Michael Overbury

Organist and harpsichordist Michael Overbury’s early musical influences centered on Farnham and London.  At his local Parish Church, St Andrew’s, he was introduced as chorister and Assistant Organist, to the glories of the English liturgical tradition, and it was here also that his organ teacher Stephen Thomson inspired in him a love of the harpsichord.  Also during these years at Farnham Grammar School, the nationally acclaimed Farnham Festivals provided opportunity for Michael to give a number of solo first performances.  These exciting and formative experiences were complemented by Saturday mornings at Trinity College of Music, London, where he held a Junior Exhibition.

Horizons broadened with an Organ Scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge , where he read music and studied the organ with Gillian Weir.  Harpsichord tuition continued with Kenneth Gilbert.  After graduating he was successively, an assisting organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, Assistant Organist at New College, Oxford, a deputy organist and choir master at the Cathedral and Abbey Church at St Alban’s, Director of Music at Eagle House Preparatory School for Boys, and Master of the Song School at Newark, Nottinghamshire.

After winning First Prize in the 1982 Manchester International Organ Competition, he appeared twice as soloist at the Royal Festival Hall and has continued to play with numerous choirs and orchestras, including Sinfonia Viva (formerly the East of England Orchestra), the Wren Orchestra, the Orchestra of St John’s Smith Square, the Milton Keynes Chamber orchestra, and English Sinfonia, and has featured on several recordings, including five solo discs. Michael is currently Director of Music of the Priory Church of Our Lady & S Cuthbert, Worksop, a founder member of Mvsica Donvm Dei, playing on period instruments mainly in the East Midlands, harpsichordist for the group Continuum, and Director of Music of the Nottingham Boys Choir.  He lives in Newark.