Organ  Teacher

Julie Ainscough studied Organ at Trinity College of Music, London and also with David Sanger, the international concert organist and teacher (himself a former pupil of world-renowned professors Anton Heiller and Marie-Claire Alain).  She also holds the Fellowship Diploma of the Royal College of Organists.  She is a much sought-after teacher of organ, both privately and at Hampton School in Middlesex.  Her career as an organ teacher goes hand-in-hand with other professional commitments which include both solo performance and accompaniment on organ, harpsichord and piano, plus choral direction and piano tuition.  Julie Ainscough is now embarked - on a part-time basis - upon compositional and research work aimed at the award of a Doctorate from the University of Surrey.

Prize-winning organ pupils have attained worthwhile organ scholarships, most notably the 2001-2004 Organ Scholarship at Exeter College, University of Oxford, which was awarded to Timothy Burke, formerly Acting Assistant Organist - and previously Organ Scholar - at both All Saints, Kingston-upon-Thames Parish Church) and St. Mary the Virgin, Ewell Parish Church.  Tim achieved an excellent pass in the January 2001 examination for the Associate Diploma of the Royal College of Organists (A.R.C.O.) at the age of eighteen years (winning the Durrant and Sowerbutts prizes) and also passed the recital element of the Fellowship Diploma (F.R.C.O.) examination in July 2001, making him the highest-qualified Organ Scholar-elect going up to Oxford in that year.

Timothy Burke's Finals recital, given in the chapel of Exeter College, was comprised of the Bach Prelude and Fugue in G Major (BWV541), the Reger Benedictus (Op.59 No.3) and the Deuxième Symphonie (Op.26) by Dupré.  He was gazetted on the Eighth of July 2003 with a First-Class Honours B.A. in Music by the University of Oxford and was awarded the Peter Street Prize for his "outstanding contribution to the academic and cultural life of Exeter College".  Having come down from Oxford, he assisted with the running of the Eton Choral Course and undertook postgraduate study at the Guildhall School of Music in London before moving to the National Opera Studio.  Timothy Burke was appointed also as Co-director of Music at All Saints' Parish Church, Kingston-upon-Thames, which post he held until 2007.  September 2006 saw him commence work at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden under the ægis of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme as a trainee conductor.  He is now Artistic Director of Riverside Opera.

September 25th 2006 saw Dr. Edward Higginbottom announce that the University of Oxford had appointed Lawrence Thain (see also below) as Organ Scholar-elect for New College, with effect from the start of the Michaelmas term 2008.  Lawrence is now a member of the 2006-07 Lower Sixth Form at Hampton School, where he continues to study with Julie Ainscough and has achieved success (performance, aural tests and paperwork) in his recent candidacy for the (now modular) Associateship diploma of the Royal College of Organists.  Some of Lawrence's earlier successes were detailed in the Spring 2007 issue of "RCO News", the members' quarterly journal of the Royal College of Organists.  Lawrence Thain and Timothy Lambourn both participated in the Royal College of Organists' 2007 Easter course at Cambridge, where the quality of their playing drew much positive comment.  Successful candidacies in the Summer 2007 RCO Associateship examinations were also achieved by Christopher Murphy (paperwork) and Tim Lambourn (aural tests and paperwork).

Lawrence Thain hands over the office of Organ Scholar at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace, at the end of the Summer Term 2008.  Curiously, the May 2008 edition of "Cantamus" (the journal of the Choir of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace) claims that the 2008-09 Organ Scholarship has been conferred upon another of Julie Ainscough's pupils from Hampton School, William Round.  This - despite William's prowess at the instrument - is most certainly not the case and the source of this error has yet to come to light.  William is as mystified by the report as is his teacher!

September 20th 2007 saw the University of Cambridge appoint Tim Lambourn as organ Scholar-elect for Jesus College, with effect from the start of the Michaelmas term 2008.  Tim will have not one but two organs to play, as Jesus College chapel has just added beside the historic Sutton organ a new instrument from Orgelbau Kuhn AG, the Swiss builder based in Männedorf (Zurich Canton).  Tim Lambourn was successful in his Spring 2008 candidacy for the ARCO performance module.

