appointment and wish him well as he joins our friends at Durham Cathedral.”

Joseph is also Vice President of the Edinburgh Society of Organists. His forthcoming performance schedule includes such venues as Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Jakobikirche in Lübeck, Germany. In his spare time, Joseph enjoys cooking and working on his classic Austin Healey Sprite.