A celebrated young Cambridge University organist who has played for the famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service which is broadcast around the world every Christmas Eve has died after apparently drowning in the city.
Harrison Cole, 25, is believed to have fallen into the River Cam behind King’s College Chapel – which hosts the carol service – on Saturday.
Emergency services raced to the scene the following morning after a report was received of a body in the water at an area known as the Backs, as several colleges back onto the river there.
He was pulled from the shallow river, which is usually packed with punts during the day, but was declared dead at the scene.
A Cambridgeshire Constabulary spokeswoman said: ‘We were called at 9.20am on Sunday, with reports of a body in the River Cam, Cambridge.
‘The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious and the case has been passed to the coroner.’
Harrison, who was a fellow of the Royal College of Organists, completed a Masters in Music at Cambridge’s Trinity College and graduated in 2023.
Prior to performing at the 2025 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols he declared it ‘an enormous pleasure and privilege’ to be involved in the world-renowned occasion.
Harrison Cole, 25, is believed to have fallen into the River Cam behind King’s College Chapel in Cambridge on Saturday
He previously attended fee-paying Ipswich School as a sixth form music scholar.
Old Ipswichians, as alumni of the historic institution are known, include Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and King Solomon’s Mines author H. Rider Haggard.
Harrison also spent three years at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department, where he studied organ with Anne Marsden Thomas, who since 1982 has been Director of Music at St Giles Cripplegate Church, London, where there are three pipe organs.
Following a gap year organ scholarship at Wells Cathedral in Somerset, where he accompanied the Cathedral Choir for daily Evensong, special services and premieres of new music, he came up to Trinity College Cambridge as organ scholar in 2019.
Upon graduation, he spent a year as assistant organist at Gonville and Caius College before taking up his position at King’s in September 2024.
During his time there, he accompanied the choir on recordings, broadcasts and tours, including two Festivals of Nine Lessons and Carols, and tours to Australia, Estonia, USA and Canada. He had also played at Westminster Abbey.
Harrison was due to leave King’s this summer and had recently been appointed to assistantships at St Paul’s Knightsbridge and St Michael’s Cornhill in London.
King’s said in a press release that from these ‘two significant musical establishments… he was poised to develop a freelance career as pianist, organist and conductor’.
‘The entire College community has felt this loss keenly, particularly the choir and chapel teams,’ Provost Gillian Tett said.
‘Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this sad time.’
An online biography from March said Harrison had ‘upcoming projects in Slovenia and Singapore’.
Outside of music, he could ‘usually be found diving into a good novel, going to the theatre, and walking around galleries’. He also had a keen interest in philosophy and history.
During his time working as Assisting Organist for King’s College choir he was responsible for assisting with training choristers, as well as playing for recordings, tours and broadcasts.
The chapel hosts the world-famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service on Christmas Eve every year. Mr Cole played the organ during the service in 2024
The talented musician had played with singers and choirs at venues all over the UK and Europe, including Westminster Abbey
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A King’s College spokeswoman added: ‘We were extremely sad to hear of the tragic death of Harrison Cole.
‘He was a talented musician and valued member of our community who will be deeply missed by many.
‘We are working to support the students and staff impacted by this loss to our community.
‘We will not be commenting further at this stage out of respect for his family’s privacy.’
An East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust spokesman said: ‘One ambulance, a paramedic car and East Anglian Air Ambulance were sent to Queen’s Road, Cambridge, on Sunday morning following reports of a person in the river.
‘Fire and Rescue colleagues assisted in bringing a man ashore but, sadly, despite the best efforts of all involved, the patient had died at the scene.’
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is the Christmas Eve service held in King’s College Chapel since 1918.
It was first broadcast in 1928 and is now listened to by around 370 million people each year, according to BBC figures – many of whom regard it as heralding the start of Christmas.
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