On Sunday 16th February 2025, Bradford Cathedral will welcome the Choir of Great St Mary’s Cambridge as their second visiting choir in the City of Culture year. The Church of St Mary the Great is the University Church of the City of Cambridge. The choir is made up of children and youths drawn from local schools who join together with adult volunteers to sing at least three choral services each week during school term. The choir is directed by Bradford Cathedral's former Director of Music, Alexander Berry. Pieces performed in the service will include the Missa Brevis by Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály; the Agnus Dei, in which a trio of our choristers will sing a ‘top C’, a note so high it’s normally not sung in the choral repertoire; and Beati quorum via by Charles Villiers Stanford. Alexander Berry says of the service:“We’re really looking forward to seeing you all and to worshipping together in a very special place. It’s a great privilege for Great St Mary’s choir to be able to sing at Bradford Cathedral – and I look forward to seeing familiar faces!” All are welcome to the service of Choral Eucharist on Sunday 16th February 2025 at 10:30am at Bradford Cathedral. The service will also be streamed online on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. To read more about the service, in our chat with Alexander Berry, please visit https://bradfordcathedral.org.uk/2025/02/06/visiting-choir-great-st-marys-cambridge/, and for more on the choir please visit their website at http://www.greatstmarys.org/
One of the oldest choral music events in the world, bringing together three exceptional cathedral choirs, the Festival Service at St Paul's Cathedral is an afternoon of thanksgiving for the ministry of our clergy. The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani will preach. The Festival is the Clergy Support Trust's biggest fundraising event of the year. A cash collection will be taken, and Contactless Donation Points will be beside those of St Paul's at the Cathedral doors. They are delighted to introduce you to this year's choirs, for what promises to be a majestic act of worship. The Festival Service is free to attend, and will take place at St Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday 13 May 2025, 5pm. Over 1000 guests are welcomed to the Festival each year - so there's plenty of room for everyone! However, while there may be tickets available on the day, we recommend that you book ahead in advance to avoid disappointment. For the full details please visit the Clergy Support Trust website and tickets can be booked by clicking here.
Beacon of Hope – an exhibition of artwork created by students from Carlton Bolling School, Bradford – will be displayed at Bradford Cathedral from Monday 10th February until Tuesday 4th March 2025. This exhibition will present the creative voices of students from Carlton Bolling School - many of who are from Muslim backgrounds - and is included as part of the ‘Creativity Under Pressure’ series of events held at Bradford Cathedral in the first four months of the UK City of Culture year. Over fifty pieces will be displayed around the ambulatories of the Cathedral, and will include paintings, textiles, photography, and digital prints, as well as newspaper articles exploring their work in the media. The art the students have created invites you to see them as they see themselves, offering a glimpse into aspects of resilience, strength, and hope, ideas which are a testament to their experiences and aspirations as they navigate their respective paths toward creative futures. This exhibition will see many of them sharing their work with the public for the first time.Visitors can see ‘Beacon of Hope’ during the usual visitor opening hours of Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm. There will also be a short opening event on Monday 10th February at 3:45pm, and a presentation evening, where the artists will be at the Cathedral, on Wednesday 26th February at 2:45pm. This presentation evening will include selected pieces from the Carlton Bolling school choir as well as some inspirational speeches from both students and staff.Thomas Last, Lead Teacher of Creative Studies at Carlton Bolling, says:“As part of Bradford City of Culture, and in association with Arts Council England Arts Mark, Bradford Cathedral and Carlton Bolling School are excited to invite you to experience their exhibition: A Beacon of Hope.“The exhibition aims to tell the story of the incredible journey of Carlton Bolling and its students and staff through the theme of Adversity: Creativity Under Pressure.“There will also be an action-packed presentation evening on Wednesday 26th February where you will be able to experience the stories of our students and staff first hand.“Come and join us and experience some inspirational work from Carlton Bolling students, past and present.”The Revd Canon Ned Lunn, Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts at Bradford Cathedral, says:“Growing up in a world of uncertainty and pressure, young people navigate many challenges, and creativity offers them a way to express, reflect, and make sense of their experiences.