Jeffrey Williams

Jeffrey Williams BA (Hons), FRSA, LTCL, FTCL, PGCE

Jeffrey is a proud Cornishman and grew up just outside Camborne. His first organ lessons were at Camborne Centenary Church and St Mary’s Church, Penzance. After leaving Redruth Grammar School he went on to read music at Bath and to study organ and choir training with Dudley Holroyd at Bath Abbey and choral conducting with John (W J) Richards. Following a post-graduate course in Music Education with Bristol University he went on to teach at schools both in the state and independent sectors, and after 27 years in music education Jeffrey left full-time teaching in order to pursue a free-lance career, having already joined the panel of Music Examiners for Trinity College, London in 1999. He has examined in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and India, as well as extensively in the UK.

Jeffrey enjoyed a long period of association with the music at Romsey Abbey, which included 14 years as Organist and Master of the Choristers, during which time he established the choir as one of the largest and most successful all male church choirs in the South of England. Under his direction, the Abbey Choir sang at most of the major Cathedrals in the country, including three visits to Westminster Abbey and two concert tours to Holland, as well as performing on local television and national BBC Radio Three. Jeffrey has worked with the Royal School of Church Music, both as an Examiner for the School’s Chorister Awards scheme and in directing choral workshops. In December 2003 Jeffrey was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts for his contribution to music. As an organ recitalist and he has played at many of the English Cathedrals and Major Parish Churches, as well as performances in France, Holland the USA and Hong Kong. His CD recording of the restored Walker Organ at Romsey has had extracts featured on the BBC Radio 2 programme The Organist Entertains.

Jeffrey is in increasing demand as an adjudicator and is a member of the ISM’s International Guild of Adjudicators, Festivals and Workshop Presenters. Recent engagements have included the Truro School Senior & Junior Music Competitions, Southampton Music Festival, Bangkok Youth Piano Competition, Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, Steinway All Asia Youth Semi-Finals, and the Bangor International Choral Festival. Jeffrey is married to Diane, a pianist and they have two grown-up children In 2021 Jeffrey realized a long-held ambition to return to his native county and has settled on the outskirts of Camborne. Currently, he is the Principal Organist at St Ives Parish Church and Musical Director of the recently-formed Resurgam Choir.