During a day of celebrations, as students in Ross-on-Wye, along with those all over the country, received their A-Level results, one local student had a very special reason to crack open the champagne.

Classical organist Laurence John, who has been organist at St Mary’s Church in the town for several years, is taking another step on his glittering career. It has just been confirmed that he has won a coveted organ scholarship and a place to read music at Oxford University’s elite Queen’s College.

Laurence, who is 19, will begin his three-year course of academic studies and practical musicianship in October, after his 12-month term as organ scholar at Hereford Cathedral.

He told the Ross Gazette: “My invitation to go to Oxford, which is the world’s highest-ranked university, is a dream come true. It’s probably the ambition of every young classical organist in Britain to further his or her studies there or at Cambridge.

“A year ago I received an unconditional offer of an organ scholarship at one of the country’s greatest cathedrals, Durham, as well as a place to read music at Durham University. But Oxford was always my number one preference, so I’m extremely pleased that I waited to see if an offer from Queen’s would be confirmed.”

He won his Oxford place after achieving Grade 8 distinctions in organ, piano and singing, an A* in his GCSE advanced level music examination, and impressing top ranking university academics in a series of organ playing and conducting auditions and incisive intellectual interviews lasting several days at Queen’s.See the full story in this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette, or subscribe to our online edition here.