“For many of these young artists, Beacon of Hope marks the start of their creative journey - an opportunity to share their work publicly for the first time. Bradford Cathedral is delighted to provide a space where they can share their perspectives, inviting us to see the world through their eyes.“This exhibition is a celebration of creativity, resilience, and fresh artistic voices, and we hope visitors will enjoy and support these students as they take their first steps into the wider creative landscape.“Beacon of Hope is part of our Creativity Under Pressure season, which explores how art, music, and culture emerge in response to challenge, revealing new possibilities and hidden strengths." Beacon of Hope runs from Monday 10th February until Tuesday 4th March 2025, and the artwork is available to view during the usual opening hours of Bradford Cathedral, typically Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm. All are welcome to attend a short opening event on Monday 10th February 2025 at 3:45pm and a presentation evening on Wednesday 26th February 2025 at 2:45pm. More information – and a complete list of the artworks on display – are available at https://bradfordcathedral.org.uk/event/beacon-of-hope-exhibition/
In this edition of ‘Notes from an Organist’ we discover more about them, and what to expect from their recital, including playing pieces adapted for the organ; playing a composer with links to Harrogate; and reflecting on his time at Bradford Cathedral.What can people expect from your recital at Bradford Cathedral?They can expect a list of pieces both known and unknown, which have an overall thread of ‘Music in the Time of War’ woven through them. For I think the first time at Bradford Cathedral, I’m playing a recital of mostly transcriptions (i.e. pieces written for other instruments, arranged for the organ). These include music by Ravel, Finzi and Tchaikovsky as well as my own transcription of a beautiful piece by the contemporary composer, Thomas Adés.Why do you enjoy playing the organ?With this programme especially, I’m aiming to show the versatility of the instrument, and how it can breathe new life into a work which may be well-known (such as the 1812 Overture) but takes on a different flavour or character, not only by playing it on the organ, but with specific instruments, and indeed players!Do you have a particular favourite piece out of those you are playing?I’ve always been a huge fan of the music of Gerald Finzi, partly because of his connections to Harrogate, and indeed to my own workplace at St Wilfrid’s Church. His ‘Dies Natalis’ is one of those bucket-list pieces I would love to be able to perform one day (most likely conducting, as I don’t think my tenor is up to scratch).This season’s theme is ‘Music in Times of War’. How are you reflecting this in your programme?I’ve aimed to include some pieces written about war, as well as those with more abstract links, such as Ravel’s Pavane which many people think is about the death of a child, but was actually never intended as such. There is additionally a beautiful little Elegy by the composer Alan Gray (no relation) written during the Great War.What are your hopes or plans musically for 2025?I’ve got lots of exciting projects coming up in 2025. The highlight of the diary so far has to be conducting another of the bucket-list pieces, Bach’s St Matthew Passion in a performance with Halifax Choral Society, Ipswich Choral Society, the Chorister of Bradford Cathedral and Halifax Minster, the National Festival Orchestra and an absolutely top-class line-up of soloists. Other plans include Orff’s Carmina Burana, Verdi’s Requiem and various other engagements.You finished your time with us in 2024 as the Cathedral’s Assistant Director of Music. What were your highlights of your time here?I spent a wonderful 18 months filling in as the Assistant Director of Music at Bradford Cathedral. Having been Organ Scholar between 2012 and 2015, the Cathedral is a special place for me in terms of my musical development, and it was wonderful to be part of such a lively and thriving department, working alongside wonderful colleagues. I especially enjoyed the big concerts with the Black Dyke Band as well as recording with them, but also just the day-to-day work with the choristers and their families. I only live down the road, so I’ve already been telling everyone they’re not getting rid of me that easily, and this recital is a prime example.Finally, how would you sum up your upcoming recital at Bradford Cathedral?A journey through two different worlds, with transcriptions and original music sitting alongside one another, ending in a ‘bang’!You can join us on Wednesday 12th February at 1pm to hear Anthony’s organ recital, with an optional £4 buffet lunch beforehand at 12:30pm. You can find out more about Anthony on his website, X, on Instagram, or YouTube.You can discover more about our organ recital season on our dedicated page.
