In March Bradford Cathedral is running its second annual singing day. Following the sold-out event with John Rutter in 2019 this year’s day will be led by Professor Paul Mealor. We caught up with Paul to find out more about his background, what to expect from the day and what it’s like to hold a Christmas number one.Could you give us a bit of background to yourself as a composer?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I come from one of the smallest, and most recent, cities in Wales, Saint Asaph. I started off as a chorister there aged nine, having lessons with William Mathias, the distinguished composer who was also a Professor at Bangor University. He took me on as a private student, but alongside that I also played in brass bands and school orchestras.</span>I started with the real practical side of things; starting as a chorister in a cathedral is one of the most important things for any creative artist, and I learnt lots doing that.I also had a religious experience around that same time that got me into composing. I was in Anglesey, where my grandparents had a place, and where I spend most of my summers now. I fell into a river and I was drowning, and at that point I surrendered myself to death. It was then that a huge warmth came over me and I realized there was something else in the world. Luckily I was dragged out and I sought out what that warmth was, which led me to the cathedral in Saint Asaph.When I walked in to see the Dean, at age nine, the cathedral choir were singing, and that’s what drew me to choral music.That must have been quite a turning point for you in your life?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Yes, it was, as at that point I had in my head that I was going to be a Minister but as soon as I heard the choir singing – they were singing See, See, the Word Is Incarnate by Orlando Gibbons, and What Sweeter Music by John Rutter – I realised that is what I wanted to do.</span>You held the role of Professor of Composition; What does that role entail?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I’ve just semi-retired from that, but I did it for eighteen years, and what it required was the teaching of composition to students, from undergraduate up to Masters, and to Doctor-level. I have eighteen PHD students at the moment that I’m working with. The class teaching of composition to the undergraduates covers technique and harmony, but as they got older and specialising at masters level or at PHD, it’s then helping them with their own language: how do they get their ideas down on the page, and how do I help them write their music. It becomes a kind of music therapy! The problem that most composers have is patience. We all have ideas, but how do we get them clearly down on the page? Most of my teaching is to do with the technique of getting ideas down. You can’t teach ideas; people have to have them. You can inspire them, but in the end people have to have the initial idea.</span>You can help them with the structure of those ideas, and so that’s what most of my teaching has been about. Of course, students are able to try out ideas on me and I can help them before they get anywhere near a choir or an orchestra, by showing them things that might not necessarily work.Do you find it rewarding that you’re nurturing those ideas and talent?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I really enjoy it. The thing that I’ve found over my eighteen years, and people say this a lot as teachers, is that I learn more than I teach, in a strange kind of way. By helping people with their problems you can solve problems in your work as well. It’s a two-way process, teaching, if you’re doing it right. One of the great joys for me is when I see a student who has worked hard on something and they hear the performance and it’s exactly how they imagined it. That’s a real high for me when I see that.</span>Can you give us a flavour of what is involved with the singing day?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">What I’m planning to do is offer a selection of pieces that I’ve written, some sacred, some secular, and spend some time learning about the music, the work behind it, but also having fun! Fun is very important: singing is about enjoyment. We’re finding out now in medicine that singing is one of the great medical jewels. It’s all about the technique of singing, the fun of singing, and the joy of singing!</span>It’s not going to be a stressed-out affair. It will be fun, enjoyable and a laugh, but along the way those taking part will be learning about the musical pieces.Do people who want to come along need any experience, like being able to read music?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Not really. I think there will be plenty of people coming along who can do that, but they can help the people who can’t, so if you can’t, come along anyway!</span>Next week I’m conducting the ‘Science Sings’ choir who are a group of scientists from all over Scotland that I’ve put together. They are working on ocean biodiversity, and are looking at how we can save the oceans from the terrible mess we’ve got them into. They wanted me to write a piece, so the world can see and hear what it’s all about. They have all come together, and none of them have sung before. Over the course of the weekend I’m going to teach them to sing and sing for HRH the Duchess of Cornwall on Tuesday!If they can do that with only two rehearsals, then people coming to this singing day can do anything!Are you excited about that performance?