Alan Harverson

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Alan Harverson (also known as Alan Hooper) lived from 16 August 1922 to 31 January 2006. He was an English organist, pianist and teacher who was born and raised in southern Ireland. In 1939 he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, earning six prizes for piano and organ and the Certificate of Merit. He taught at the Academy from 1942 and became a professor in 1973.

Harverson played the organ at several London churches, including St Mary’s Bryanston Square and the London Oratory. He also worked at St Gabriel’s, Cricklewood, and the Servite Priory in Fulham, where he waited for a new organ by Grant, Degens & Bradbeer to be finished before taking up the post. Later he was organist at Holy Trinity, Sloane Street, and his lively playing could be heard across central London after 1987.

He served as the organist for the BBC Symphony Orchestra and played the organ for 29 Last Nights of the Proms. Harverson worked with many leading orchestras and conductors and was a respected chamber musician. His recital tours took him across Europe. In the Netherlands he studied Baroque organ styles and researched period organs, helping to pioneer the revival of Baroque performance in modern English organ playing.