Private School News

ORGAN SCHOLAR

Talented teenager Alice Salmon, a Sixth Form Music Scholar at Farnborough Hill, has just secured an organ scholarship at St Michael’s Church Sandhurst. Alice, 16, says, ‘This is a really good opportunity. I’m looking forward to it and it will be great experience for me.’

Alice has been playing the organ for less than 18 months. When she started in September 2007, she was already an accomplished pianist. She has recently achieved a distinction in Grade 7 Piano and hopes to sit Grade 7 Organ later this year. Alice fits her extensive musical activities around her studies for AS levels in Music, History, English and Religious Studies, and an active social life. Her ambition is to gain an organ scholarship at Cambridge University.

St Michael’s Church learned of Alice’s talent from Farnborough Hill Director of Music, Karen Phillips. Their regular organist has gone on sabbatical until October 2009. Alice will be paid for her work, although she says, ‘We haven’t discussed that yet!’ St Michael’s have a substantial choir and Alice’s services will be required on Thursday evenings for rehearsal, Sundays at the 9.30 Morning Service and monthly for Evensong.

Staff, students and visitors to Farnborough Hill have the privilege of hearing Alice play the organ frequently. As Alice says ‘I love playing the organ because it’s great being able to make so much noise! I enjoy it so much that I spend a vast amount of my free time in the organ loft of the school chapel practising.’ Alice also accompanies the senior school choirs, the orchestra and various other music groups in school and will be travelling to Tuscany in July as the accompanist for Farnborough Hill’s concert tour in Italy. When not playing the organ or piano, Alice is happy playing the clarinet in the school swing band!