WHEN the Radio 4 daily service is broadcast from Malvern Priory in two week’s time the organist will be a teenager.

15-year-old Peter Shepherd has been made senior organ scholar at the Priory and now plays the organ at most of the Priory’s services.

“He is an extremely talented young man and we think very highly of him,” said David Iliff, the Priory’s director of music.

He praised Peter’s talent and said he had a great future ahead of him as a church musician.

Peter, a pupil at Kings School in Worcester, was fomerly head chorister at Worcester Cathedral. He has been playing the organ since he was around 10 years old. He achieved Grade 8 last year and is now studying for a Royal College of Organists qualification. He has been playing the organ at the Priory, where his mother Christine is a lay reader, for the last year or so.

“We don’t have an official organist so we call on Peter quite a lot. He will be playing at the service for the radio broadcast,“ said Mr Iliff.

As a senior organ scholar Peter will receive a grant towards his tuition. He is having lessons with Christopher Allsop and is receiving additional support from David Cooper, the Priory’s former director of music.

Peter and the Priory congregation will be featured on the BBC Radio 4 Sunday worship service which will go out live on Sunday, October 24, at 8.10am.