'Extraordinary honour to play at royal occasions'

Peter Holder said performing at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was "an extraordinary honour"

An organist who played at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and King Charles III's coronation described the honour as "an extraordinary honour".

Peter Holder, from Bewdley, Worcestershire, was the sub organist at Westminster Abbey at the time of both ceremonies. Despite a combined global audience of six billion he said he was not a "bag of nerves".

"I think what I was thinking first and foremost was how can I make sure I do my part. That's where all of my attention was focused," the former pupil of Kings School in Worcester said.

"I saw it very much as a duty. It had to be something I was prepared to do in the role I held at Westminster Abbey at the time."

As organist during the funeral Mr Holder performed works by Edward Elgar and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Asked how he had coped with the pressure of such a duty, Mr Holder explained: "It all comes down to preparation and I think where one knows they have a responsibility then they prepare proportionately."

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The 35-year-old former Wocester Cathedral chorister performed at the cathedral as part of its annual Gala Organ Recital on Saturday.

After leaving school the musician studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, before holding organist posts at St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.

He presently holds the post of organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.