Our new organist Mr Brian Varley
We are delighted to welcome Brian as our new organist and choirmaster. Below is short biography of Brian and his considerable experience with Church music.
Born in Newcastle in 1944, Brian Varley began playing the organ at the age of 14 under Jack Wolstenholme at Newcastle Royal Grammar School, followed by 4 years of lessons with John Webster, University Organist, whilst a chemistry student at Oxford. He was privileged to spend 2 years in Hamburg, working with Professor Rose Kirn, and 7 years playing the organ regularly in Southwell Minster.
He became Organist and Choirmaster of St. Andrews, Bishop Auckland in 1989, the largest parish church in Co. Durham with its fine 3 manual, 42 stop, organ, completely rebuilt by Harrison and Harrison some 20_year.s_ago, He serv_e.ciin this post for some 28 years until November 2018.
Having kept up his organ practice throughout a busy business career, Brian again took up serious organ study in 2000 as a pupil of James Lancelot (Durham Cathedral) and was awarded his ARCO in 2003. Recitals have included Newcastle St. Nicholas Cathedral, St Mary's RC Cathedral, St.Mary's Melton Mowbray and Southwell Minster.
Since the beginning of the project in 2007 when he was invited to take part, Brian enjoyed playing a leading role on the organ advisory committee for the new Kenneth Tickell organ in St. Mary's RC Cathedral, Newcastle, dedicated in February 2013, through all the many stages of the planning and commissioning of the new instrument.