“Fireworks and Fanfares” is the theme of free lunchtime recitals at Bradford Cathedral to celebrate the return of its newly restored organ.
The recitals called Wednesday@One take place every Wednesday at 1pm from October 4 to December 13 following several months of work on the organ.
This season will feature a line-up of ten organists, starting with Gordon Stewart, pictured, on Wednesday October 4, 2023, and includes a special programme of organ duets on October 18, played by Graham Thorpe and Anthony Gray, the Director of Music and Assistant Director respectively at Bradford Cathedral.
The free organ recitals begin at 1pm every Wednesday (apart from a break for half-term on October 25) and are preceded by an optional £4 buffet lunch at 12:30pm.
Graham Thorpe, Interim Director of Music at Bradford Cathedral, says:
“We are particularly excited about the return of our Wednesday@One organ recitals this term, after three months of remedial and improvement work to the organ. The recitals last 45 minutes and attract some of the best organists from around the country - and beyond - to entertain us. This term our theme is 'Fireworks and Fanfares: Celebrating the Return of the Organ'.
“The works tackled essential maintenance on the Swell and Great divisions, fixing runnings on the swell (which sound like wind whistling through wires), and re-leathering the primary bellows (the main lungs of the organ). We have also returned the specification of the Swell to something more like a William Hill organ, taking it back to its 1904 roots.
“The organ should speak better into both the Nave and Chancel, and have a better blended tone with more colour, allowing for both more interesting choral and congregational accompaniment and even more exciting recitals.
“Having tried out the newly improved Swell during the last stage of the works, I am thrilled with the improvements made and I’m really looking forward to getting to know the new sounds and colours of the Bradford Cathedral Organ,” Graham said.
For more information about the new series of ‘Wednesday@One’ organ recitals, please visit bradfordcathedral.org.uk/organ-recitals
The full programme of recitals is as follows:
4th October 4 – Gordon Stewart (Organist Emeritus, Huddersfield Town Hall)
11th October 11– Andrew Prior (London)
18th October 18– Graham Thorpe (Bradford) and Anthony Gray (Bradford) – Organ Duets
November 1 – Stefan Donner (Vienna)
November 8 – Ed Jones (Wakefield)
November 15 – Pierre Zevort (France)
November 22 – Graham Thorpe (Bradford)
November 29 – Rebekah Okpoti (Blackburn)
December 6 – Hannah Parry (London)
December 13 – George Inscoe (Croydon)