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I’m a little nervous because I’ve met all the scientists and there’s a Nobel Prize winner amongst them, so I know how intelligent they are! But none of them have sung before, so I’m nervous that the first and only gig that we have is a big one with a royal presence, so I’m hoping they can rally together in the rehearsal and we can put on a good show! But I’m sure they can. So after I’ve done that I’ll be more than ready for March.</span>Have you done singing days at cathedrals before?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I have, but they’ve all been different. I’m doing one soon in Lancaster, but they’ve chosen just one piece to sing.</span>What are you working on musically at the moment?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I’ve just finished an anthem commissioned to mark the centenary of the birth of St John Paul II, which will be part of the national Polish celebrations of his birth, and that will happen in April in Warsaw, by the John Paul II singers. It’ll all be broadcast and recorded.</span>I’m working on a piano concerto which gets premiered in July, and I need to finish that by the end of February.You also hold what a lot of people would dream of having: a Christmas Number One. Was that fun to be involved in?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">It was fantastic! The interesting thing about that was that it was all completely by accident. When Gareth Malone, who’s a good friend of mine, asked me to write that piece, none of us had an idea of that it would become the biggest selling charity record ever beating Candle in the Wind! It became number one in both the classical and pop chart.</span>It became quite a thing, and the funny thing I find now is that I go into a Christmas party and it’s on the jukebox, and so people sing it at me!You were also voted the nation’s favourite living composer in 2012. What was it like to receive that honour?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">That was another surprise, as I didn’t know that happened! Back then ‘Classic FM’ contacted me to tell me I’d won that accolade and it was great, as there are so many fine composers writing today, so it was amazing to be amongst so many of those.</span>What are your plans for 2020?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I’m doing less now at the university so I can spend more time composing and travelling, so I’ll be spending most of my time this year in America. I wrote a requiem in 2018 - The Souls of the Righteous – and there are around twenty performances of that this year, so I’m trying to attend as many of those as possible. The first Canadian performance is happening in Alberta and then I’m heading to Minneapolis, and to New York then to Connecticut. There are two CDs of mine coming out this year: Serenity and Blessing, and have been featured on ‘Classic FM’.</span>Do you find audiences in America and Canada different to a British audience?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Actually I think they’re very similar. The only real difference is the American audiences are more keen to come and speak to you, whereas the British audiences tend to want to go home and have a cup of tea! Both are fine, though, I don’t mind either.</span>I’ve had some great experiences over in the US. There was a sold-out performance of my requiem at Carnegie Hall and have had some wonderful chats with people. Because composing tends to be such a solitary thing, spending most of your time in a room writing music, it’s so lovely to meet people who might have sung a piece. That is lovely.One of the things that I’ve found most moving over the last ten years has been hearing from people who have chosen my music for when someone they know has died or is ill. I had a wonderful letter from a lady just before Christmas who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and she plays my music for comfort, which is a beautiful thing to hear, that it can bring comfort and light to someone during a dark time in their life.What do you hope people will learn from the day and take away from it?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I think that the first thing will be that they will have a good time! We’re going to enjoy ourselves, with plenty of stories about things I’ve been involved in. The second thing will be the performance. I’m going to teach them pieces that they may never have sung before and I can hopefully open their eyes to some new repertoire.</span>There will also be some old stuff which some of them might know. I think those taking part will get a lot of things out of it. The most important thing, though, will be the choir camaraderie, in that we’ll be all together as one.After the day will those taking part have a chance to follow-up what they learnt?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">It’ll be one of the things I’ll definitely be talking about. Some people who come along to these singing days may have never done anything like this, and so where do they go from there? There are plenty of choirs they can get involved with and join, including at the cathedral itself. But there will also be other singing days with other composers, who may offer different ideas on the same pieces, which I always find fascinating. There are be a whole host of things people can do to build on the day.