Jonathan Bunney

Jonathan Bunney BMus ARCO

Jonathan Bunney will playing the organ for the Service of Prayer & Thanksgiving at St Mary's on Sunday 2nd May at 4:30pm.

The order of service will include 4 organ solo pieces the second of which was played at the opening recital on the organ by Professor Fowles in 1900.

Prelude & Fugue in G Major (B.W.V.550)	...............	J S Bach (1685 – 1750)
Allegro Maestoso e Vivace from Sonata No.2 in C Minor	...............	F Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809 – 1847)
Air & Gavotte	...............	Samuel Wesley (1810 – 1876)
‘Nimrod’ from Variations on an Original Theme	...............	Sir Edward Elgar (1857 – 1934)

Jonathan was born in Winchester in 1980 and started his musical education at the age of 12. Following the beginning of his church music education as organ scholar at St. Mary’s Church, Hayling Island, Jonathan was for three years the Hampshire County Council Organ Scholar at St. Mary’s Church, Portsea, where he developed his church musicianship under the guidance of Nigel Stark. During this time he was also a student at the St. Giles International Organ School, where he was taught by Anne Marsden-Thomas. In 2000 he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music. During his time at the RCM his teacher was Margaret Phillips, prizes awarded included the Kenneth Bruce Stuart Prize and Harold Darke Memorial Prize for Organ. Jonathan also participated in Masterclasses with Thomas Trotter and Dame Gillian Weir.

In 2004 he graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree and achieved his ARCO. In the same year he was the Royal Hospital Church Music Scholar at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, before becoming Director of Music at St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London’s West End. During his time at St. Giles, Jonathan has developed and directed a successful Voluntary Choir of up to 22 members and established a series of lunchtime organ recitals on the newly refurbished William Drake organ. He has recently recorded his first CD on this restored instrument and joined the teaching team at the St. Giles International Organ School based at the historic church of St Giles Cripplegate.

You may also recognise Jonathan from his television appearances on the game shows The Weakest Link and Deal or no Deal. Thanks to winnings from the latter show, Jonathan has been able to return to the RCM to study for a Masters in Music, which he started in September 2008. Other interests include Doctor Who, tennis and the British coastline.