Former Teacher Biographies

Dr. John George Fletcher
D.Mus., F.R.C.O. (C.H.M.), A.D.C.M., F.T.C.L., L.R.A.M., A.R.C.M., L.R.S.M.
(1931 - 2015), Organist / Pianist / Choir Master / Musical Educator
 

John Fletcher spent a year at Moray House College of Education obtaining his Teachers’ Certification and subsequently spent five years as organist and choirmaster of the Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, St. Andrews, Fife, while teaching music at Madras College between April 1959 and December 1963. He became great friends with many of the teachers there and several remained life long friends.

Of Grenada (in the West Indies) and Scottish parentage - after he left Grenada he spent a major part of his youth in St. Andrew's, Fife with his mothers family (the Fey family). He studied music at the University of Edinburgh where he was awarded the Hollins Organ Scholarship, and graduated a Bachelor of Music in 1958. Returning to the Caribbean in 1964 he took up the post of music master at Combermere School in Barbados.

He obtained his D.Mus doctorate from Columbia University and Yale University’s, School of Sacred Music of Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He has studied with many distinguished artistes including Composition with Hans Gál (1890–1987) and Kenneth Leighton (1929–1988) at Edinburgh University; Joseph Goodman (1918–) of New York; Denis Stevens (1922–2004) of Columbia University (1964-76); Organ with Herrick Bunney (1915–1997) of St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, and Douglas Hawkridge (1907–c2000), Professor of Organ at the Royal Academy of Music, London. He adds to his list of credentials the Choirmaster's Diploma of the Royal College of Organists, winning along with it the Brook Memorial Prize, awarded to the most outstanding candidate; and the Archbishop of Canterbury Diploma in Church Music, the highest award conferred upon a musician in the Anglican Church.

He attempted to develop a music programme at University of the West Indies (Mona, Jamaica), as Director of Music (a post which he subsequently relinquished for lack of funding), returning to Barbados where, he was able to continue as Cathedral organist and choirmaster (at Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels) and music master of Combermere until he retired in 1991. He also directed the Sine Nomine Singers and Barbados Choral Society whilst continuing as an active Organ-Recitalist, a Music Adjudicator, and Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music Representative throughout the neighbouring Caribbean Islands.

He was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and of Trinity College and a licentiate of several music academies. Dr. Fletcher was a well known recitalist throughout the Caribbean and beyond, and has given recitals in Westminster Abbey in London, England and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Devine in New York City.