College Organist - Mr. Jonathan Hellyer Jones

Jonathan Hellyer Jones is Precentor and College Organist at Magdalene, where he is Director of College Music and responsible for the Choir and Chapel music.

In the wider world, he has established a reputation, both in this country and abroad, as a baroque specialist and performer, on both organ and harpsichord, of the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. His solo recordings - The Organ in The Age of Reason (recorded in Trinity College Chapel) and The Muse Delight'd (music for harpsichord and fortepiano played on 18th century instruments in the Castle Museum in York) - bear witness to his versatility. He has performed on the organ and harpsichord in France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Mexico, the USA, and Japan.

He is known not only as a solo performer and teacher but also as the director of an ensemble of professional musicians dedicated to the performance of baroque music on period instruments. Formed in 1984, The Cambridge Baroque Camerata has toured widely in the UK, in France and Mexico, appearing on TV and radio. CDs have been produced regularly - Principia Musica (English music of the late 17th century), Rare Baroque Flute Concertos, A Swiss Alpine Medley and J S Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and St. Mark Passion (2 CDs each).

Organ Scholar - Mr. Benedict James Wilson

Born in 1989, Benedict James Wilson took up the Senior Organ Scholarship to Magdalene College, Cambridge, in September 2007. Prior to this appointment, Benedict was Organ Scholar at his home parish church, as well as accompanist and conductor of a number of ensembles in and around Lincolnshire.

Benedict was a member of the Royal College of Music Junior Department for eight years, piano and organ being his principal instruments. He was fortunate to have studied piano with James Lisney, Aaron Shorr and John Barstow, and organ with David Sutton-Anderson.

Benedict is particularly interested in directing and conducting, and has organised a number of concerts at which he has also been conductor. In December 2007 he is planning to direct a choral concert, featuring Rutter’s Gloria in addition to other a cappella works.

As well as performing, Benedict is currently reading Music, having scored one of the top ten marks nationally in the Edexcel A Level Music examination in 2007. He has won a number of other prizes, including the Baroque Music Prize from the RCMJD and the Hedy Robinson Award for gaining one of the highest marks nationally for ABRSM Grade 8 Theory.

Alumni

Organ Scholar 2004-7 - Mr. Alexander Woodrow

Born in York in 1986, Alexander Woodrow took up an Organ Scholarship to Magdalene College, Cambridge, in September 2004. Besides his close involvement with the direction and accompanying of Magdalene College Chapel Choir, he is additionally responsible for the re-instigation of a regular Organ Recital Series at Magdalene College, showcasing the fine organ by Goetze and Gwynn in the college chapel.

Alexander gained the ARCO with three first prizes in January 2005, before proceeding to Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO) in January 2006, aged nineteen, winning first prizes in all categories, including the coveted Limpus Prize.

Solo organ recitals over the past few years have taken him to numerous venues in this country, including cathedrals at York, Ripon, Coventry, Southwark and Blackburn. Later this year he will perform solo recitals at St. John’s and King’s College, Cambridge.