Tik-tok organist in New Year honours

The highly visible Anna Lapwood has been made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in today’s honours list. Lapwood is 28. The MBE is usually reserved for public servants at the end of their career.

Lapwood said: ‘It’s just completely mad. When the letter arrived, I think I sort of screamed and ran around in circles a little bit.’

Among other honours published today, the singer Shirley Bassey is made a Companion of Honour (CH); the composer Judith Weir becomes a Dame; Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis is knighted; Stuart Murphy, ENO’s departed chief, is CBE along with film composer Don Black.

Singer Carolyn Sampson is OBE, as is conductor Laurence Cummings, LPO chair Victoria Robey, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic CEO Michael Eakin, Scottish Opera director Alex Reedijk and South Bank down-dumbing chief Elaine Bedell; Rachel Cowgill and Margaret Fingerhut are MBE; and there are BEMs for Margaret Archibald, Christopher Kent and Jonathan Willcocks.