Biography
Dr Maximillian Elliott is currently serving as the Music and Liturgy Administrator of York Minster and as Assistant Director of Music at two historic churches in York (St Olave and All Saints, North Street). As an organist, Max maintains an active performance schedule and has taken part in several broadcasts including Sunday Worship (BBC Radio 4).
Max combines his administrative and musical roles with research. Having graduated from the University of York with a first-class BA in Historical Archaeology in 2013 and an MA with distinction in Historical Archaeology in 2015, Max then undertook doctoral research and completed a PhD thesis in 2020 entitled ‘Thou shalt buzz no more’: an examination of the organ-building industry in nineteenth-century York; its origins, growth and prominence. He has delivered papers at several conferences of the British Institute of Organ Studies and written articles for its annual journal including James Ingall Wedgwood: a correspondent ‘temporarily out of tune’ (2017 JBIOS 41) and Thomas Hopkins and his children: the York branch of a ‘pre-eminently’ musical family (2022 JBIOS 46). Several presentations that Max produced for the York & District Organists’ Association (an organisation for which he served as President from 2017 until 2019) can still be viewed via www.ydoa.co.uk/youtube. Max has served as Diocesan Organ Adviser for York since 2020 and is also a trustee of the John Pilling Trust – a charity that provides financial assistance to Anglican churches (usually within the Province of York) for the purpose of maintaining a high standard of church music (including grants for choirs and organs).
List of Publications
Elliott, M. D., 'Thomas Hopkins and his children: the York branch of a "pre-eminently" musical family', JBIOS 46 (2022).
Elliott, M. D., 'Thou shalt buzz no more': an examination of the organ-building industry in nineteenth-century York; its origins, growth and prominence (PhD thesis: University of York, 2020). Digital copies can be downloaded via www.etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/27212 and printed copies can be purchased via www.yorkorganhistory.co.uk.
Elliott, M. D., 'James Ingall Wedgwood: a correspondent "temporarily out of tune"', JBIOS 41 (2017).
Lectures and Presentations
2026 (8 May) St Olave's Church Hall, York
The lost churches of York: a pictorial guide
2025 (30 November) St Olave's Church Hall, York
Music for Advent
2025 (6 March) Millthorpe School, York
Introducing the 'King of Instruments'
2024 (9 December) York Independent State School Partnership (ISSP)
Introducing the 'King of Instruments'
2024 (16 November) Hull and East Riding Organ Group
‘Thou shalt buzz no more’: the organ-building industry in York.
2024 (28 September) St John's Church, Killingworth
The life and work of Robert Postill
2024 (26 September) St Barnabas' Church, York
Building the 'King of Instruments' in York
2024 (15 June) St Helen's Church, Wheldrake
The life and work of Robert Postill
2024 (18 April) Bootham School, York
The lost churches of York: a pictorial guide
2023 (20 September) All Saints RC School, York
Introducing the 'King of Instruments'
2023 (22 April) York & District Organists' Association
'The fruits of his creation': Francis Jackson and the influence of Basque composer Maurice Ravel
2022 (31 August) Diocesan Organs Advisers' Conference
The life and work of W. Denman & Son, The life and work of Robert Postill, The 1879 Willis organ at St Denys, York
2022 (4 August) University of St Andrew's Organ Week
The life and work of Robert Postill
2022 (6 June) StreetLife York
Building the 'King of Instruments' in York
2022 (9 March) Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society
The organ-builders of York
2021 (30 January) York & District Organists' Association (online)
The life and work of W. Denman & Son
2019 (1 June) Manchester Conference of the British Institute of Organ Studies
'The Hopkins family is pre-eminently a musical one': T. Hopkins & Son of York
2018 (9 May) University of York Research Seminar
Organ-building in nineteenth-century York
2018 (21 April) IAO Yorkshire Organ Day
The organ-builders of York
2017 (18 February) Bernard Edmonds Research Conference of the British Institute of Organ Studies
'Large enough for a man to crawl comfortably along it inside': 1823 rebuild of the York Minster organ