Julie Ainscough, as a freelance and peripatetic organ tutor, visiting Hampton School since 1994 (and Emanuel School from 2003), teaches to Royal College of Organists professional diploma levels and has had numerous other successes with pupils:  this encompasses a number of prize-winners in the Croydon Music Festival:-
2008 "Advanced" class
2007 "Intermediate" class;
2006 and 2005 "Advanced" classes;
2004 "Advanced" class and "Intermediate" class;
2003 and 2002 "Intermediate" classes;
2000 "Recital" class;
1999 "Advanced" class;
1997 "Intermediate" class.

Julie Ainscough encourages pupils toward idiomatic and authentic performance of a broad range of repertoire (for example, Early Spanish, Early English, French Baroque, North German and Low Countries Baroque, French Romantic and Twentieth Century, English Twentieth Century).  Correct fingering and ornamentation, authentic registration (including - where appropriate - the Spanish medio registro divided keyboard and use of Cavaillé-Coll's ventil system), the historical and practical contexts of the music and, most importantly, well-rounded and properly mature musical performance are fundamental to her teaching.  Theoretical and practical teaching is informed by an awareness of musical discovery, study, opinion and performance, together with personal performance on numerous organs (some of which are of musical and/or historic interest) in Britain, France, Germany and Spain.  Young pupils usually attend courses given under the ægis of the Oundle Organ School.

Julie Ainscough accepts pupils and teaches according to the stipulations and recommendations of the Royal College of Organists and the Incorporated Society of Musicians (which latter organisation has elected her as an accredited member of its Register of Private Professional Teachers, after exhaustive scrutiny of her modus operandi and having obtained thoroughly-validated references from within the profession).  The terms and conditions under which she teaches privately are contained in a document entitled An agreement for music tuition, which is supplied as a hard copy to all prospective clients when she meets them for an initial consultation.

Formerly Director of Music at Christ Church, West Wimbledon, London SW20, Julie Ainscough took charge - from Advent Sunday 2002 - of a fine, three-manual "Father" Willis organ, having commenced her appointment as Director of Music for the Parish Church of Saint Mary the Virgin at Ewell, near Epsom in Surrey.  This instrument is of closely similar technical specification and quality to the renowned organ of Truro Cathedral (built just two years earlier by the same distinguished Company).  The Ewell Willis is the principal instrument upon which Julie Ainscough teaches private pupils.  Ewell Parish Church is situated in the heart of Ewell Village and is accessed easily by road (A24, A240) and by rail (Ewell West, Ewell East).  Burgeoning demand for her services as a teacher of organ and piano, together with an increasing commitment to composition, and with changes at the church, have now rendered Julie Ainscough's tenure of the post at Ewell impracticable.  Her resignation took effect from September 2007.  She will, however, continue to teach on the Ewell organ; she will also remain available to play for weddings and funerals at St. Mary's for the time being.

Julie Ainscough is now involved with the School's management in a review of organ provision at Hampton School (with a view to increasing the school's profile in British organ-teaching) and is looking into the detail of how any possible successor to the 1930s Rushworth & Dreaper instrument in the School's Main Hall may be integrated with development plans (which include a new Performing Arts Centre and auditorium).  An interim arrangement has been made, to provide some practical cover for the present unreliability of the Rushworth organ, with the commissioning of a new forty-three stop electronic instrument of three manuals and pedals from Makin Organs, which was delivered from Holland during the Autumn term of 2007.  She has overseen already the installation of a twelve stop, two-manual and pedal (mechanical action) teaching and practice organ by Peter Collins in a building converted specially for the Music Department.  This facility offers the opportunity for organ tuition to be given while the Main Hall is being used for public examinations and other purposes.  The Collins organ will be re-sited during 2008 in the new Performing Arts Centre, allowing its use with choirs and instrumental ensembles in rehearsal and performance.

"I just wanted to say how excellent I found Timothy Burke. I think he's a really splendid fellow and he's been exceedingly well-taught.  Many congratulations, Julie." (DAVID SANGER, Monday 31/05/99).

"The (organ) scholars at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace, are usually gap year (or older) musicians, so (for Lawrence Thain) to be awarded the scholarship at 14 he must have a pretty good teacher."
(HAMPTON SCHOOL PARENT, Monday 15/08/2005).

"It is clear to me that he (Tim Lambourn) has been extremely well-taught".
(DANIEL HYDE, Jesus College Cambridge, Tuesday 16/10/2007).

Home Page - Bookings & Inquiries

© Copyright 2008 Juliana M. Ainscough.