The concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 at 8pm on Sunday 20th April 2025. You can listen on 88 - 91 FM or <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002b7yf">online via BBC Sounds</a>.
On Wednesday 16th April we welcome Lee Ward from Fulneck School for our twelfth organ recital of 2025. In this edition of ‘Notes from an Organist’ we discover more about them, and what to expect from their recital, including being an organist in São Paulo; performing in the presence of the Pope; and the fun of playing somewhere local!Could you introduce yourself, how you got into music / become an organist and your musical journey to where you are today?My name is Lee Ward and I was born in Liverpool. I was lucky enough to go to a primary school which encouraged music, and I learned the violin and piano until I went to the excellent Bluecoat School. The school had two organs: a Father Willis in the Hall and a neo-Classical Rushworth and Draper in the chapel. To have such contrasting instruments was a real luxury and I fell in love with the organ. Further lessons at Liverpool Cathedral with Ian Tracey on the largest instrument in the country was a thrill and set me on a career pattern which has included the organ at every stage. I was lucky to have access to both cathedral organs in Liverpool and enjoyed attending services to hear the choirs and organs. I studied at the Royal College of Music and held Organ Scholarships at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Temple Church and St Albans abbey. Working with John Scott and Barry Rose was a real privilege, and I learned so much about choir training and organ playing from them both. I held posts also at Chester Cathedral, London Oratory and Hampstead Parish Church before moving to Brazil. There I taught at the British School in Sao Paulo and was Organist at the Mosteiro de Sao Bento with the best organ in Brazil. Most recently I have been Director of Music at Liverpool Cathedral for four years with my old teacher, Ian Tracey, as my organist. I now enjoy playing somewhere different most Sundays, including a significant stint at Bradford Cathedral.What can people expect from your recital at Bradford Cathedral?I have tried to follow the theme closely and include a mixture of well-known pieces and one or two lesser known. So, something to appeal to most people. I have enjoyed getting to know the organ over the last 18 months, and so hope I can bring some of that enjoyment across in my playing today.Why do you enjoy playing the organ?It is a remarkable instrument, and each one is so different. There is opportunity for small chamber- like music making, demanding real clarity of articulation and consistency, and then then hugely colourful symphonic repertoire in which you can explore the whole range of dynamics and colours. I enjoy accompanying too, especially large-scale Oratorios with organ only.Do you have a particular favourite piece out of those you are playing?I think the Imperial March of Elgar is my favourite piece in this recital. Elgar is quintessentially British and the noble melodic quality of his writing is timeless, evoking British spirit and landscapes.This season’s theme is ‘Music in Times of War’. How are you reflecting this in your programme?Each of the pieces has something to do with the theme. They range from military marches to pieces evoking prayer and peace.What are your hopes or plans musically for 2025?Well, things are about to change as the school I have been Director of Music at has just announced its closure. I’d like to pursue a more free-lance career, continuing to play organ and harpsichord and taking on private music pupils.You were the organist at the Basilica of São Bento in São Paulo, Brazil. What was it like to play there?This was a tremendous honour as a British Organist. The organ drew huge crowds and recitals were played to 600 or more people on a regular basis. Accompanying the monastic services in chant was a very spiritual experience as was accompanying psalms in Portuguese and Latin. The community were incredibly appreciative and great Benedictine hosts.You lectured at the University of Liverpool – what was that experience like?It was really good to work with young people who really want to succeed in music. It was a great pleasure to see very shy and retiring first years become assured and fine performers in later years. Working on performance practice, anxiety management and historically informed performances was a learning curve for me too and involved a lot of research.You performed at the service of Beatification of Cardinal Newman in the presence of the then Pope. Was that a memorable day?Yes it was. I was playing an electronic organ in a marquis very far from the actual action sat next to a brass octet. The only link was TV and headphones. These kept failing during the live broadcast, so it was a nerve wracking gig. It was wonderful to hear so many Oratorion choirs singing and the new mass setting by Jame McMillan.Are you looking forward to playing somewhere more local when you come to Bradford Cathedral in April?Yes. The welcome at Bradford is always very warm and I know that the splendid lunches encourage people to attend.Finally, how would you sum up your upcoming recital at Bradford Cathedral?An eclectic mix of styles and moods, all to fit in with this year’s theme.You can join us on Wednesday 16th April at 1pm to hear Lee’s organ recital, with an optional £4 buffet lunch beforehand at 12:30pm.You can discover more about our organ recital season on our dedicated page.