</span>Finally, if you could sum up what people can expect from the day what would it be?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Each person will have a certain set of criteria of what they’re after. I think if you’re going there as a singer, what you’ll get out of it is the composer’s take on the music which you can’t get from anybody else. You’ll get the ideas I had about writing these pieces: how they were constructed and how, as a singer, you can change the way you sing to bring the best out of the music. For people who aren’t singers you get a chance to work with a living composer, who has actually written this music, which is actually quite special, as if you go to sing the repertoire of Bach or Mozart, of course they aren’t there! For some people they want to hear what the composer’s say, from the horse’s mouth. It’s a special thing, and gives a different slant to how the music will be sung and performed.</span>The Bradford Cathedral singing day with Professor Paul Mealor takes place on Saturday 14th March from 10am – 6pm. Tickets are just £15+bf with an optional lunch available for £3+bf. Tickets can be booked online at singing-day-paul-mealor.eventbrite.co.uk or by visiting the cathedral office.
Award-winning classical saxophonist and current Bradford Cathedral what’s-on cover star, Rob Burton won the Woodwind Category Final and was a Grand Finalist in BBC Young Musician 2018. Rob currently studies on a full scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music with Huw Wiggin and previously at the Junior Guildhall School of Music, where he was a Sax.co.uk Scholarship holder. We caught up with him ahead of his February Coffee Concert here at Bradford Cathedral as he waited for some emergency repairs to his saxophone, to talk about his musical background, what to expect from him at his concert, and what it was like to play on national television.Could you give background to you as a musician?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I got into music because my friends started recorder lessons at primary school. Even though I wasn’t signed up for these recorder lessons I thought that it sounded awesome and that I really wanted to do that as well. My parents went out and bought me a recorder and I started taking the lessons. I think because I enjoyed it so much I really got the hang of it a lot quicker than a lot of my friends. I guess I naturally progressed onto the saxophone after playing the recorder for four-or-five years.</span>The reason I chose the saxophone was because my parents absolutely adored the instrument. They actually made a CD for me of all their favourite pop saxophone solos, so it had songs on it like Baker Street and those kind of tunes. I used to listen to that when I was eight-or-nine and I fell in love with the saxophone and couldn’t wait to start playing it.Could you tell us a little about the pieces you’re going to play?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I’ll be playing a complete mixture of kind-of classical saxophone repertoire. I say kind-of classical because you shouldn’t expect pieces from composers like Mozart or Beethoven. They’ll be quite a lot of crossovers. I’ll be playing some pieces by Piazzolla which is kind-of classical music, but tango-inspired, and other work that has Spanish or jazz influences, as well as some Fauré. It’ll be a complete mixture: it’ll be a programme that showcases the saxophone in many different lights.</span>You were a grand finalist in the BBC Young Musician 2018. What was it like to get that far?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">It was absolutely amazing, and very surreal. I entered the competition thinking I’d never even get past the first round and so, as I progressed through the rounds, it got weirder every time! Ending up on television, playing in front of so many people watching at home and performing with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra was an incredible experience, but a weird one. It went so quickly; it was phenomenal.</span>Did you find it nerve-racking?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I think because the competition took place over several months, it was like a whirlwind of emotions. I had to do lots of practice and meet so many amazing people, and really pushing myself hard, I don’t think I got too nervous. I was propelled by the whole experience!</span>You did some work with the young musicians of the Jersey Symphony Orchestra last year; do you enjoy inspiring other musicians?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Yes, definitely. I’ve done a few masterclass workshops recently, and done presentations to primary schools. I even went back to my old school. Doing things like getting young people interested in music and introducing playing an instrument to them is very rewarding for me, as it feels like I’m making an impact. Also, it’s lovely to see how much they all enjoy it.</span>What’s been your favourite place to play?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">That’s a very difficult question! I do really love playing music by Piazzolla. It’s has the classical side of music that I enjoy but it’s got this freedom, from the tango influences. His writing is either beautifully lyrical, or really raw and has a typical tango ‘drive’ -which is great fun to play!</span>You also play as part of a trio and quartet; does this help keep things fresh and interesting for you?