Rupert Jeffcoat hails from Scotland where he was a chorister at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh. He read music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge where as well as obtaining a double-first in Music he worked with the choirs of Kings and St John's Colleges, studying with Peter Hurford, Peter le Huray, Robin Holloway and David Sanger. At the age of only 20 he gained his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists with a prize. He worked with the Edinburgh International Festival as a music assistant for several seasons, and he was Assistant Organist at Birmingham Cathedral for 2 years.

At the age of 26 he was appointed Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral. In 8 years he took the choirs on a dozen foreign trips (including Russia, Japan, South Africa and Europe), giving regular broadcasts for British Television and Radio. Over a dozen of his choristers gained their Grade 8 singing, and the choirs relished singing in up to 20 languages. In 2000 he wrote the keynote anthem for a national service (attended by HM the Queen, Prime Minister Blair and the Archbishop of Canterbury) commemorating the work of the Home Front. Rupert is also the only Cathedral Organist to have won a Royal Television Society Award (2004) for Best Entertainment - his work on a Songs of Praise (with pop producer Pete Waterman) showed that church music can be fun!
As an organist Rupert's has recorded to great acclaim (Gramophone magazine labelled him 'truly virtuosic'), and his performance of Bach was described by the Melbourne Age as 'masterly'. He has played at both Sydney and Melbourne Town Halls, as well as in New Zealand and in Europe. He has also composed some 300 pieces, and his Third Service is in the repertoire of many Cathedral choirs. Rupert's interests include underplayed, unplayed and even unplayable repertoire.

Rupert trained for the ministry in England and Germany, and was ordained in 2005. He retains a deep interest in biblical studies (particularly Hebrew numerology), literary theory and art history. In addition to exploring Australia with his young family, his hobbies include many European languages and literature, cinema and Indian cuisine.

The Rev'd Rupert Jeffcoat

CDs available in
The Cathedral Shop
The English Cathedral
Series Vol XI
Rupert Jeffcoat
plays organ music from
Coventry
Price $30

La Nativité
Organ music for Christmas
Rupert Jeffcoat playing the organ at Coventry Cathedral
Price $30

MR BENEDICT MACKEY
BMus (Hons) Newcastle LTCL AMusA
Organ Scholar

Organ Scholar at St John’s Cathedral
Ben is a graduate of the Universities of Tasmania and Newcastle, where he studied with Dr. Philip Matthias. In 2002 he was awarded the Don Kay Hobart City Council Scholarship in Music and in 2006 held the Michael Dudman Undergraduate Scholarship in Organ, as well as the Dr. Ian Ratcliffe Memorial Scholarship at Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle. In 2007 he spent a year as an assistant organist at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church before returning to Christ Church Cathedral as organ scholar in 2008. Ben was organ scholar for the University of Newcastle Chamber Choir's 2007 UK tour, playing for the Guild of Church Musicians' festival evensong, and he also accompanied this choir in a live ABC Classic FM broadcast. At St John's he has played for many special services including the funeral of Archbishop Grindrod, the annual performance of the Faure Requiem and other concerts and events. 
Ben holds Trinity College London's Licentiate diploma (LTCL) with distinction as well as an AMusA in piano. He is currently enrolled at the Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University, reading for Master's Degree, and was involved with their 2008 production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as workshops and seminars. The organ of St John's Cathedral is well suited to the romantic repertory which is a happy coincidence, since Ben enjoys playing the great European organ works from the late nineteenth century. At the same time 2009 (being the 200 anniversary of Mendelssohn's birth) sees him playing all of Mendelssohn's organ music, and he is developing a keen interest in the music of Messiaen. In his spare time he enjoys dancing, bush-walking and sampling Queensland wine - all three in moderation!