It’s around three years since I first discovered the musical talents of Matt Walters, the young Somerset organist and it has been some time since I sat down with him to pen a piece about his unique take on his instrument of choice. https://www.theatreplays.uk/matt-walters-pulling-out-all-the-stops/ The time seems ripe to explore what has happened in the interim, how life has changed for the musician and what the future plans look like.
There are no two ways about it, there have been developments, some planned and some entirely unexpected. For someone who has carefully used social media to present and promote his brand of music, this has continued to be a vital part of his work and since we last spoke, the number of followers on his TikTok, Facebook and Instagram platforms have more than doubled.
The benefit of this has been seen in the invitations he has been given to perform, not least to share his talents abroad. “Out of the blue, I was asked to give a concert at a church in Notmark in Denmark. They found me on Facebook. It was just a fairly small rural parish church and I think it was the first in a series of concerts they wanted to start to stage to bring more people to the historic building. They were very uncertain about how many people would attend, not least because of its locality, but it ended up being packed out. They had marketed the programme well to include film and pop music and so there were a lot of young people there which was really pleasing to see. They were incredibly generous and the hospitality was extraordinary. It was a random event, but so very satisfying.”
Matt is very realistic that the life of a musician is far from run-of-the-mill, not least when you play a rather less than conventional instrument. “Playing at a fantasy ball at Oxford Town Hall last year ranks up there with unusual events I have performed at. Over 500 people all costumed, dancing the night away to a number of my techno remixes of classical pieces; it was amazing – I even got provided with my own costume. The company who put the event on, had really gone to town and to be a part of it was an incredible experience. It was their first time using an organ which they were so happy with, and they are looking for other venues with an organ to do something similar.”
In between these highpoints Matt has continued to perform across the UK in more familiar settings, with concerts in Carlisle, Manchester, Glasgow, High Wycombe, Newcastle and Shaftesbury and the diary is continually being topped up with dates for the future. As with performing, composing has also not taken a break and Matt’s eclectic mix of genres, crossovers and mashups continue to fuel his imagination and talent. “Creating my own versions of existing music is great fun and seems to be incredibly popular, my recent version of ‘Golden Brown’ by The Stranglers has been a surprise hit with people, but original music is where the real joy lies. I recently completed a Mass setting which I am hoping to record as part of a wider programme of choral works, with Downside School Choir and Homerton College Choir – it will be very special if it comes off.” As Matt was educated at both institutions, it couldn’t be more apt. His own original music is being picked up across the globe and as his output increases so his reputation grows.
A further surprise event occurred earlier this year when Matt was contacted, this time through Instagram, to perform at a wedding. Again, this was something very out of the blue; “The groom is a baseball player for the Miami Marlins and the bride approached me to play at the American Church in Paris, as they really liked the kind of music I played. They had a very specific idea of the music they wanted which included Coldplay as well as some film and video game music – all very much up my street. You just don’t know who is out there watching and listening and sometimes you realise that you are just what they are looking for. I try and stay consistent with my output on social media and I think if you do this, eventually it bears fruit. I thought it was going to be a quite a big event, the church itself was huge, but there were only eight people at the wedding, so it was pretty special to be a part of it. They had emphasised that the spiritual part of the wedding was important, but that the music was a really important element of the ceremony too. No pressure!”
MATT IN PARIS – 2026
Unlike most musicians who take their instrument wherever they perform and love and cherish it, Matt just can’t do this. Practice time on an unfamiliar organ may well be very limited – in Paris just 10 minutes was available before the day as well as a couple of hours prior to the service. The Denmark trip, though, really ensured Matt made full use of his practice time. “The instrument at Notmark Church is called an orglet. It’s very small and the name describes it perfectly. Completely different to anything I had played before. The atmosphere was also very dry so the cinematic effect I can achieve usually was somewhat lacking. So I was fairly restricted in what I could get out of instrument and was a little concerned about how the programme I had planned would sound. In the event it went down really well. These situations do provide a real challenge and one of the lessons I have learned is that you have to learn very quickly and adapt as required.”
It isn’t, though, just playing opportunities which have developed over recent times for Matt, a chance meeting at a concert he played in High Wycombe lead to something else totally unexpected. “The organ at All Saints Church is being renovated, so they are currently using an instrument provided by a local company, Allen Organs. I was told that the directors of the company were going to be attending the concert to hear how their instrument sounded. I hadn’t played many digital organs before then, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was to use. I was really impressed by its power. We spoke half way through the concert and they said they would be interested in working with me in some form of partnership. The result was they provided me with an organ in my home as long as I post content online of me playing and talking about it. Thankfully its nothing like the size of a church pipe organ and so I had the space for it. They can put organs anywhere and are really interested in doing innovative things with the instrument and recognised that I was pushing the conventional boundaries of organ playing. Hopefully this will provide further opportunities for me in the future.”
The success of the ball in Oxford and the flexibility of the Allen organ is making the juices flow for Matt who sees the doors being opened to combine his broad music passions into special events in unique venues. While continuing to keep the traditions the organ is known for, particularly in a religious setting, Matt also continues to introduce new ideas for this amazing instrument. It is, after all, not a religious instrument and shouldn’t be seen as something to only play one type of music.
MATT ON HOME TURF – DOWNSIDE ABBEY – 2026
“I recognise that I am obsessive about music and what I do, and believe I am getting somewhere, but I have to ensure I have ways of switching off, but it isn’t easy! I feel so lucky that I have a creative passion which motivates me every day.”
For Matt Walters, there is no standing still, he remains as quietly determined and driven as he was when we first met and with the word about him getting out to a wider audience across the globe, you would be a brave person to bet against further success for him. The fascinating and inspiring story of Matt Walters’ unique musical career continues apace.
For information on where you can catch Matt in performance, check out his website – https://www.dionysianmusic.com/events
Facebook – @reductiomusic
Instagram – @reductionmusic
TikTok – @reductionmusic
To find out more about Allen Organs, visit their website – www.allenorgan.com
Paul Smith
March 2026
