October 2005
Talking to Tristan Russcher	Show Menu

Acting Assistant Organist, Christ Church Cathedral

Tristan Russcher has been organ scholar in the both Christ Church and St Patrick’s Cathedrals for the past two years. At the Pipeworks competition in June, he took second place. Recently, in the Choir Room of the Cathedral, he talked to the Editor of Soundboard.

Tell me about your early education.

I grew up in Perth, in Western Australia and studied at Gulidford Grammar School until I was 17. Ian Hockley was my organ teacher there.

Is there music in your family?

There is, yes. My grandmother was a the well known Dutch composer, Meta Overman. She moved out to Australia in the ‘fifties and worked quite closely with the Universities of Melbourne and Western Australia.

And your parents?

My Mother is a very keen flautist and cellist, and my stepfather is a violin teacher. They are both very keen orchestral players.

So, after Perth Grammar School?

Then I moved to Ampleforth College in Yorkshire.

What brought you to England?

Well, it was my organ teacher, Ian Hockley, who used to teach at Ampleforth. He started me playing the organ and advised me to get out of Perth — there’s not that much there when compared to Europe. It’s good to get your education elsewhere, and then if you do want to come back, you’d have a lot of experience. So he said “Go to Ampleforth, where there is a fantastic organ teacher, Simon Wright”. So I got a full scholarship to Ampleforth and I did my A-levels there.

Whilst I was there, I was awarded a place to Worcester College in Oxford, as the organ scholar. Then I spent three years there doing my music degree — a BA in music

Tell me, what exactly are the duties of an organ scholar?

It varies wildly, depending on which cathedral you’re in, and on what stage you are at. The main role of the organ scholar is mainly to better himself and to prepare for an Assistant Organist’s position.

The Cathedral then is providing facilities for education?

Yes, it is basically an educational post. In many cathedrals, you may be doing one or two services a week

Playing or conducting?

Playing usually, but you may get the chance to conduct, if that is what you want to do, and usually there is a bit of administration involved as well. Here, for the last two years, I have been doing upwards of eight services a week, and it’s been a great opportunity to get the best from St Patrick’s and Christ Church.

The cathedral organs are very different. Both are fantastic in their own right, and the choir setups are also very different. Here I have had the opportunity to do a lot of conducting and a lot of choir training. I think the setup one of the best in these islands.

You did your FRCO recently?

Yes, that was only last year. I did my ARCO when I was in my first year at college, when I was nineteen. I was really a fairly late starter on the organ. I picked it up when I was 16.

How do you like Dublin?

Great, I really enjoy Dublin; it’s a fantastic city. The weather is a bit hard coming from Australia! The people here are fantastic.

What do you not like about Dublin?

The cost of living is about the only thing, and the transport system too!

Tell me about you almost winning the Pipeworks competition? How long did you spend working for it?

I applied for it about six months in advance. I put down a programme of big pieces that I didn’t know and which I have always wanted to learn

So you provided yourself with a stimulus?

Yes, I thought I would give myself a bit of a challenge. I didn’t go into it expecting to win or even come anywhere close. I wanted to do it for the experience. It was my first competition. So with about three months to go, I realised that I had let the organ scholarship job take over a bit, and I hadn’t really given myself enough time to learn the pieces

Were you having lessons at this stage?

Not specifically for the competition, I really did this completely by myself. Previously I did have a few lessons with Stephen Farr at Guildford Cathedral. For the Competition, I basically worked solid for about three months.

For how many hours each day?

For the month before, I was practising for about seven or eight hours per day.

Well, it paid off! But were you able to use the Cathedral organ for that many hours each day?

Luckily, with two cathedral organs available, I was able to practise late into the evening, when the cathedrals were closed. The rest of the work I was able to do on the piano. I didn’t think I played so well in the final round — I think my nerves had got the better of me. I had been happy with the first round.

So, where you do we go from here?

Well, I’m not entirely sure yet. This year, during Andrew Johnstone’s sabbatical, I am Acting Assistant Organist at Christ Church. After that I have just got to look around for any Assistant Organist’s jobs that come up. I don’t really want to do another organ scholarship. I’d really like to get stuck into the real nitty gritty of cathedral music.

In England?

Probably, I don’t really intend to go back to Australia, not at this point anyway. Perhaps eventually.

Any favourite composers?

The top has to be Bach, let me see — top five? Beethoven, Finzi, Dupre, Francis Pott.

Do you go to many concerts?

As many as I can, but luckily in Christ Church we give many lunchtime concerts, and in St Patrick’s the same thing. I try to get to the NCH when I can.

You’ve played the organ there no doubt?

I haven’t actually, I keep meaning to but it hasn’t happened yet! I’ve been to quite a few recitals there.

Have you done much travel around the world?

Living in Perth was a good opportunity to visit Asia, places like Malaysia, and Bali. It is easier (and cheaper) to go to such places than to Sydney or Melbourne. I’ve been to the Middle East a few times, and the States, mostly on holidays. I’ve done very little touring around giving recitals to date. I’d like to take a week sometime touring the Netherlands and perhaps doing some recitals there, and maybe the States too in a few years time.

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