Each year the Church invites us to enter again the period called Lent as we individually and collectively prepare for Holy Week and Easter. Lent is that 5-week period, modelled on Jesus’ “40 days” in the wilderness. For Jesus that was a defining period in His life. It was the period when he did battle with himself, and the devil, and came out, at the end of that period with great clarity about his father’s call upon his life and his priorities of ministry. For Jesus it was a period of significant transformation and that is the invitation to us, again this year, that we might use this period to wrestle with our faith; to be challenged in our faith; to learn; to grow; to be transformed.Lent is the season in the year where it is expected that we be uncomfortable and disturbed. We have no flowers in the cathedral. We sing no alleluias. In our worship we sing the psalms and our music is often unaccompanied and “stripped back”.In practice this may mean that you will choose to read one of the Lent books available from our bookshop and come to the series of three Wednesday evening Lent courses. I know one person who has already said that they plan to attend Sunday Evensong each week in Lent as they don’t usually. I know someone else who is planning to attend Morning Prayer once a week who does not usually. These are all possibilities to additional disciplines to take on for the season.For others, Lent this year may be an opportunity to do less and be more. To spend more time in reflection and less time in busyness - to write letters? to write a prayer journal? to contemplate? to re-evaluate?Lent is an important annual gift to us which I invite to grasp with enthusiasm and commitment. Whether you choose to take on something new and extra, or choose to stop doing something or to do less, may Lent be for you a time of growth, renewal and realignment with God. God who is eternally compassionate and loving towards us and desires nothing more than we enjoy “life in all its fullness” and be agents of God’s justice and reconciliation in the world.
Irena Kosikova of Prague is the seventh organist at our spring 2020 season of Wednesday@One. We spoke to him about his upcoming organ recital to find out what we can expect from his programme as well as finding out more about his career.Could you tell us about your musical background and how you got into playing the organ?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I was born in Prague, my parents were writers (prohibited philosopher Karel Kosík and literary scientist Růžena Grebeníčková, the Herder prize laureate). I always admired the sound of the grand organ, so I began my organ studies Prof. Jan Hora, together with piano lessons given by Prof. Eliška Kleinová (sister of “Terezín Composer” Gideon Klein) and Prof. Arnoštka Grünfeldová (author of famous Böhmová-Grünfeldová-Sarauer Piano School). Later I studied organ performance with Prof. Jaroslava Potměšilová and conducting with Prof. Karel Fiala at Ježek’s Conservatory. For political reasons I was refused to further my studies. I took private composition lessons with Prof. Miroslav Raichl.</span>Finally after the Velvet Revolution I was accepted at the Janáček Academy of Music (JAMU) in Brno into the organ class of Prof. Alena Veselá and Prof. Kamila Klugarová. I graduated at the Academy of Music (HAMU) in Prague, under the guidance of Prof. Josef Popelka.Since then I give organ concerts and I compose.Why did you pick the pieces you are playing at your organ recital?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I’ll be performing Canzona in D minor (BWV 588), followed by Organ Sonata No.3 in D minor (BWV 527), Aus der Tiefe rufe ich (BWV 745) and Toccata and Fugue in D minor – Dorian (BWV 538)</span>As you already might suspect, I’m a great fun of Bach’s music. So, this recital will be featuring his music. And while on this organ tour in the UK, I was asked by some of the venues to perform my new organ piece Labyrinthe VI. pour orgue (2019).Not mentioning that this year we are commemorating the 335th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach!I’m already looking forward to play the Cathedral Organ in Bradford.You also compose music; how would you describe the pieces you compose?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">It was well describe by one of my colleagues: “It’s so compelling, dark and brooding. The solo cello part reminded me somewhat of the role of cantor in synagogue music, with its powerful, declamatory, yet persuasive, language.”</span>He was referring to cello concerto MAKANNA, that was based on the novel of Czech writer Jiří Weil (1900 – 1959), about the rise and fall of the 7th century false prophet with his face covered with the green veil and his eyes glowing as embers.It was premiered at the Convent of St Agnes of Bohemia in Prague, under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel. Later the music was featured in music documentary film MAKANNA, recently screened in Beijing (the 9the European Union Film Festival in China), in Lisbon (MUVI – International Music Film Festival in Portugal), Prague (Festival Brikcius – Chamber Music Concert Series & Daniel Pearl World Music Days), in Mexico (FIC AUTOR – Author’s International Film Festival) and in London (Waltham Forest Cello Fest – “London Borough of Culture meets Classical Music”).The best is to listen to it. For example via Spotify.You play a lot of work by Johann Sebastian Bach; what is it about him as a composer that you like?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Simply, I’m obsessed with organ work by musical genius Johann Sebastian Bach. You can always find something new in his scores. It’s like a never ending story, that has to be told again and again.</span>As an organist I specialises in the interpretation of organ works written by Johann Sebastian Bach: including performances of the complete Organ Toccatas, Voluntaries, Leipzig Chorales, The Art of Fugue, Organ Mass.Finally, what are your plans for the rest of 2020?<span style="font-size: 1rem;">There will be few more organ concerts in London in following days. Than I have to go back to France, where I need to work on two new compositions (soon to be premiered in the Czech republic, China, France and the United Kingdom) and to finalise the dramaturgy of the 5th BACH FESTIVAL GERS (June – August 2020).</span>Then more organ concerts in France (again mainly with music J. S. Bach) and editing my new recording for final release. Plus there are several other organ projects to do.For more details subscribe to my YouTube channel.Join us for our weekly Wednesday@One Organ Recitals at 1pm, with a lunch buffet available from 12:30pm. Irena Kosikova will be playing on Wednesday 26th February 2020. More information on this recital, all others and this season’s coffee concerts can be found in the programme available to buy from the recitals and concerts.
"Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life. Can any of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your span of life?"Listen back to Sunday's sermon by Dean Jerry, as well as Bishop Nick's talk and Evensong sermon, at https://bradfordcathedral.org/worship/listen-back/
