About Claire

I was born in Derby on the 28th of April 1980 where I still live today. I didn't show any interest in music until at the age the age of five, my parents took me to Pontins "Middleton Towers" on holiday. This coincided with the A.O.E National Organ Festival week, during this time I met and made new friends and along with a number of other children received free organ lessons. This lit the spark and I returned home full of enthusiasm to learn the organ.

The local Music School was contacted and I was enrolled into a group class. Over the next 3 years I moved quickly through the grades and by the time I was 8 years old had managed to pass the first five grades. At this point my parents decided that I needed private tuition and enrolled me with a very good local professional organist. About the same time the organ was changed to a Wersi Beta with a full set of drawbars and programmable rhythm unit. This enabled me to play lots of different types of music and I started to learn to program rhythms to fit the various pieces of music. It also became clear that I had perfect pitch much to the amusement of the music examiners.

Continuing with the higher organ grades which also now included theory of music, which I found quite difficult at times because of my young age, I was entered for and passed the Associate Diploma (with Hons) at the age of eleven.

By this time I had started seconary school and joined the school Wind band playing the flute and was also playing the piano. I was working my way through the grades on the flute at school but wanted to go as far as possible with the organ exams. Next in line was the Licentiate Diploma and this was followed by the Fellowship Diploma which I passed with Honours at the age of sixteen. I also have ABRSM Grade 5 Flute and Grade 8 Piano.

During these years I had played at the local organ society and been involved in a number of charity concerts. The annual visits to the National Organ Festival had continued, from which I had gained much experience and support over the years. This finally resulted in my first festival booking at the age of seventeen. Just seven weeks before the event there were problems with the organ and had to change it, a Wersi Performer was obtained.

A return to full time education in 2001 saw me studying for A levels in Maths, Chemistry and Human Biology, and a degree in Popular Music Production and Sports Studies (BA hons) locally in Derby. A move to Chester University followed, to continue to study for an MSc in Exercise & Nutrition Science where I graduated in Chester Cathedral in March 2008.

In February 2009 Andy and myself finally got married, and although I am now officially Mrs Barrett I have kept Claire Greig as my stage name.

Claire's Photo Gallery

Claire's Concert Diary