A recent comment received from a bride who found a wedding organist via this website:

“[Our organist] has been marvellous. His enthusiasm for helping make our wedding day special genuinely enhanced our enjoyment of the Church service. He was proactive and cheerful, and his rendition of The Sailor’s Hornpipe as we left the church made everyone smile!  I unreservedly recommend him!”

STEPHEN BELL MA (Oxon), FRCO (CHM)

Retired independent school Director of Music. Fully qualified, professional organist. Widely-experienced with large repertoire.

Location: Ash, near Martock, Somerset. Available Sundays & weekdays: weddings/funerals. Prepared to travel, but will require mileage. Fee negotiable, but must reflect qualifications & experience. 50% additional fee expected for any service where a video is made. Prepared to play in any denomination, but in “traditional” style. Not prepared to work with worship groups or bands.

Tel: 01935-823189

Email: stephencbell@tiscali.co.uk

JOHN BODILEY LTCL, ARCO

Widely experienced organist & pianist, mainly as accompanist. Occasional recitals. Some experience of choral conducting & music arranging.

Bridgwater-based. Willing to travel up to 25 miles. Fee negotiable. Available for Sunday & weekday services, and all weddings & funerals. Ecumenically liberal. Available also as rehearsal pianist, and for examination accompaniment.

Tel: 01278 445441

Email: jbodiley@hotmail.co.uk

IAN CARSON

Please see my website ontherightnote.co.uk which includes helpful information on weddings & funerals.

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DAVID R J A DEWAR, BA(Hons), LRSCM, AdvDipRSCM, MISM

Director of Music at the Dame Monica Wills Memorial Chapel in the University of Bristol. Primarily available for North East Somerset. See also www.willschapelchoir.prof.org.uk

Tel: 07772 607 830

Email: david@daviddewar.org.uk

IAN GOUGE

Experienced, former deanery parish church organist (both urban and rural) available to play for weddings, funerals, church services and other ceremonies. Fee negotiable.

Taunton based but prepared to travel.

Tel: 01823-421723 / 07952 337 075

Email: gougeian@hotmail.com

Dr. IAN HEAVISIDES  ATCL

Widely experienced organist & choirmaster in both Anglican & Methodist denominations. Occasional recitals. Available Sundays and for Weddings/Funerals. Based in Chard. Prepared to travel within a 15 – 20 mile radius but would request mileage. Not prepared to work with worship groups or bands.

Tel: 01460-67248

Email: ian.heavisides@talktalk.net

ROBERT LANGSTON  MA (Cantab), FRCO (CHM), ARAM, ARCM, GRSM, DipRAM

 

Fully qualified professional organist and pianist with extensive experience.

 

Location: South Petherton, Somerset

 

Available Sundays and for Weddings and Funerals any day. Prepared to travel some distance, but will require mileage.

 

Fee negotiable but plus 50% for any service which is videoed.

 

Happy to play for any denomination, but only in traditional style, i.e. not prepared to work with worship groups/bands.

 

Also available as a rehearsal pianist, and for exam coaching and accompaniment (former ABRSM examiner).

 

Tel: 0747 0747 409

e-mail: robertlangston2002@yahoo.co.uk

ASHLEY MARSHFIELD BMus(Hons), PGCE

 

Graduate of the Royal College of Music, London – experienced organist, choral conductor and accompanist (piano and organ). Current Director of Music at an independent school.

 

Location: Bruton, Somerset – prepared to travel, but will require mileage. Fee negotiable, however a 50% additional fee will be required for any service that is recorded. Availability limited during term time, but available during school holidays and Saturday afternoons for weddings.

 

Tel: 07732 328 060 (mobile)

Email: ashleymarshfield@icloud.com

MILES QUICK

Experienced organist, conductor and accompanist. Former independent school Director of Music and current Music Director at parish church with wide-ranging music ministry.  Based in Taunton, Somerset.  Available some weekdays / Saturdays / Sunday evenings.

Tel: 01823 321617 / mob 07775 793277

Email: milesquick@gmail.com

Whilst the association is happy to unite churches with organists who offer themselves to deputise, it has not checked the skills and abilities of the players concerned. Churches should make their own enquiries where necessary.

Organists’ Fees – A General Guide

The question of how much should be charged for a service or special occasion, such as a wedding, is a familiar quandary among organists. This is because there is no universally accepted benchmark and rates tend to be agreed within churches individually, taking account of such factors as location (for travel expenses), the proficiency of the organist and the means of the church itself. The following advice is derived with gratitude from the Royal School of Church Music but remains a guide only.

A vocational organist, defined as a musician playing to below diploma level, may expect between £25 and £44 for a morning service in a small or village church. This increases to between £44 and £75 for a town church and up to £92 for an inner city church

For funerals, the vocational organist could consider £75 the minimum. This increases according to location in a manner similar to the morning service rate, up to a maximum of £160 in the inner city.

Weddings generally incur higher charges than funerals but these may still begin from the £75 mark in small or village churches.

If a service is live-streamed, as is increasingly common, the RSCM does not recommend increasing the fee as spectators online are considered part of the congregation.

A professional organist, playing to diploma level or higher, may charge more for all services.

For further advice, please do get in touch with SOCA using the Contact and Join page on this website.