Philip Arkwright
In September 2013, Philip was appointed Organist and Master of the Music at the Abbey. Philip, originally born in St Helens, Merseyside, spent the previous twelve years at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Philip graduated from Liverpool Hope University, with a combined honours degree in Theology and Religious Studies, with Music. During his time at university, Philip was Organ Scholar at the University St Catherine’s Chapel, and also sang as a Choral Scholar at the Metropolitan Cathedral.

After graduation, Philip was appointed Organ Scholar at the Cathedral for two years, which then led to his subsequent appointment as Assistant Organist. During this time, Philip was pleased to be involved in many areas of the liturgical life of the cathedral; as well as the daily opus Dei (the daily round of choral services), Philip participated in television and radio broadcasts, CD recordings, concerts, and choir tours to Canada, Germany, France, Holland and Ireland, as well as venues in the United Kingdom.

In 2008, Philip embarked upon an exciting project, in conjunction with the Cathedral Choir School, to found a choir of girl choristers, giving girls the opportunity to benefit from a chorister education. The girls’ choir very quickly matured, and under his direction was recognised as the leading choir of girl choristers in the country. The girls’ choir also developed a series of broadcasts, recordings and tours. Interestingly, the last tour Philip organised with the girls’ choir and lay clerks of the cathedral, was to Buckfast Abbey. Philip was pleased that the Abbey was the last place he ever conducted the girls’ choir, in his new post! Philip is incredibly excited to start work at the Abbey, and has many plans to develop the musical tradition at the Abbey.

The Abbey choir
was founded in the year 2009; the Choir has since developed a wide ranging repertoire, specialising in the early polyphonic music of the sixteenth century, from composers of the English School, Tavener, Byrd and Tallis, as well as composers of the continental schools, Palestrina, Victoria and Philips. Complimenting this early music, the choir sings from a vast repertoire of the French romantic tradition, from composers such as Widor, Vierne, Langlais and Duruflé. The choir also enjoys the challenge of singing new and contemporary music of the modern Catholic composers, James MacMillan, Roxanna Panufnik as well as composer in residence and monk Dom Sebastian Wolff. The Abbey choir has quickly gained an outstanding musical reputation, drawing upon singers from across Devon and beyond.