In this edition of ‘Notes from an Organist’ we discover more about them, and what to expect from their recital, including spending thirty-two years in Cathedral music; his fascinated with the music of Jehan Alain; and, away from the organ, his love of eventing!

Could you introduce yourself, how you got into music / become an organist and your musical journey to where you are today?
I first sat on an organ bench in my village church in Suffolk, then St Edmundsbury Cathedral at an RCO event in 1990, but it was as a chorister at Southwell Minster that my interest in the organ was really fired up and I’ve spent most of the following 32 years in cathedral music, taking a break in 2023 after 11 years in charge at Chelmsford Cathedral. My current portfolio career in Suffolk and Essex is quite varied with most of my organ time at the Royal Hospital School and the magnificent Grand Organ in Chapel with its 7-second acoustic.

What can people expect from your recital at Bradford Cathedral?
I hope that people will enjoy hearing a varied programme exploring the colours the organ has to offer; the pieces themselves are quite contrasted with familiar and unfamiliar composers and repertoire. I hope that everyone will find something to enjoy and especially if they discover something new that spurs them on to further listening.

Why do you enjoy playing the organ?
I love the repertoire, the variety of thought that goes into composition for an instrument with an unequalled opportunity for colour and variety of sound, and I enjoy the interaction between the instrument and the space in which it’s set.

Do you have a particular favourite piece out of those you are playing?
Yes – I’m fascinated by the music of Jehan Alain – in particular his unique approach to colour and sonority – and his short Cistercian chorale for an Elevation has a timeless quality that really speaks to me.

What are your hopes or plans musically for 2025?
I am enjoying working with the Britten Pears Chamber Choir on some very new music by Helen Grime and Daniel Kidane at the Aldeburgh Festival – working with living composers is so special as there’s so much to learn from them; I’m working with a choir and orchestra I’ve known all my life on a forthcoming concert of Poulenc & Rutter at RHS and featuring the chapel choir, so it draws together several strands from my work which is very special. I’m hoping to find some time to write a number of compositions I have in my mind, and intend to prepare other scores for publication.

You are the musical director of the Chelmsford Singers. Could you tell us a little about them?
The Chelmsford Singers are long-established concert choir connected for many years to Chelmsford Cathedral; they have a busy programme, play an active role in local and civic events, and each season’s repertoire includes a wide range of music, engaging with local schools, young soloists, varied composers and styles. It’s the longest regular journey in my weekly schedule but so worth it for working with this really committed group who I’ve been with since 2012 and we’re happily working together for the foreseeable future.

You’re a published composer. Could you tell us about some of the pieces you’ve written and what for you makes a good composition?
In amongst a great deal of sacred choral music (including three masses, settings of the evening canticles, anthems and a lot of descants), there are songs, secular choral arrangements; I had a lot of fun writing piano cues for a production of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia with Chelmsford Theatre Workshop – a piano duet (for one person!), a bad-tempered practice which we can all relate to, and ending with a waltz based on a Oasis song to close the play. My most recent choral work was an arrangement of a Swedish hymn that’s well known in the USA – I’ve arranged it with Swedish and English texts, and I think it’s quite an interesting take on a great tune, with an improvisatory opening imitating kulning (Nordic herding calls).

For me a good composition has something to say and will offer an appropriate level of challenge for its performers and audience alike; it’s always good to hear each performer having something worthwhile to sing or play, and it’s vital that the composer or arranger understands vocal/instrumental limits and possibilities in equal measure. I enjoy exploring music from the inside out, seeing what the composer has to say and how that might shape a performance; a good composition is one that you’ll want to return to..

Away from music you are both compete and referee in equestrian events. What do you most enjoy about the sport?
Eventing is the most fantastic sport; it’s a sort of equine triathlon with dressage, show jumping and cross-country. Starting to compete after Covid it became quite hard to get to Events because they often fall on Sundays, but judging at higher classes gives you a close-up view of the top riders and it becomes a learning experience as well as good fun and the opportunity to help the sport to continue. It’s a brilliant sport with an immensely supportive community from the top to the grassroots and I love it.

You can join us on Wednesday 12th March at 1pm to hear James’ 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.