Roger Judd, Sub-Organist, St. Laurence, Ludlow, England; Former Assistant Organist, St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. 

Bio

Roger's musical life began as a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, and continued as organ scholar of Pembroke College, Cambridge where he studied with Sir David Willcocks. Four years as Assistant Organist of Ely Cathedral followed, and then twelve years as Master of the Music at St Michael's College, Tenbury. From 1985 to 2008 he was Assistant Organist of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he accompanied the Chapel choir in their services, broadcasts, concerts and recordings. He was the organist at the wedding of the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 1999, at the service of Prayer and Dedication for the marriage of HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall in 2005, for HM The Queen's 80th birthday service, and the wedding of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly in May 2008. For more than ten years he was organ tutor to London University (Royal Holloway College), and for seventeen years he taught piano and organ at Eton College.

From September 2002 to Christmas 2003 Roger was Acting Organist and Master of the Choristers of St George's Chapel. Highlights during this time included directing the Chapel choir in performances of Handel Messiah, Duruflé Requiem, Bernstein Chichester Psalms, and co-directing, with Valery Gergiev, the world premiere of John Tavener's Elizabeth, Full of Grace commissioned by the Prince of Wales, and performed by singers and instrumentalists of the Mariinsky Theatre St Petersburg with the choristers of Westminster Cathedral and St George's Chapel.

He has recorded several CDs for Herald at St George's, and for Priory on the organs in the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam. Two more CDs for Herald are scheduled, one of the music of John Stainer on the organ at St Michael's Tenbury, and the other of early English music on the 17th century Thomas Dallam organ at Guimiliau in Brittany. Other recent concerts have involved working with the Hereford Festival Chorus, the Windsor and Eton Choral Society, the St Alban's Chamber Choir, the English Chamber Orchestra and the London Handel Orchestra. Since October 2003 he has made several visits to Norway and played concerts in Kristiansund, Kongsberg, and in the Cathedrals of Molde, Oslo, Stavanger and Trondheim; he has also appeared at the Oslo Church Music Festival with the St George's Chapel choir. Concerts in the UK have included King's College and St John's College Cambridge, Beverley Minster, the Temple Church, St Edmundsbury Cathedral and the Tenby Arts Festival. In the summer of 2006 Roger visited Canada to play in Holy Rosary Cathedral, Regina, and gave one of the inaugural concerts on the new Wolff organ in Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver Island. In 2006 he played in New York and Boston and Washington DC in 2007, and he is booked for a recital in St Thomas, Fifth Avenue, New York in 2011.

After 23 years at St George's Chapel, and 40 years in the profession, Roger retired from salaried work at the end of the summer term 2008. He and his wife now live just outside Hereford where he is enjoying getting involved in the music making of the area. In recognition of his work at St George's Chapel, Her Majesty The Queen honoured Roger with Membership of the Royal Victorian Order in the New Year Honours of 2009.