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Yes, it does. Collaborating with other musicians is probably one of my favourite things. Whether that’s with a pianist or a trio or quarter, everyone brings so many ideas to the table; it’s not just always what I’m thinking all the time. I find it extremely inspiring to be with such amazing musicians like my peers at the Royal Academy of Music. And it gives me lots of notes to learn!</span>You are also a keen pencil artist – how did that come about?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">From the down time I do get (as I have a very busy schedule of practicing and concerts) I do enjoy doing art. I take on quite a few drawing commissions, usually animals or portraits, so that gives me something to do when I’m not practicing! I absolutely love doing it, and it gives me the chance to relax a bit, and take a break from music.</span>What else do you have lined up for 2020?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I’ve got lots of concerts lined-up. I’m playing all around the UK, then in Switzerland, Italy, in the Cayman Islands, and I’ve got lots of studying planned all over Europe. My dream is to just keep doing what I’m doing, and working with lots of young musicians and getting them involved with music. And to keep enjoying it!</span>Finally, have you had a place you’ve particularly enjoyed performing?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I think performing at Buckingham Palace was one of my favourite experiences! The audience was made up of some amazing international musicians who were so great to meet.</span>Join us on Tuesday 11th February from 11am for our Coffee Concert with Rob Burton. Entry is free and refreshments are available from 10:30am.
"How comfortable are you in sharing your faith with others? And introducing them to Jesus? How comfortable are you in doing that?"Listen back to Canon Paul's sermon from this Sunday at https://bradfordcathedral.org/worship/listen-back/
Secret transactions with God in prayer have life-changing consequences. Within worship and prayer, sorrow can be turned to joy, worry to peace. Alison Thistlethwaite’s paintings aim to capture some of this process in paint. Her paintings are not just depictions, or recollections, of encounters with God through the Spirit. They are themselves painted in encounter with God, much like the prayers of any one of us, but in physical form.Alison comes from both an art and music background. Her art training specialised in colour, and her music training (for voice and music therapy) had a strong emphasis on improvisation. Sung worship is also very important to her. With abstract paintings these different streams combine. She hopes that these paintings for Lent, Easter and Pentecost will encourage personal encounters with Christ.Ali Thistlethwaite lives in Gloucestershire and this is her second exhibition at the cathedral. We spoke with Ali to find out more about her as an artist, what the exhibition means to her, and what she hopes people will discover as they explore it.How did you get into your art?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I have always been surrounded by artistic people. I began painting when I was very young, watching my grandfather illustrating children’s storybooks. Later on, I really enjoyed art at school and decided I’d like to go to art school, and I went to St. Albans to do a foundation course.</span>We had a teacher there who taught absolutely brilliantly about colour and that really inspired me with the relationships of one colour to another. I did that course just for a year before going to work in London, doing all sorts of different jobs. Whilst there I was given singing lessons by someone who was one of the top people, and I enjoyed it so much that I ended up doing a music degree at what was called Cambridge Tech in those days. When I got there, the course was brilliant, and we had a teacher doing art history there as part of our course, which was a surprise. As time went by I realised I was missing art, although I still loved music. It’s all been a combination of art and music.After a while I decided I’d do music therapy, and went to the Guildhall School of Music to get trained. Part of the training was in improvisation, which I really took to. Imagination and spontaneity became a big part of me. I had various jobs in music therapy, but then after three years I was exhausted and longing to do art again.Art began to re-establish itself at a rather special event. Whilst in London I went to the doctor for some reason and I asked him whether you can get miserable if you’re in the wrong job, and he handed me a verse of scripture from Philippians, which said:Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.It’s such a lovely verse. I went back to my digs and I picked a flower from my landlady’s garden and painted it. As I did, I had a powerful experience of God’s presence and peace with me. Fairly soon I resigned from my job and went to back to Cambridge, and painted, and painted, and painted. With a part time music therapy job I was able to do lots of watercolour, painting flowers, and landscapes in the hills around where I was living.I soon met David, now my husband, and it was so great to meet another artistic person in church, and that’s how it all began.Has being immersed in art and music helped you as a person?