Alan Langridge
London-based qualified & experienced freelance organist and choral director
BA Hons Music & ARCO:
Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Music, University of Leeds
Associate diploma of The Royal College of Organists (professional accreditation)
Contact
Email: alan2468100@gmail.com
Phone: 07769 717879
Alan has 40+ years experience (part-time) of organ playing and choral directing in Anglican, Roman Catholic and Free Churches. He is particularly experienced in providing music for Book of Common Prayer, Anglo-Catholic and Roman Catholic liturgies.
Alan has a passion for creating sensitive and memorable musical experiences that enrich every occasion.
Reviews
This is a small sample of recent reviews:-
"Wonderful to work with an organist who knows and understands the liturgy" - London Church of England vicar, Aug 2023.
Alan is frequently referred to as "A safe pair of hands".
"Perfect" - Kent Anglo-Catholic vicar after Sunday Parish Eucharist, Nov 2024.
"We just wanted to thank you again for supporting us at the funeral .... You made a difficult day a little easier and I know my mother-in-law would have loved to have heard you play with such enthusiasm." Kent Roman Catholic family member, Dec 2024.
Available Sundays and weekdays for Church services, weddings, funerals, and special occasions. Happy to advise on music choices. Happy to accompany choir, soloists and instrumentalists.
Based in South East London and works across Central & Greater London, Kent, Surrey and the South.
Teaching
Alan is also a music teacher with a practice based in Penge, South East London. He offers private lessons in organ and music theory.
As well as providing one-to-one tuition, Alan enjoys working with organists and churches to develop the skills necessary to play the organ successfully. He seeks to give people the confidence to enjoy playing a real pipe organ. Practice facilities are available in Penge.
Alan also provides taster lessons to help students decide if they would like to take up the organ.
Alan teaches children and adults from beginner to advanced. He has a fully clean Enhanced DBS certificate.
For further details about Alan's services or to schedule a lesson, please contact him directly.
Biography
Alan read music at the University of Leeds where he studied organ and harpsichord with Peter Seymour and performance studies with Graham Barber. Later organ teachers include Anne Marsden Thomas, Marilyn Harper and Peter Westerbrink, and he is currently studying with Francesca Massey. He learned the piano from the age of 12, and later taught himself to play the organ when his local church needed an organist. He obtained his first Organist and Director of Music post at St Luke, Woodside, South Norwood at the age of 16, and returned there later for a second stint. During his time in Leeds he was Organist and Director of Music at three churches: St Augustine, Wrangthorn; St Mark, Woodhouse; and All Hallows, Hyde Park. Later he was occasional organist at St Chad's South Norwood and occasional organist and choir director at St Mark's South Norwood.
Away from the organ bench, Alan studied for the public sector chartered accountancy qualification, eventually becoming Assistant Director of Finance for a large London authority. He retired a few years ago.
Alan now works as a freelance organist, teacher and choir director. He is a co-founder of Penge Music pengemusic.co.uk.
Alan holds professional accreditation as an Associate of The Royal College of Organists. He is also a member of The Musicians' Union and through them holds both Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance. He has a fully clean Enhanced DBS certificate.
Please note: This biography is for information only. Please do not publish it anywhere else without express permission from Alan. Thank you.
Example of Alan's playing
This is Henry Smart's Postlude in C performed by Alan on 18 Nov 2024 on the 1915 T C Lewis & Co organ of Penge Congregational Church, London SE20:-
Contact Alan on: alan2468100@gmail.com or 07769 717879