Jamie HITEL the biography
Jamie
HITEL
(Click on words
in
Whilst Southend is perhaps primarily known
for having the
Jamie's early musical education began at
the age of 6, and it wasn't long before he was
taking part in local musical festivals.
At the age of 14 he gained his first church
job, as Organist and Choirmaster of
St Alban's
Church, Westcliff, a post he held for 4
years.
Southend on Sea was also where Jamie made
his first appearance as pub pianist, appearing
regularly at the grand piano in the famous
back bar of
After leaving
school Jamie won an Organ Scholarship to
Robinson College,
Cambridge University
where he studied organ with
David Sanger, James O'Donnell and later Peter
Hurford. As Director of Chapel Music, his
responsibilities included directing the Chapel
Choir, conducting orchestral concerts, and leading
several international choir tours. He also
appeared regularly with the University Light
Entertainment Society.
In his spare
time,
Jamie played piano at The Cow and Calf
- a traditional corner pub serving real ales,
subsequently demolished.
After graduating,
Jamie Hitel went to
Norway to work as
organist and choir trainer in the
Norwegian Church
for three years. His
first parish,
Sandøy, consisted of
four islands in the Norwegian Sea, each with its
own worshipping community. Travel between
the islands was by ambulance boat, usually in
appalling weather. Jamie's second job in
Norway was divided between the parishes of Ørskog
and
Stordal, two communities
close to the most visited fjord in Western
Norway.
It was
whilst in
Norway that Jamie wrote and recorded two
musicals,
That Pig, Morin, and
A Stranger Love.
In 1992 Jamie
Hitel became Director of Music at
Waltham Abbey,
where his eminent predecessors included English
church music composer
Thomas Tallis.
During this time he developed and expanded the
music program, maintaining a full schedule of
services, concerts, broadcasts and
recordings. After so long away from Essex,
Jamie once again became involved with the local
community, serving both as elected councilor for
the
Labour Party and as Chair of the Board of
Trustees for the local
Citizens Advice Bureau.
In 1999 Jamie won a
performance diploma in the finals of the
prestigious Franz Liszt International Organ
Competition at the Liszt music academy in
Budapest.
Back
In November 2000
Jamie became Organist and Master of the Choristers
at
St Paul's Episcopal Church
in
Akron, Ohio, where he directs the Choir
of Men and Boys and the St Cecilia Girls'
Choir. In 2001 he founded St Paul's Chapel
Choir - an auditioned choir of mixed adults
providing music for special services and
events. Members from all the choirs traveled
to England in summer 2004, where, under Jamie's
direction, they spent a week singing the
daily offices at
Hereford Cathedral and Windsor Castle.
Jamie's solo organ CD
Sounds Messianic, featuring the work
of
Olivier Messiaen and César Franck, was
released in fall of 2003. It is the first
commercially available CD of St Paul's organ -
click
here for reviews.
Jamie is currently working on a third
musical, this time about the
Hungarian uprising,
which he plans to have completed in time for its
50th anniversary.
In his
spare time, Jamie enjoys running, and has completed
two marathons.
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