Peterborough-born Jason Edge is returning to play the organ at the cathedral where “happy things happen to me,” this coming weekend, 28th-30th July. Edge is accompanying the visiting Thames Philharmonic Choir who will be singing the Cathedral’s choral services while the home choir takes a break.
He trained as an organist at the The King’s Cathedral School, Peterborough with the then Master of Music at the Cathedral, Christopher Gower, fell in love with his daughter Catherine, and married her in the cathedral. This weekend, Jason will be staying at his family home in Eye opposite the church where he played from the age of 12 - reported to be the UK's youngest official church organist at the time. In 1989, he was appointed Director Director of Music at St Mary’s Church, Peterborough.
When the cathedral’s magnificent 1894 Hill/Harrison organ was recently rebuilt to bring it to standard concert pitch (in tune with modern orchestral instruments), Jason helped document the original philharmonic pitch. This involved recording every one of the 5,000 pipes in the organ multiple times.
Jason Edge playing the Peterborough organ for the Thames Philharmonic Choir on their last residency at the Cathedral
Jason’s connection with the Thames Philharmonic Choir – one of the few south-west London choirs to do cathedral residencies on a regular basis - stems from his studying musicianship under the Choir’s Artistic Director John Bate at Kingston University in the 1990s. Jason was organist for the several collegiate music groups that Bate directed, which led him to being awarded the first Rodgers Organ Scholarship for aspiring cathedral organists.