. ▁ ▁Wood ▁received ▁little ▁religious ▁insp iration ▁at ▁St ▁Sep ul ch re , ▁but ▁was ▁deeply ▁stir red ▁by ▁the ▁playing ▁of ▁the ▁resident ▁organ ist , ▁George ▁Cooper , ▁who ▁allowed ▁him ▁into ▁the ▁organ ▁lo ft ▁and ▁gave ▁him ▁his ▁first ▁less ons ▁on ▁the ▁instrument . ▁Cooper ▁died ▁when ▁Wood ▁was ▁seven , ▁and ▁the ▁boy ▁took ▁further ▁less ons ▁from ▁Cooper ' s ▁successor , ▁Ed win ▁M . ▁L ott , ▁for ▁whom ▁Wood ▁had ▁much ▁less ▁regard . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ten , ▁through ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁un cles , ▁Wood ▁made ▁his ▁first ▁paid ▁appearance ▁as ▁an ▁organ ist ▁at ▁St ▁Mary ▁Ald erman bury , ▁being ▁paid ▁half ▁a ▁crown . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁visit ing ▁the ▁Fish eries ▁Ex hib ition ▁at ▁South ▁K ens ington ▁with ▁his ▁father , ▁Wood ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁organ ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁gall eries , ▁making ▁a ▁good ▁enough ▁impression ▁to ▁be ▁engaged ▁to ▁give ▁rec it als ▁at ▁the ▁exhibition ▁building ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁three ▁months . ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁in ▁his ▁life , ▁painting ▁was ▁nearly ▁as ▁strong ▁an ▁interest ▁as ▁music , ▁and ▁he ▁studied ▁in ▁his ▁spare ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁S lade ▁School ▁of ▁Fine ▁Art . ▁He ▁remained ▁a ▁life - long ▁amateur ▁painter . ▁ ▁After ▁taking ▁private ▁less ons ▁from ▁the ▁music ologist ▁Eb ene zer ▁Pr out , ▁Wood ▁entered ▁the ▁Royal ▁Academy ▁of ▁Music