‘Extraordinary honour to play organ at royal events’

An organist who performed at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and King Charles III’s coronation described the honour as “an extraordinary honour”.

Peter Holder, from Bewdley, Worcestershire, was the sub organist at Westminster Abbey on the time of each ceremonies. Despite a mixed international viewers of six billion he mentioned he was not a “bag of nerves”.

“I think what I was thinking first and foremost was how can I make sure I do my part. That’s where all of my attention was focused,” the previous pupil of Kings School in Worcester mentioned.

“I saw it very much as a duty. It had to be something I was prepared to do in the role I held at Westminster Abbey at the time.”

As organist throughout the funeral Mr Holder carried out works by Edward Elgar and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Asked how he had coped with the stress of such an obligation, Mr Holder defined: “It all comes down to preparation and I think where one knows they have a responsibility then they prepare proportionately.”

The 35-year-old former Wocester Cathedral chorister carried out on the cathedral as a part of its annual Gala Organ Recital on Saturday.

After leaving college the musician studied on the Royal Academy of Music in London, earlier than holding organist posts at St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.

He presently holds the submit of organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.