David Briggs (English musician)

David John Briggs (born 1 November 1962) is an English organist and composer. He started his career as a cathedral organist as Assistant Organist at Hereford Cathedral before becoming the organist of Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals. Heavily influenced by Jean Langlais and Pierre Cochereau, Briggs is regarded as one of the world’s finest improvisors, and now works as a concert organist. He is also a composer of choral and organ music and has transcribed many orchestral works for solo organ, as well as many of Cochereau’s recorded improvisations. His daughter is the composer Kerensa Briggs. Early life and training Briggs was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, to John Briggs (d. 1979), an engineer (and cellist), and his wife Jane (a violinist), who had met in 1957 while playing in the Birmingham Hospitals Orchestra. Briggs began improvising on the piano and took lessons at an early age; he was invited to play hymns during assembly at his primary school in Moseley and Christmas carols during services at St Mary’s Church, Moseley. At the relatively early age of 17 Briggs was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO), having studied for the examination with Richard P