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| photo by Gordon Smith |
Born in Iceland and brought up in Southport, Friðrik Walker, better known as Frikki, is a versatile musician who is professionally active as an organist, conductor, singer, composer, and teacher.
Frikki began his professional career as a Tenor Vicar-Choral in the choir of Wells Cathedral, where he also founded the Cathedral Voluntary Choir and sang with the vocal group Opus Four, with ex-King’s Singer, Nigel Perrin.
Following four years as Organist of Horsham Parish Church and conductor of various choirs in Sussex he went back to Glasgow, where he had studied at the RSAMD, and was appointed Organist and Director of Music at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in 1996.
Frikki’s organ teachers at various stages have been David Williams, Ian Tracey, George McPhee, Bernard Porter, Malcolm Archer and Anne Marsden Thomas.
He holds a degree in Music Performance, in Organ and Voice from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, diplomas from the Royal College of Organists, and a teaching diploma from the University of Strathclyde. In 2008, the Royal School of Church Music bestowed upon Frikki the award of Associate of the Royal School of Church Music.
Frikki has played for services, courses and recitals in churches and cathedrals all over Britain, in his home country of Iceland, and in various venues in Europe. His first CD of solo organ music, Notes Tremendous, was released in 2006 and he is currently not only a regular recitalist in the daily lunch-time recital series at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow but in 2011 he passed the milestone of having performed in that series 50 times!
At St Mary’s Cathedral Frikki oversees an adult choir who sing two services every Sunday to a professional standard as well as fulfilling a busy schedule of extra services, concerts, broadcasts and recordings. In October 2007, to complement the adult choir, Frikki formed a treble line of boys and girls aged 8 – 15, and this is still going from strength to strength.
A prolific broadcaster, Frikki has many times featured on BBC broadcasts as an organist, as a singer, and as conductor. Programmes to which he regularly contributes include Sunday Half-Hour on Radio 2, Daily Service & Morning Worship on Radio 4 and BBC TVs Songs of Praise. He has also sung on Choral Evensong on Radio 3 and has made special programmes for Radio 2, Radio Scotland, and the BBC World Service. Frikki has also appeared on The Organist Entertains on Radio 2.
In addition to his duties with the Cathedral Choir, he has worked, and continues to work with choirs of all ages and abilities, and has worked with all the major choirs in Scotland, including Glasgow University Chapel Choir, the RSNO Chorus and RSNO Junior Chorus, the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Glasgow Chamber Choir, the RSAMD Chamber Choir, and many more besides.
As well as RSCM Scottish Voices he is currently Conductor of the Chamber Choir of the Junior RSAMD, the Changing Voices (boys section) of the RSNO Junior Chorus, and the Chamber Choir of the High School of Glasgow who under Frikki in 2013 won the prestigious title of "BBC Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year. Frikki is also the tenor in, and director of, the Marian Consort.
A keen educator, Frikki is on the staff of the Junior Academy of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and the High School of Glasgow. As well as teaching (classroom and composition) and accompanying, Frikki is heavily involved with choirs in both these establishments. He has also lectured at Glasgow University, gives pre-concert talks for the RSNO, and works with the RSNO education department giving choral workshops.
As a composer and arranger, Frikki has fulfilled commissions from schools, churches and cathedrals all over Britain, and has had several arrangements broadcast on Radio 2, Radio 4, BBC World Service and Radio Scotland.
When not involved in music Frikki loves to read and travel, is fascinated by ecclesiastical architecture, is a dab hand in the kitchen, has a huge collection of bookmarks, and is an avid fan of all things Star Trek and Dr Who.
He is married with three children.
