Rupert Jeffcoat
Encyclopedia
Rupert Edward Elessing Jeffcoat (born 23 June 1970, Edinburgh) is a Scottish organist, composer, and Anglican priest.
, Scotland
.
He was a chorister at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal)
Edinburgh, under Dennis Townhill
before attending Glenalmond College
as a music scholar. He later studied music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
, where he was also Organ scholar
, studying under Peter le Huray, Peter Hurford
, David Sanger
, Robin Holloway
, Hugh Wood
and Alexander Goehr
. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists
, aged only 20.
Early positions were with the Edinburgh International Festival
(premiering operas by James MacMillan and Craig Armstrong
), Ampleforth College
, Yorkshire, deputy organist at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
under Marcus Huxley
, and with the Birmingham Bach Choir under Paul Spicer
. He was appointed Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral
in 1997 aged only 26, leading choir tours to Russia, Japan, South Africa and Europe. He then became Organist and Director of Music at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane
in 2005 but left the post in 2010 following following disagreements with the cathedral authorities. His ordination to the priesthood was in St John's in 2006, having trained in Birmingham
, UK at The Queen's Foundation, Edgbaston
. He has also been published as a theologian by Epworth Press, in a symposium entitled The Edge of God (2008).
As a composer he has composed in numerous languages including Aramaic, Hungarian, Vietnamese, Welsh, Arabic, Maori, Dutch, German, Czech, Russian and English as well as the more usual liturgical languages (Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Church Slavonic). As an organist and pianist he has performed widely, recording with Emma Kirkby
(music by Francesco Scarlatti
) and giving recitals on some of the world's most prestigious organs such as Westminster Cathedral
, Liverpool Cathedral
, St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh
, Queen's College
, Oxford
, Sydney Town Hall
, the Caird Hall
, Dundee, and the Lambertikirche, Munster
. Special achievements include two Firsts in music from Cambridge
, prizes from the Royal College of Organists
, and a Best Entertainment award from the Royal Television Society (for a BBC
Songs of Praise
programme).
Life
Jeffcoat was born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
He was a chorister at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal)
St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal)
St Mary's Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built in the late 19th century in the West End of Edinburgh's New Town. The cathedral is the see of the Bishop of Edinburgh, one of seven bishops...
Edinburgh, under Dennis Townhill
Dennis Townhill
Dennis William Townhill OBE was an English organist and composer.Born in Lincoln, he was educated at Lincoln School and studied under Dr Gordon Archbold Slater at Lincoln Cathedral....
before attending Glenalmond College
Glenalmond College
Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. The school's motto is Floreat Glenalmond...
as a music scholar. He later studied music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
, where he was also Organ scholar
Organ scholar
An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at an institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and administrative experience....
, studying under Peter le Huray, Peter Hurford
Peter Hurford
Peter Hurford OBE is a British organist, born St Cecilia's day 1930 in Minehead, Somerset.Educated at Blundell's School, he later studied both music and law at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating with dual degrees, subsequently obtaining an enviable reputation for both musical scholarship and...
, David Sanger
David Sanger
David Sanger is the name of:* David Sanger * David Sanger * David E. Sanger , White House correspondent for The New York Times...
, Robin Holloway
Robin Holloway
Robin Greville Holloway is an English composer.-Early life:From 1952 to 1957, he was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral...
, Hugh Wood
Hugh Wood
Hugh Wood is a British composer.- Biography :While Wood was brought up in a musical family, it was only after graduating in History from Oxford that he decided to dedicate his energies to composition; and he moved to London in 1954 to study with William Lloyd Webber, Anthony Milner, Iain Hamilton,...
and Alexander Goehr
Alexander Goehr
Alexander Goehr is an English composer and academic.Goehr was born in Berlin in 1932, the son of the conductor and Schoenberg pupil Walter Goehr. In his early twenties he emerged as a central figure in the Manchester School of post-war British composers. In 1955–56 he joined Oliver Messiaen's...
. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
, aged only 20.
Early positions were with the Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
(premiering operas by James MacMillan and Craig Armstrong
Craig Armstrong
Craig Armstrong, OBE is a Scottish composer of modern orchestral music, electronica and film scores.Armstrong's score for William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet earned him a BAFTA for Achievement in Film Music and an Ivor Novello...
), Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
, Yorkshire, deputy organist at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
The Cathedral Church of Saint Philip is the Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham. Built as a parish church and consecrated in 1715, St Philip's became the cathedral of the newly formed Diocese of Birmingham in the West Midlands in 1905...
under Marcus Huxley
Marcus Huxley
Marcus Huxley is an English cathedral organist, who serves in St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham.-Background:Marcus Richard Huxley was born on 11 December 1949 in Chelmsford...
