John Keys was born and educated in Chester. On completion of his schooling, he was assistant organist at Chester Cathedral for 3 years, before becoming an organ scholar at New College, Oxford. There he was taught by Gillian Weir and Nicholas Danby.

At the organ of New College, Oxford

After graduating, he studied for 3 years at Geneva Conservatoire with Lionel Rogg, and won the 1er Prix de Virtuosité and the Prix Barblan. He was also Organist of Eglise St Jean and then Holy Trinity Church.

M. le Professeur Lionel Rogg and Mme Claudine Rogg

Having been appointed Director of Music at St Mary’s Church, Nottingham, in 1984, in the same year John won First Prize at the 4^th Manchester International Organ Competition. As well as having created a flourishing musical tradition at St Mary’s, he is the University Organist at the University of Nottingham, and plays the organ extensively in Britain and abroad, primarily as a solo recitalist, but also as an accompanist and continuo player

John also teaches the organ, up to the highest levels, and acted as tutor for an Oundle / RCO “Get Ahead” day in Nottingham.

John Keys, James Parsons (Director of Oundle for Organists) and student at

St Mary's Church at the "Get Ahead" day on 29th January 2005.

John is shown below with Simon Williams, to whom John gave organ lessons throughout Simon's secondary education. Simon subsequently went on to become an organ scholar at Chelmsford Cathedral, and then an organ scholar, reading music, at Robinson College, Cambridge.

John Keys and Simon Williams

John was the President of the Nottingham & District Society of Organists from July 2005 to July 2007.

In association with the best-selling popular science writer Brian Clegg, John has produced numerous CDs containing hundreds of tracks of music for all church occasions, including organ accompaniments for hymns, voluntaries and Mass settings, as well as piano Worship Song accompaniments. These have received critical acclaim, and are all available from www.hymncds.com

Brian Clegg & John Keys, after a talk by Brian

In July/August 2006, John was a tutor at the Organ Summer School at St Andrews University. The other tutors were Herbert Richardson, Dr William Stevenson and Professor George McPhee, shown below.

In August 2006 and 2007 he was asked to take part in the final concert of the Gothenburg International Organ Academy.

"Artisten" Organ Hall, Gothenburg University

In 2009, John was nominated as an Honorary Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians. He is seen here with the Archbishop of Westminster, in a photograph taken by Professor John Morehen.

Guild of Church Musicians ceremony

John is one of the trustees for the Binns organ in the Albert Hall, Nottingham. Video clips of him playing a recital there can be found under the heading "John Keys organist" on www.YouTube.com 

Binns organ, Albert Hall, Nottingham

The recitalists and dates for the 2010 season are as follows:

9th May: Jonathan Bunney, London

6th June: David Butterworth, Nottingham

27th June: David Gammie, Wimbledon

1st August: David Newsholme, Winchester

5th September: Mark Williams, Cambridge

26th September: Donald Mackenzie, London

7th November: Ahreum Han, Korea

All recitals begin at 2.45 p.m. and are free of charge, except for the Anniversary Recital, for which admission  is £8.00 (£5.00 concessions). There is usually a pre-concert talk at 2.15 p.m. Further details about the pieces to be played, the history and specification of the organ, the custodian and other trustees, are available on the Binns web site at: www.binns.info