The popular weekly free ‘Wednesday@One’ organ recitals will return to Bradford Cathedral after the summer break, following several months of work on the organ.

This season will feature a line-up of ten organists, starting with Gordon Stewart, on Wednesday 4th October 2023, and includes a special programme of organ duets on the 18th October, played by Graham Thorpe and Anthony Gray, the Director of Music and Assistant Director respectively at Bradford Cathedral.

The organ recitals begin at 1pm every Wednesday (apart from a break for half-term on the 25th October) and are preceded by an optional £4 buffet lunch at 12:30pm.

The organ recitals are free to attend, though donations are welcome. The recitals last around 45 minutes and those attending are also welcome to explore the Cathedral before and after the recital.

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 3 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.

“As always, the audience is invited from 12:30 for our excellent buffet lunch, a bargain at only £4. Please join us and spread the word.”

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 – Gordon Stewart (Organist Emeritus, Huddersfield Town Hall)
11th October – Andrew Prior (London)
18th October – Graham Thorpe (Bradford) and Anthony Gray (Bradford) – Organ Duets

1st November – Stefan Donner (Vienna)
8th November – Ed Jones (Wakefield)
15th November – Pierre Zevort (France)
22nd November – Graham Thorpe (Bradford)
29th November – Rebekah Okpoti (Blackburn)
6th December – Hannah Parry (London)
13th December – George Inscoe (Croydon)