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">It has helped. Initially because of music. When I became a Christian in 1976 it changed my life massively. Of course, suddenly there were all these Christian worship songs that I hadn’t sung, as I’d come from a fairly anti-Christian background. These helped enormously in the way I am as a person. Probably the three things that really helped were the Bible, praise songs and then making paintings –which are worship paintings in a way, as I often sing while I’m painting. I certainly start off with a song when in the art studio anyway! All three things strongly connect with me and are special. Also I find the physical work of painting, the need to make pictorial choices, and the opportunity to rectify things that I'm not happy with, are all very good for me and restoring.</span>You did an exhibition previously with us in late 2012 – what was that about?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">That exhibition was A New Name. The title was taken from the Bible – from Isaiah – where we’re given a new name. I've learnt a lot of my identity from reading Isaiah; I’ve always loved that book so much.</span>The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of splendour in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate.I had a background that saw a lot of name-calling, and not of the helpful kind. So to be able to paint about getting a new name from God was very releasing. Incidentally, the very hospitable welcome I received from Bradford Cathedral felt like being given a new name.What’s the story behind ‘Encounters with Jesus’?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Every painting I’ve done is something to do with my walk with God. Encounters with Jesus is how I’ve encountered him, either through the Bible or in other ways, and the ways other people encounter him; alongside the stories in the Bible and how the people there have encountered him. It’s kind of personal, but it's also about how God's word speaks to us.</span>The aspect of moving forward has always been something important and so I guess walking with Jesus, and encounters with Jesus, spark my imagination of events and places as I read. I picture myself in some of the Bible stories with Jesus speaking to me.That can all go into a painting, and I start off the process, which then develops in unexpected ways.What is the exhibition made up of?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Most of the paintings are acrylic on canvas (some are oils), and as I have a large studio, some can be quite big. I paint in an 'abstract expressionist' style. This is not because I particularly like Jackson Pollock etc. It's more because this language is really good for conveying the kind of heaven-to- earth spiritual interactions that we cannot easily put into words or images. All the same, I am happy to use words, specifically in the picture labels, which my husband writes from my notes as a 'way in' to the paintings.</span>Did you find creating them a spiritual experience?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">It was. It always has been. It takes me a while to do the paintings. Some of them have actually taken years to paint. It can be a struggle to find 'what the painting is really trying to say'. I often go back to them, then at some point I will suddenly feel a sense of peace and will sense that it’s finished.</span>What do you hope people will get out of seeing your exhibition?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I hope people will be really cheered up if they need to be cheered up! Looking at paintings is such a personal thing but I hope one or two or more of the paintings will speak to them in a way that they can respond to. I’d love to hear that people have felt really encouraged and are inspired to move forward in different ways.</span>What is your process in creating these pieces?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Every morning I read the Bible, so sometimes what is coming from the Bible really impacts me, and there’s something there that resonates inside me. This makes me think ‘that’s what I want to paint about’. The subject of the painting then develops as it grows.</span>At other times I go for an early walk in the countryside. We live on a hill. The sun might be shining and certain colours will be looking stunning, and that can make me want to do a painting with those sort of colours. I will try them out and see if they are what I need. Or there may be dramatic clouds in a sunrise, giving me the desire for a big picture.The paintings usually start with rather thin layers of colour, gradually building up to thicker gestures, until each colour is seen against the one behind.Finally do you have any other projects in the pipeline?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I’ve been working towards this exhibition for quite a long time, all the way through 2019-20. I have kind of persisted with it day to day. The paintings I’m bringing up are mostly new but I am bringing a few earlier ones. I’m also in the middle of organising an exhibition at Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, which will probably be in August.</span>Ali Thistlethwaite’s exhibition Encounters with Jesus runs from Wednesday 26th February through to the 12th June at Bradford Cathedral. There will be the chance to hear from Ali and meet her at the Ash Wednesday service on Wednesday 26th February at 7pm.
