Rupert Jeffcoat


Rupert Edward Elessing Jeffcoat is a Scottish organist, composer and Anglican priest. Married to Catherine Jeffcoat.

Early Life

Jeffcoat was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. Although parts of his family are originally from Birmingham. One out of five brothers; one older and three younger. Jeffcoat became a choirboy from a young age, alongside his older brother.

Personal Life

Married to Catherine Jeffcoat, and the mother to their three children, and.

Work

He was a chorister at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh Edinburgh, under Dennis Townhill before attending Glenalmond College as a music scholar. He later studied music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he was also Organ scholar, studying under Peter le Huray, Peter Hurford, David Sanger, Robin Holloway, Hugh Wood and Alexander Goehr. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, aged only 20.
Early positions were with the Edinburgh International Festival, Ampleforth College, Yorkshire, deputy organist at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham under Marcus Huxley, and with the Birmingham Bach Choir under Paul Spicer. He was appointed Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral in 1997 aged only 26, leading choir tours to Russia, Japan, South Africa, Europe and America. He then became Organist and Director of Music at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane in 2005 but left the post in 2010 following disagreements with the cathedral authorities.
His ordination to the priesthood was in St John's in 2006, having trained in Birmingham, UK at The Queen's Foundation, Edgbaston. He has also been published as a theologian by Epworth Press, in a symposium entitled The Edge of God.
As a composer he has composed in numerous languages including Aramaic, Hungarian, Vietnamese, Welsh, Arabic, Maori, Dutch, German, Czech, Russian and English as well as the more usual liturgical languages. As an organist and pianist he has performed widely, recording with Emma Kirkby and giving recitals on some of the world's most prestigious organs such as Westminster Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral, St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, Queen's College, Oxford, Sydney Town Hall, the Caird Hall, Dundee, and the Lambertikirche, Münster. Special achievements include two Firsts in music from Cambridge, prizes from the Royal College of Organists, and a Best Entertainment award from the Royal Television Society.

Works

Compositions (Selected)

Jeffcoat has composed over 200 works, as well as numerous psalm chants.