Bradford Cathedral

In this edition of ‘Notes from an Organist’ we discover more about them, and what to expect from their recital, including what he most loves about playing the organ; his love of running; and whether he would ever swap the organ console for a pair of football boots!

Could you introduce yourself, how you got into music / become an organist and your musical journey to where you are today? I have wanted to be a musician (organist/ conductor speciﬁcally) for as long as I can remember. My father used to be the organist at Banbury Parish Church and I used to go along to Sunday services with him and sit on the organ bench as a very keen 2 year old!

What can people expect from your recital at Bradford Cathedral? I have tried to programme a varied selection of seasonal music, with something for everyone! You can be sure that I’ll do my best to use every stop on the organ!

Why do you enjoy playing the organ? I love that no two instruments are the same. You can have two stops on two diﬀerent organs that are called the same, but they sound completely diﬀerent! It is also a great pleasure to get to be ‘let loose’ on these instruments in such beautiful buildings!

Do you have a particular favourite piece out of those you are playing? That’s a tricky one! I try to only programme music that I love playing, but if I had to choose one, I would have to say the Bruhns. I ﬁnd his music fascinating and feel that I can really resonate with it. I love the variety of sounds and textures that can be explored – it’s a great piece for showing oﬀ all of the organs’ colours.

This recital season we are celebrating ‘Fanfares and Fireworks – Celebrating the Return of the Organ’. How are you weaving that theme into your recital? As mentioned, I have chosen a varied programme that, I hope, allows me to ‘show oﬀ’ the organ in al it’s glory! You will hear the whole dynamic range in my recital, from the very quieter sounds, all the way to the full organ!

Are you looking forward to playing / hearing our refurbished organ? I certainly am! I have heard much about it from your Graham Thorpe and am very much looking forward to hearing and playing it!

You ran a half marathon back in October. Did you enjoy it? I did! So much so, that I am running another one in January and travelling to Sweden in May to run the Gothenburg Half Marathon!

You have played recitals all over the world. Have any particular places stood out to you as ones you’ve enjoyed visiting / playing? I have been very fortunate to perform in several countries and I have enjoyed them all immensely. However, it is always wonderful to perform in the USA. The audiences there are often large and very appreciative! I’m very much looking forward to traveling to New York City in April to perform some concerts there, including at St Thomas’ Church Fifth Avenue.

At Norwich Cathedral you oversaw media and digital worship – how did you ﬁnd that? I very much enjoyed it. I have always been interested in Music Technology, having studied it at A-Level, so it is somewhat of a hobby of mine.

Back in 2005 you were a soloist in the Young Voices Tour of the UK – what was that like to be involved in? This was an incredible experience for a 10 year old boy! I travelled the length and breadth of the British isles (chauﬀeured by my mother!) and got to perform in the countries’ biggest arenas and concert halls alongside some of the biggest names in pop music!

Away from music, you’re a keen footballer. Were you ever tempted to swap the organ for football boots? Tempted yes, but music has always occupied the no.1 spot! I much prefer having my twice weekly 5-a-side football sessions with friends!

Finally, how would you sum up your upcoming recital at Bradford Cathedral? In short, fun and festive!

You can join us on Wednesday 13th December 2023 at 1pm to hear George’s organ recital, with an optional £4 buffet lunch beforehand at 12:30pm.

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