ALAN TAYLOR, ALCM

Alan has been playing the organ for church services since the age of 12. He was appointed Assistant Organist of Walsall Congregational Church in 1966, when the church housed a 30-stop three-manual organ by the famous Leeds firm of J J Binns.

In 1969, while still at school, Alan gained an Associate diploma from the London College of Music. In that same year, he was appointed Organist & Choirmaster at Broadway. Apart from a four-year period while studying in Durham & Oxford, and thus only available during vacations, Alan has been playing weekly at Broadway for over 40 years. His total number of services played at the church now approaches 4000.

Alan recently retired from his "day job" as Assistant Headteacher at King Edward VI Five Ways School Birmingham (where he was responsible in 1998 for a project to rebuild and enlarge the school organ).  He maintains a busy schedule as conductor, soloist and accompanist - and not only at Broadway. In recent years, he has performed at the Morriston Tabernacle, Swansea, at St George's Edgbaston (Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony) at Lichfield Cathedral, and regularly in Walsall Town Hall.  He is Treasurer of Birmingham Organists Association, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Incorporated Association of Organists.

For twenty years, Alan has organised a series of fund-raising autumn concerts at Broadway URC with guest organists including Dr Roy Massey, Keith Hearnshaw, Paul Carr and Andrew Fletcher.  Alan has conducted performances of major choral works including Fauré's Requiem, Haydn's The Creation and Nelson Mass, Handel's Messiah and Anthem for the Foundling Hospital, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Stainer's The Crucifixion and Vivaldi's Gloria.