, and with the Birmingham Bach Choir under Paul Spicer
Paul Spicer
Paul Spicer is a former defensive end who spent the majority of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1998...
. He was appointed Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
in 1997 aged only 26, leading choir tours to Russia, Japan, South Africa and Europe. He then became Organist and Director of Music at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane
St John's Cathedral, Brisbane
St John's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of Brisbane and the metropolitan cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of Queensland, Australia...
in 2005 but left the post in 2010 following following disagreements with the cathedral authorities. His ordination to the priesthood was in St John's in 2006, having trained in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, UK at The Queen's Foundation, Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
. He has also been published as a theologian by Epworth Press, in a symposium entitled The Edge of God (2008).
As a composer he has composed in numerous languages including Aramaic, Hungarian, Vietnamese, Welsh, Arabic, Maori, Dutch, German, Czech, Russian and English as well as the more usual liturgical languages (Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Church Slavonic). As an organist and pianist he has performed widely, recording with Emma Kirkby
Emma Kirkby
Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, DBE is an English soprano singer and one of the world's most renowned early music specialists. She attended Sherborne School For Girls in Dorset and was a classics student at Somerville College, Oxford, and an English teacher before developing a career as a soloist...
(music by Francesco Scarlatti
Francesco Scarlatti
Francesco Scarlatti was an Italian Baroque composer and musician and brother of the better known Alessandro Scarlatti....
) and giving recitals on some of the world's most prestigious organs such as Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
, Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool but it is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
, St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Queen's College
Queen's College
Queen's College, Queens' College or Queens College is the name of more than one institution, typically in the United Kingdom or its former colonies and dependencies.Most widely known Queens Colleges:...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Sydney Town Hall
Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
, the Caird Hall
Caird Hall
The Caird Hall is the principal concert auditorium in Dundee, Scotland.Built between 1914 and 1923 and named after its benefactor, the jute baron James Key Caird, the Caird Hall regularly hosts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra....
, Dundee, and the Lambertikirche, Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
. Special achievements include two Firsts in music from Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, prizes from the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
, and a Best Entertainment award from the Royal Television Society (for a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
programme).
Compositions (Selected)
Jeffcoat has composed over 200 works, as well as numerous psalm chants.- 1998, Missa Jacet Granum for Canterbury Cathedral.
- 2000, Here is my servant, composed for the National Service commemorating the work of the Home Front attended by HM the Queen, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prime Minister.
- 2000, Third Service, a setting of the MagnificatMagnificatThe Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
and Nunc DimittisNunc dimittisThe Nunc dimittis is a canticle from a text in the second chapter of Luke named after its first words in Latin, meaning 'Now dismiss...'....
(in Gb and F# respectively) and broadcast frequently on BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
. - 2000, The Prophet, a setting for choir, organ, trumpet and congregation of the translation by Ted HughesTed HughesEdward James Hughes OM , more commonly known as Ted Hughes, was an English poet and children's writer. Critics routinely rank him as one of the best poets of his generation. Hughes was British Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath, from 1956 until...
of a paraphrase by Pushkin of a biblical text from IsaiahIsaiahIsaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
. - 2000, Laudate Dominum for two-part trebles, two pianos and organ, composed for the International Church Music Festival, Coventry.
- 2000, Abun devashmayyo, a setting of the Lord's PrayerLord's PrayerThe Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
in Aramaic. - 2001, Mass for OakhamOakham-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
. - 2002, Advent Calendar, a setting for violin and processing choir of words by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. - 2008, Toccatarama!, a palimpsestPalimpsestA palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
of 26 French Organ toccatas. (The composers' dates are listed as 1835-1992.) - 2009, The Disciples Awakening for 12 string players composed for the Consecration of Brisbane Cathedral, 29 October.
Recordings
- 2004, Rupert Jeffcoat Plays Organ Music From Coventry (Regent RecordsRegent RecordsRegent Records has been the name of at least two different record labels:*Regent Records - an American based company*Regent Records - a British company...
) - 2005, La Nativite (Regent RecordsRegent RecordsRegent Records has been the name of at least two different record labels:*Regent Records - an American based company*Regent Records - a British company...
), collection of Christmas musicChristmas musicChristmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
by Messiaen, HarveyHarvey- People :* Harvey , a given name and family name* William Harvey, 16th century physician, first to describe circulation of blood- Places :In the United States* Harvey, Illinois* Harvey, Iowa* Harvey, Louisiana* Harvey, Michigan* Harvey, North Dakota...
, LeightonLeighton- Businesses :* Leighton Holdings, the largest project development and contracting company in Australia- Places :In Australia:*Leighton, Western Australia, a beachside locality in Western AustraliaIn the United Kingdom:*Leighton, Cambridgeshire...
.