The new Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey has been announced as Andrew Nethsingha. He will succeed James O’Donnell in the New Year, who is leaving to take up the post of Professor in the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music.

As Director of Music at St John’s College, Cambridge since 2007, Nethsingha has led the choir in a rich decade-and-a-half of music making and choral worship, as admired for its explorations of new repertoire and collaborations as for its performances of established choral repertoire. It's a journey which has been captured on a series of superb recordings, as well made easily accessible to all through live-streams of services.

‘It will be a great privilege to contribute to the worship in a building of such beauty and historical significance,’ said Nethsingha on his appointment at Westminster Abbey. ‘Following the work of his eminent predecessors, James O’ Donnell has created a choir of enormous distinction, comprising choristers from the unique Abbey Choir School and some of the world’s finest adult choral singers. I have been struck by the warmth and friendliness of the Abbey community, of which my family and I look forward to becoming a part.’

‘At the same time I will greatly miss St John’s, another of the world’s finest choral foundations,' he added. 'I have been immensely happy there and I will be forever grateful to my wonderful colleagues at both College and College School, and to all the supremely talented people with whom I have been privileged to make music over the past 15 years.’

Last year Nethsingha led the decision to admit girls and women as full members to The Choir of St John’s. You can hear him talk more about that as well as the Choir's new album, 'The Tree' in the podcast below, along with an earlier episode from 2019 which explored an album, celebrating 150 years of musical life at the college.