The story of Jesus’ journey through Holy Week and Easter will be told anew at Bradford Cathedral this spring through a programme of services starting on Palm Sunday - the 13th April. All are invited to join in person, with the Sunday 10:30am services also streamed online. At the start of the week, the 10:30am Liturgy of Palm Sunday will feature the annual procession of palms, music sung by the Cathedral Choir, and Holy Communion. This will be followed at 3:30pm by The Cross of Christ: A Choral Meditation for Passiontide featuring music sung by the Bradford Cathedral Choir. Later in the week, on Maundy Thursday, there will be the Liturgy of Maundy Thursday at 7pm, a service which will retell the story of Jesus’ passion for the world through a moving service in which we re-enact his washing of the disciples’ feet, remember him in the sharing of bread and wine, and then have the opportunity to keep ‘The Watch’ with him at the Altar of Repose until his arrest at midnight. The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Revd Toby Howarth, will be preaching. On Good Friday, the traditional three hours that mark the crucifixion will be kept in two services. At 12noon there will be Preaching Around the Cross, a creative and reflective engagement with the story of Good Friday using music, art and poetry. At 1:30pm, the Liturgy of Good Friday offers an opportunity to meditate on Jesus’ crucifixion through choral music, silence, the reading of The Passion according to St John, the Reserved Sacrament (Holy Communion), and the symbolic burying of the cross in St Aidan’s Chapel. The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Revd Toby Howarth, will be preaching at the 12noon service. On Holy Saturday from 3pm – 4:30pm there will be a Messy Easter event. These popular events for children and families include activities, crafts and interactive play entering the stories of the Bible. This time we will be exploring the story of Holy Week and what Jesus might have been thinking and feeling. The Revd Canon Ned Lunn, Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts, says:“Come and journey through the interactive story of Holy Week in one afternoon. Join the crowd who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. Sit at the table with Jesus and his friends at their last supper together. Stand at the foot of the cross and hear Jesus’s final words. Then approach the tomb in preparation for the great climax of the story.” Later on Saturday – 19th April - starting at 7pm, the Liturgy of Easter will dramatically retell the story of the resurrection through ancient prophecy, the lighting of a fire, and the sharing of Holy Communion. During this service, there will also be an opportunity to be baptised or to renew baptismal vows. Interested persons are encouraged to get in touch with the cathedral in advance. The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, will preach and preside at Saturday’s Easter Vigil. Finally, on Easter Day, there will be services at 8am (Holy Communion from the Book of Common Prayer); Choral Eucharist at 10:30am (also live-streamed); and Choral Evensong at 3:30pm. As well as these special services to mark Holy Week and Easter, Bradford Cathedral’s regular Wednesday morning services take place at 8:15am and 10:15am, and you can join for prayer from Monday – Saturday, with online morning prayer and evening prayer at 9am and 5:30pm, and Midday Prayer at 12noon (except Good Friday). You are invited to attend any of these services. More details can be found on the Bradford Cathedral website, where you can also find videos all about Holy Week and Easter, alongside educational resources available for use by schools. The Very Revd Andy Bowerman, Dean of Bradford, says:“At this time of year Christians around the world begin to move, in Holy Week, towards remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus. “Here at the Cathedral we will do the same, starting on Palm Sunday when we remember Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem. “This is the most significant week in the Christian year, a week which goes from triumph to apparent disaster and back into triumph. “But not triumph as many would see it: the triumph of one who goes from death to life - who says to all people, at all times in history, there is always hope. “We invite you to come and discover that here at Bradford Cathedral during Holy Week this year.” For more information about Holy Week and Easter at Bradford Cathedral, including the services, events and school resources, please visit bradfordcathedral.org.uk/holy-week-easter The complete list of services and events are as follows: Sunday 13th April (Palm Sunday)8am - Holy Communion (BCP)10:30am - The Liturgy of Palm Sunday (also livestreamed)3:30pm - The Cross of Christ: A Choral Meditation for Passiontide Wednesday 16th April8:15am – Holy Communion10:15am – Holy Communion Thursday 17th April (Maundy Thursday)7pm – The Liturgy of Maundy Thursday / The Watch Friday 17th April (Good Friday)12noon - Preaching Around the Cross1:30pm - The Liturgy of Good Friday Saturday 19th April (Holy Saturday)3pm – Messy Easter7pm - The Easter Liturgy Sunday 20th April (Easter Day)8am – Holy Communion (BCP)10:30am - Easter Day Choral Eucharist (also livestreamed)3:30pm – Choral Evensong
In this edition of ‘Notes from an Organist’ we discover more about them, and what to expect from their recital, including performing for members of the Royal Family; playing the organ in Iceland; and accompanying silent movies with music.Could you introduce yourself, how you got into music / become an organist and your musical journey to where you are today?I was a chorister at Halifax Parish Church in the late 1990s/early 2000s, where I started learning the organ with the great Philip Tordoff, eventually becoming the church’s organ scholar. Following a spell as organ scholar at Leeds Parish Church in sixth form, I spent a gap year as organ scholar at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle – quite a thing for a state schoolboy from the north of England. From there, I went to London for five years of study at the Royal Academy of Music (four as an undergraduate and one as a postgraduate), alongside which I held organ scholarships at various London churches including the Royal Hospital Chelsea Chapel and Southwark Cathedral. After