Musical Directors - Andrew Kirk and John Young
Andrew Kirk is a freelance choral director, organist, accompanist and composer working mainly in the Bristol and Somerset area. Since September 2025, Andrew has been Musical Director of Portishead Choral Society, a choir of 60 members, which celebrated its platinum jubilee earlier that year. We are delighted to have him co-direct us, taking up his post in January 2026.
From 2003-2023, he was Director of Music and Organist at St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol, where he had responsibility for directing several choirs at the church and regularly gave concerts on the famous 1912 Harrison and Harrison organ. In the past year, his organ concerts have included St David’s Cathedral, St Chad’s Cathedral, Tewkesbury Abbey, Christchurch Priory, Leeds Minster, Albert Hall Nottingham and Brangwyn Hall Swansea.
From 1994-2003 he was Director of Music at St John’s Church, Ranmoor, Sheffield. He also taught class music at three secondary schools, including Lady Manners School, Bakewell. He has been an external consultant for the appointment of Directors of Music in some of the larger churches in the UK.
Born and educated in Leicester, he won an Organ Scholarship to Pembroke College, Oxford where he studied organ with David Sanger. He spent two years in Western Australia as Assistant Organist at St George’s Anglican Cathedral in Perth. He holds the FRCO Diploma, gaining the Turpin and Durrant prizes for organ playing.
John Young - biography to follow
From 2003-2023, he was Director of Music and Organist at St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol, where he had responsibility for directing several choirs at the church and regularly gave concerts on the famous 1912 Harrison and Harrison organ. In the past year, his organ concerts have included St David’s Cathedral, St Chad’s Cathedral, Tewkesbury Abbey, Christchurch Priory, Leeds Minster, Albert Hall Nottingham and Brangwyn Hall Swansea.
From 1994-2003 he was Director of Music at St John’s Church, Ranmoor, Sheffield. He also taught class music at three secondary schools, including Lady Manners School, Bakewell. He has been an external consultant for the appointment of Directors of Music in some of the larger churches in the UK.
Born and educated in Leicester, he won an Organ Scholarship to Pembroke College, Oxford where he studied organ with David Sanger. He spent two years in Western Australia as Assistant Organist at St George’s Anglican Cathedral in Perth. He holds the FRCO Diploma, gaining the Turpin and Durrant prizes for organ playing.
John Young - biography to follow
Simon Forrester - OrganistSimon studied the organ at the Royal School of Church Music with Michael Fleming. He studied music at the University of Exeter where he sang in the Cathedral Choir and later joined the Choir of Truro Cathedral. He has been musical director of a number of choirs in the South West of England. He plays the organ at St. Michael’s Church, Milverton and is regularly the much appreciated accompanist for In Ecclesia at diverse venues.
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