DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Frikki Walker has been Director of Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow since 1996, and under his leadership the choir has developed into a choir of professional standing, with an international reputation for excellence through its regular broadcasts on Radio and TV, live-streams and recordings. The choir now also enjoys the inclusion of a Children’s Choir.
Frikki has recorded four CDs with the choir, and the choir have now featured on over 50 Radio and TV programmes including, Daily Service and Morning Worship on BBC Radio 4, Sunday Half-hour on Radio 2, and a wide variety of special programmes on BBC Radios 2, 4, Scotland and the World Service. They have also appeared many times on BBC Television’s “Songs of Praise”.
In addition to his duties at St Mary’s, Frikki currently conducts the Royal School of Church Music Scottish Voices, which he co-founded, is on the staff of the RSNO Youth Chorus, where he conducts their Changed Voices section, and has just retired from the staff at the High School of Glasgow, where he conducted their multi-award-winning Chamber Choir. In 2016 he founded Glasgow Cambiata bringing together the
changed voices choirs of several local schools, and this choir has performed with the RSNO to great acclaim.
Frikki has worked with most of Scotland’s prestigious choirs, including all the choirs in the RSNO family, the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, the National Youth Choir of Scotland, and choirs in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, for whom he has also acted as a visiting examiner.
A keen Choral animateur, he has run choral workshops for Festivals and choirs throughout Scotland and is in increasing demand as an adjudicator at Music Festivals.
An accomplished organist, Frikki has given recitals in parish churches, concert halls and Cathedrals all over Britain and beyond, including such venues as the Caird Hall in Dundee, St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Chester Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. He has also played in Salzburg, Holland, and in major churches in his home country, Iceland.
As a composer, he has written a huge range of choral music and choral arrangements, some of which are published, and several of which have been broadcast on Radio and TV, and sung and played in schools, churches and cathedrals all over the world. His “Camerata Carols” have twice featured in the RSNO Christmas Concerts.
Frikki is married with three children, and in his spare time, likes nothing better than spending time with them and his friends. When not involved in musical activities, he enjoys reading, (historical and biographical, and crime fiction,) driving, classic cars, visiting places of historic interest, word games and puzzles, and watching films. Frikki is also an avid fan of Science Fiction, especially Star Trek and Dr Who, is a life-long Lego enthusiast, and has an extensive collection of bookmarks.
CATHEDRAL ORGANIST
Steven McIntyre
Steven McIntyre combines a career in education with the position of Cathedral Organist at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow.
He studied at the universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde and holds Fellowship of both Trinity College London and the Royal College of Organists. He has been recipient of numerous prizes, including a Sir Thomas Beecham Trust scholarship; the Limpus, Shinn and Durrant Prizes, for FRCO, and the coveted Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.
As an undergraduate, he was awarded the Flentrop Scholarship from the Royal Philharmonic Society, enabling study on the historic organs of Alkmaar and Haarlem with Pieter van Dijk and Jos van der Kooy. He was one of the inaugural Tunnock Scholars from Scotland’s Churches Trust, allowing for study on Parisian organs of historical importance.
Passionate about outreach and advocacy, he is a founding member of Sowne of Organe which completes detailed surveys of historically important Scottish organs. Steven also volunteers for RCO:SCOTS and has regularly been on the faculty of St Andrews Organ Week, Scotland’s international summer organ academy.
ORGAN SCHOLAR
Eilidh Harris – Bernard Porter Organ Scholar
Eilidh has been in the choir of St Mary’s Cathedral for over ten years, and in 2023 was the first person to be appointed to the Bernard Porter Cathedral Organ Scholarship, which is funded from a legacy left by a previous Organist of the Cathedral and named in his memory.
Her duties as Organ Scholar include contributing to voluntaries and organ music at services, as well being the main accompanist for the Cathedral Children’s Choir, and on occasion accompanying the cathedral choir. Since August 2023, she has studied the organ with the Cathedral Organist at St Mary’s Cathedral, Steven McIntyre.
Eilidh also holds the post of Organist at All Saints Episcopal Church, Jordanhill, and has also accompanied and performed at events such as the Cumnock Tryst, with Sir James Macmillan, where she played for the Festival Service, and is also the accompanist for the Jordanhill Liturgical Choir.
A pupil of the Music School of Douglas Academy, Eilidh studies piano with Jean Hutchison and flute with Sheena Gordon as well as receiving education in harmony, keyboard skills, composition and music history. In December 2023 she gained a distinction in the DipABRSM diploma in Piano Performance. She has also won several classes at the Glasgow Music Festival, including the Piano Premier Class. At Douglas Academy Eilidh accompanies the Chamber, Senior, and Junior choirs,
Also an accomplished Flautist, Eildh is principal flute in the Music School’s Chamber Orchestra and First Orchestra, and has also been placed as principal flute in West of Scotland Schools Concert Band.