six years in the big smoke and with an ambition to be a Cathedral musician, I moved to St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Suffolk as Assistant Director of Music for three years, before taking up my current job as Director of Music at Derby Cathedral nearly six years ago.What can people expect from your recital at Bradford Cathedral?As a Cathedral musician, I love the cycle of the liturgical year, and I hope that from my recital, people can expect a range of music for Passiontide. Bach’s uplifting Valet will ich dir geben reflects the celebration of Christ riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, which contrasts with the chromatic and darker moods of Leighton’s Hymn Prelude on Rockingham – the tune to When I survey the wondrous cross. I’m also including Leo Sowerby’s wonderfully colourful setting of Where you there when they crucified my Lord.Why do you enjoy playing the organ?The organ was my first love in music. I love my job and the varied lifestyle it brings; directing the choirs, managing a busy and expanding department, attending meetings, teaching, building links with a number of partners, overseeing a schools’ singing programme, but it doesn’t leave much time for organ practice. As a result, it’s always nice to find time to play amongst the very busy lifestyle.Do you have a particular favourite piece out of those you are playing?It’s definitely the Bach Prelude and Fugue in E minor BWV548. I played it in my final recital as a student and I fell in love with it from the first time I heard it. It’s a late work, unlike most of Bach’s organ works, and is often nicknamed ‘the wedge’ because of the fugue subject which expands chromatically outwards.What are your hopes or plans musically for 2025?We’re just gearing up for our performance of the Bach St John Passion with the Cathedral Choir and Sinfonia Viva, the professional orchestra for the East Midlands. I’ve also got a silent film accompaniment, a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Christmas, a tour with the Cathedral Choir and lots of other exciting performances and collaborations. All that is on top of the daily round of services, which keeps me grounded!You were the youngest Director of Music in an English Cathedral. What was it like to hold the accolade?Sadly, this is an accolade which you only hold for a time, and I’ve now been superseded. It was nice to be the ‘baby’ for a little while, but we all grow older eventually. Don’t get old!You are responsible for the ‘Music in Schools programme’ in Derby. What is it like to bring music to so many young people?Our Music in Schools programme currently works with over 900 children each week in 18 schools and is growing all the time. Although I don’t deliver our sessions myself, the programme is my baby, and I manage the programme and the members of our team that deliver in schools. We are offering a first-rate musical education to children that wouldn’t otherwise have access and provide them with a pathway to Cathedral Choirs, should they wish to take it further. I love attending sessions or performances and seeing how much the children engage with what we do. My colleagues do all the hard work, and they’re amazing!You conducted the St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle choir, playing for members of the Royal Family. What was that like to be involved in?I was very young and inexperienced at the time, being only 18. The first time I conducted in a service I started beating before the organ had given the chord for the choir! Nonetheless, it was an incredible experience to work with a world-famous professional choir, and I learnt a lot from the singers about how to approach directing a performance.You’ve played across the world, including in Iceland – what was that performance like?I played in Iceland as part of the Southwark Cathedral Choir tour in 2015. Iceland is an incredible country and the highlight was playing for the Sunday morning service in the Hallgrimskirkja, the main church in Reykjavik. The service was sung jointly by their choir and the Cathedral Choir, and I accompanied some of the service and played the Bach Fugue in F BWV540 as the voluntary. It’s an incredible instrument and was a very memorable occasion.You also premiered a work composed by Anthony Gray, our previous Assistant Director of Music. What was that like to be involved in?I run a community choir in Derby called Derventio. They perform a real mix of lots of musical styles, and it allows me to ‘let my hair down’ with more light-hearted choral repertoire – we’re singing a concert of songs from the shows in a few weeks. Last year, for our 30th anniversary, we held a composition competition and Anthony’s was the winning entry. He wrote a beautifully lyrical piece, and we’re due to sing it again this summer.You’ve recently performed accompaniments to silent movies. What makes for a good accompaniment?Silent film accompaniments are generally improvised. When improvising, I find that listeners are more open minded to dissonance that in written down compositions, so you can be more edgy than normal. The main thing is to be descriptive in what you play – the music must mirror what is happening on screen, and it mustn’t just sound like pre-Evensong ‘waffle’. You need to know the movie very well so that you know what is about to happen.In March the Derby choir performed Bryan Kelly’s Jamaican Canticles at Evensong. What attracted you to that piece?Planning a Cathedral music list is an art form. Aside from the liturgical requirements, one must factor in the difficulty and musical style to ‘curate’ each service. It’s also important, if you’re to get the best out of your singers, to put down stimulating repertoire, and I regularly ask choristers whether they enjoy the music we’re singing. The Kelly came as a request from one of our older girl choristers, and I must admit that it’s not a piece that I go crazy for, but quite a few of our choristers really enjoyed it!Finally, how would you sum up your upcoming recital at Bradford Cathedral?A journey through Passiontide and Holy Week through some of my favourite seasonal music.You can join us on Wednesday 9th April at 1pm to hear Alexander’s organ recital, with an optional £4 buffet lunch beforehand at 12:30pm. You can find out more about him on his website, X account, or on Instagram.
