Organathon Lunchtime Concert

(Salisbury Cathedral Director and Assistant Director of Music)

Friday 7 October at 12.30 – 1.30pm

Salisbury Cathedral School Chapel

This free recital is part of Salisbury Cathedral School’s first Organathon.  The Organathon will see the school’s Peter Collins Pipe Organ played throughout the day on Friday 7 October to introduce all pupils to the instrument and help raise funds for necessary repairs and restoration, as well as support new Organ Scholarships. The concert is free to attend but you will be able to donate on the day if you’d like to help. 

About the Performers

David Halls was appointed Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral in 2005. He started to learn the piano at four years old and was Assistant Organist at St Wilfred’s, Harrogate whilst he was a pupil at Harrogate Grammar School. He won an Organ Scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford and graduated with Honours Degree in Music in 1984. He was Organ Scholar at Winchester Cathedral under the guidance of Martin Neary and James Lancelot. 

John Challenger, Salisbury Cathedral Assistant Director of Music, was a chorister at Hereford Cathedral and then an Organ Scholar at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. He was also an organ scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge. In 2017, John acted as Director of Music at St John’s College, Cambridge. John has studied the organ with David Briggs, Jeremy Filsell, Mark Williams, and the late David Sanger. He also teaches the organ here at Salisbury Cathedral School. 

About Pipe Dreams

Salisbury Cathedral School is very fortunate to have a Peter Collins Pipe Organ which resides in the Organ Loft above the School Chapel. It is used both as a teaching instrument for pupils and as a rehearsal instrument for Salisbury Cathedral. The Pipe Dreams campaign, of which the Organ-a-thon is a part, is looking to raise a total of £43,000 to fund:

·        Vital renovation and repair work to the school organ 

·        Safety works to the school chapel gallery to make the organ accessible for unsupervised pupil practise plus improved lighting 

·        Two new organ scholarships: for one boy and one girl, during school years 7 and 8, including a school fee remission, weekly organ lessons and performance opportunities at school and in local churches, organ groups and Salisbury Cathedral