NATHANIEL DAVIS, LONDON

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST ORGAN OUTREACH

A Bit About me

As a child growing up in the Adventist faith, it was encouraged for us to learn an instrument or sing. This was no different for me as I was enrolled into the children’s choir under the direction of Robert Carr where we learnt a mixture of anthems, gospel and negro spirituals. My home church “Hampstead Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church” has a strong classical tradition which is fairly unique to the other Adventist churches in London. Within the Adventist Church music style varies from the more traditional right through to contemporary music but in all of its forms the goal is that music gives glory to God.

My entry to actually playing the organ was rather late. At the age of eight, I asked my parents if I could start piano lessons. My mother was in favour, however, she worked full time and could not take me to lessons. My father, who was a country musician playing guitar and steel pedal guitar, refused to take me to lessons as he wanted me to follow in his footsteps.

10 years later, after the passing of my father I was encouraged to join the church choir. Being a member of the choir taught me basic music theory and one member in particular, Sister Matthews, took me under her wing and taught me basic piano and music theory. Once she realised that I was succeeding her, she then encouraged me to take up piano lessons with the main church organist Ms Fiona Pacquette. I attended weekly lessons at church and within a year I progressed to playing the organ after pleading to play one particular hymn which I was confident in playing which turned out to be a sort of audition. This move became very controversial as some felt that I was not ready to be playing for main services and some would actively discourage me. Over the time my playing continued to improve and became assistant choir leader and eventually choir leader and director of music.