ORGANIST

Richard Nott is an organist with almost 50 years’ experience of playing for a wide variety of Christian churches and cathedrals in London and Essex. He graduated from the Colchester Institute with a B.A.(Hons) in Christian Liturgical Music, and has become well-known as a reliable, committed and sensitive freelance organist. 

Richard was the Director of Music at St Bede Roman Catholic Church in Chadwell Heath from 1998 to Easter 2023, where he played a fine example of a Cedric Arnold pipe organ. Read more about the Cedric Arnold organ at St Bede's. Since January 2024, he's been playing regularly at St Mary's, Hornchurch. If you'd like to book Richard to play for you during the week, please email him here.

Richard plays a valuable role with the Diocese of Brentwood by playing for services and RSCM examinations in addition to consulting on the significant inventory of musical instruments available for liturgy. He also teaches the organ at the Cathedral. Richard works part-time for the Master of Music, and is currently helping to digitise and archive the department's substantial number of recordings since 1983. His home office is full of equipment, including a lovely Revox B77 used for archiving reel-to-reel recordings of Brentwood Cathedral Music concerts from mid-80s to the early 90s. In fact, Richard made most of these recordings at the time!! His next project is to update the register of organs in the parishes.

Richard has played for both live and recorded television and radio programmes.

Richard is a member of the Independant Society of Musicians, the Royal College of Organists and the Royal School of Church Music, and is a Fellow of both the Guild of Musicians and Singers and National Federation of Church Musicians.

Richard is available during the week and on Saturdays to play for  weddings, funerals and other services. Please call or email  him if you would like Richard to play at a service for you. His number can be found on the 'Contacts' page. Richard is always happy to give help and guidance to "reluctant" organists on a one-off basis, or for a few lessons on playing for the liturgy.