Organ Recital – Richard Walker

Richard Walker organises the free concerts during the festival and also at St Chad’s Shrewsbury and during the year in Church Stretton. He accompanies services regularly at St Chad’s, Ludlow Parish Church and Little Stretton. He has given recitals all over the UK, and also in Germany and the USA, including six performances of the complete organ works of J S Bach.

Richard studied organ with David Willcocks, gaining both ARCO and FRCO diplomas before his 20th birthday, and both with prizes. His career has been largely in teaching, first at The Edinburgh Academy, and then as Director of Music successively at Daniel Stewart’s and Melville College Edinburgh (1975-80), The Leys School Cambridge (1980-85), and Harrow School (1985-2005). He was also Assistant Organist at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral Edinburgh and subsequently Organist at St John’s, Princes Street, Edinburgh. Apart from his organ playing, Richard is a chamber music pianist and a double bass player in the Shrewsbury and Ludlow Orchestras. For many years he was conductor of the Phoenix Singers of Shrewsbury.