Introduction
Christopher at the organ of St Florian's Abbey, Linz, Austria.
I began organ studies at the age of eleven with the late Geoffrey Knowles at the Parish Churches of Mold and Treuddyn, Flintshire, North Wales. As a teenager I won the organ solo competitions at the National Eisteddfod of Wales five times. I also won the Sir Henry Coward Organ Scholarship to the University of Sheffield where I read Music gaining a B Mus 2.1 Honours degree and was awarded the Associate of the Royal College of Music, ARCM and Associate of the Royal College of Organists, ARCO diplomas in my second year.
I was the first organist to win an award from the Ryan Davies Memorial Trust. This along with a grant from the Arts Council of Wales allowed me to continue my organ studies with Dr. Peter Hurford at the Royal Academy of Music. Whilst there, I won many awards including: the WJ Kipps award twice; a Commendation for Improvisation; the Recital Diploma, Dip.RAM; Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, LRAM; and Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, FRCO.
In my last term at the Academy, I won the HJC Stevens Organ Scholarship at St Bride’s Fleet Street, an external award which supported a subsequent year's experience with the professional choir of this world famous church, broadcasting live on BBC Radio 4. Whilst at St Bride's I was also winner of the Bach Class in the West of England Organ Festival held in Bath Abbey, 1985. I later studied in Paris with Marie-Claire Alain, winning the Gold Medal in the Preparatoire Superieure Class.
I have performed in venues across the United Kingdom as well as in the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Austria and Italy. I was the accompanist and organ soloist for the Reading Phoenix Choir and appeared with them on BBC1, BBC2, Radio 2 and live on Radio 4. My playing has also featured on the BBC’s Songs of Praise, Sunday Half Hour, Morning Worship, Silent Witness and Desert Island Discs. I have accompanied the choirs and soloists at the male voice choir festivals at the Royal Albert Hall.
As a native of Wales and a fluent Welsh speaker, my organ playing has entertained the audiences as the Official Organist at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and since 2005 I have regularly played at London’s numerous Welsh churches. I have twice conducted the combined choirs at the Annual National Seafarers’ Service at St Paul’s Cathedral in the presence of the Princess Royal in 2006 and 2011.
I was the first organist to win an award from the Ryan Davies Memorial Trust. This along with a grant from the Arts Council of Wales allowed me to continue my organ studies with Dr. Peter Hurford at the Royal Academy of Music. Whilst there, I won many awards including: the WJ Kipps award twice; a Commendation for Improvisation; the Recital Diploma, Dip.RAM; Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, LRAM; and Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, FRCO.
In my last term at the Academy, I won the HJC Stevens Organ Scholarship at St Bride’s Fleet Street, an external award which supported a subsequent year's experience with the professional choir of this world famous church, broadcasting live on BBC Radio 4. Whilst at St Bride's I was also winner of the Bach Class in the West of England Organ Festival held in Bath Abbey, 1985. I later studied in Paris with Marie-Claire Alain, winning the Gold Medal in the Preparatoire Superieure Class.
I have performed in venues across the United Kingdom as well as in the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Austria and Italy. I was the accompanist and organ soloist for the Reading Phoenix Choir and appeared with them on BBC1, BBC2, Radio 2 and live on Radio 4. My playing has also featured on the BBC’s Songs of Praise, Sunday Half Hour, Morning Worship, Silent Witness and Desert Island Discs. I have accompanied the choirs and soloists at the male voice choir festivals at the Royal Albert Hall.
As a native of Wales and a fluent Welsh speaker, my organ playing has entertained the audiences as the Official Organist at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and since 2005 I have regularly played at London’s numerous Welsh churches. I have twice conducted the combined choirs at the Annual National Seafarers’ Service at St Paul’s Cathedral in the presence of the Princess Royal in 2006 and 2011.
The Organ
At St Florian Abbey, Linz
- I accompanied the North Wales Association of Male Voice Choirs at Chester Cathedral, raising funds for the new Cathedral Choir School in 1999.
- As a student at the Royal Academy of Music, I applied for the post of Deputy Organist at the First Church of Christ Scientist, Sloane Square - now known as Cadogan Hall - and was auditioned by Wagnerian contralto, Constance Shacklock.
- I am pleased to have been a guest of West End soprano Lizbeth Webb when asked on two occasions to give a recital in Cheltenham College Chapel for the St John's .Ambulance Brigade
- In 2004 I travelled with Flint Male Voice Choir to the Lorient Celtic Festival in Brittany assisting with the accompaniment and playing in Lorient Cathedral.
- In 2006 I played the organ at St Mary's Church, Treuddyn, for a sponsored 24 hours, raising £2,600 towards the village's £8,000 contribution to the National Eisteddfod in Mold, 2007 as well as being the organist for the Eisteddfod's most prestigious awards, the Chairing and Crowning ceremonies in Bala 1997, Mold 2007 and Wrexham 2011.
- My organ playing has featured on several BBC programmes including Desert Island Discs in October 2004, performing the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria with soprano Janet Coxwell at St Bride's Church, Fleet Street. This item was voted the favourite choice of Castaway poet Dr Jack Mapanje.
- I was the first organist to perform on the new organ at St Hildergard Church, Emmelshausen, Germany in April 2007.
The Piano
Aled Jones and
Christopher Enston
- I am an experienced piano accompanist. I have worked with Welsh Tenor Rhys Meirion, Welsh Soprano Sian Cothi and violinist Huw Daniel at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000 and 2004.
- I have been the accompanist on both piano and organ, since January 2002, for the Reading Phoenix Choir supporting them in concerts, competitions, BBC broadcasts on Sunday Half Hour and Songs of Praise and tours to Italy, Austria, Germany and the Channel Islands. I also accompanied Aled Jones when he sang as a guest of the Reading Phoenix Choir.
- I have accompanied solo competitors and choirs at both the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
- At Llangollen, a young American folk singer had lost his accompanist and I was called upon to step in, at 4 minutes' notice; two minutes to meet and greet him and look at the music, then two minutes to get on stage and sight read the piece while S4C broadcast the competition live on television.
- I have performed on piano, entertaining the passengers with Chopin's Waltz no.14 in E minor, on board the QE2!
- As a teenager, I won numerous piano competitions at the Urdd National Eisteddfod when it was held at Llanelli – the Welsh cultural youth festival – and at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
- I became the longest serving accompanist in the 44 year history of Reading Phoenix Choir, playing for the choir from January 2002 to January 2014. During this time I sang bass, accompanied the soloists, coached the choir in the Welsh language, performed my own organ solos, and accompanied the choir either on piano or organ at home in the UK and on tour in Europe and the Channel Islands.
- In October 2014 I was appointed accompanist to the Flint Male Voice Choir.
- In January 2015 I was appointed accompanist to the Llangollen Male Voice Choir.
- In February 2015 I was appointed accompanist to the Cantorion Sirenian Singers, Gresford. Yes, that's three choirs simultaneously!
