Chapel: People

Justin grew up in the Arabian Gulf and the Isle of Man before arriving in Oxford to read Engineering at Keble College. A Masters in International Studies at Warwick University was followed by a career in Management Consultancy with Price Waterhouse. He read Theology at Trinity College Cambridge while training for ministry at Westcott House. A curacy at St Andrew’s Chippenham was followed by chaplaincies at the School of St Helen and St Katharine Abingdon, Dulwich College and, for 12 years, at Winchester College where he served as Dean of Chapel, Head of Theology and Philosophy, and Teacher of Physics. Justin was for a short time Canon Precentor of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Most recently, he has been the Senior Provost of the Woodard Corporation. Appointed a Priest Vicar of Westminster Abbey in 2015, Justin has also been a Wiccamical Canon of Chichester Cathedral since 2024.

Originally a modern linguist, prior to training Lyndon spent four years living in intentional communities in Dorset with a particular focus on ecology, conservation and the relationship between gardening and mental health for those in recovery from addictive behaviours.  Lyndon subsequently trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon, where he completed a BA in Theology and MSt in Modern Doctrine at Oxford, before returning to Dorset to serve his curacy in the parish of St John’s Church, Broadstone. Alongside his pastoral and liturgical role at Merton, Lyndon will also be working on a PhD in ecology, queer theology and the Song of Songs in conjunction with Sarum College, Salisbury and Winchester University.

Benjamin Nicholas is Reed Rubin Organist & Director of Music at Merton, and Principal Conductor of The Oxford Bach Choir. As a conductor he has appeared with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The BBC Singers and The Holst Singers in works such as Elgar’s The Apostles, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, Holst’s Savitri and Verdi’s Requiem.

During Benjamin’s time at Merton, the annual Passiontide at Merton festival has been established, the Dobson Organ has been installed, and the College Girls’ Choir has been founded. He was elected a Bodley Fellow in 2018. 

Benjamin has been involved in the commissioning of a great many works, and conducted the premieres of Charlotte Bray’s Bach RE:Imagined in Southwark Cathedral with the City of London Sinfonia, Howard Goodall’s Veni Sancte Spiritus in Westminster Abbey and numerous choral works by Kerry Andrew, Birtwistle, Chilcott, Dove, Jackson, MacMillan, Martin, Muhly, Tabakova, Weir, and Wilby in Tewkesbury and Oxford.

Benjamin was a chorister at Norwich Cathedral before being appointed Organ Scholar of Chichester Cathedral at the age of 17. He went on to hold organ scholarships at Lincoln College, Oxford and St Paul's Cathedral before becoming Director of Music at St Luke’s Church, Chelsea in 2000. Prior to moving to Merton, he was Director of Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum and Director of Choral Music at Dean Close School. From 2011 to 2016 he served the Edington Music Festival, firstly as conductor of the Schola and then as Festival Director.