Having completed over 1,500km of travelling, Bradford Cathedral will welcome the Coat of Hopes in June, where it will be displayed for three weeks, in an exciting new collaboration with Shine, West Bowling, a mission partner of the Cathedral. The patches on the coat include the griefs, remembrances, prayers and/or hopes of a person or group, for the place where they live, in the face of climate and ecological breakdown. Starting out blank, patches were sewn into the Coat on its walk. The Coat was worn and walked from the south coast of England to COP 26 in Glasgow in 2021. This was a 9-week "pilgrimage" with the destination being the coming together of world leaders to make commitments towards a liveable future on Earth.Since then, the Coat has been travelling across Scotland and back down into England, recently completing the "leg" between Edinburgh to York. It will soon set off from the Friargate Quaker Meeting House to Bradford Cathedral, where it will be displayed in the West End tower space from Saturday 8th June to Saturday 29th June. The coat will arrive on the evening of Friday 7th June, at the start of the 'Tree of Life' concert, and will be available to view during the Cathedral’s usual opening hours of Monday - Saturday from 10am - 4pm, and around services, unless it’s on display temporarily elsewhere in the community. Alongside the Coat of Hopes, there will be information boards giving more details about the piece, as well as a chance to watch a short video about its original journey. On the 29th June, at the end of its stay, the Coat will continue its walk to Haworth Parish Church, a patronage church of the Cathedral, and all are invited to walk with the coat on this journey (18km in total). Artist Barbara Keal says:“The Coat's work through this ongoing pilgrimage is to offer everyone the invitation to stop and, in wearing it, to focus on the climate and ecological emergency, and our connection to all those others who face it with us. “The Coat of Hopes also carries forward, in its fabric, the stories of people and places encountered on its way. It will be so good to meet, walk, sing and sew with the people of West Yorkshire, and take them with us as we continue on our way - walking towards the end of this emergency. “ The Revd Canon Ned Lunn, Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts at Bradford Cathedral, says:"We are excited to be collaborating with our mission partner, Shine in West Bowling, in welcoming the Coat of Hopes to Bradford. “As we look ahead to being the City of Culture next year we are planning a whole season of events and exhibitions at the Cathedral that reflect our textile history. The Coat of Hopes is a foretaste of these as well as connecting with one of our passions at the Cathedral, care for the environment. “Come and welcome it to Bradford on 7th June and stay for a beautiful concert by renowned clarinetist, Emma Johnson and the orchestra of the environment. If you can't come then, we invite you to come and see the coat in the context of the Cathedral building and to stay for a moment of peace and reflection in the natural beauty of our site; a significant green space in our city." As well as being on display in the Cathedral, the 'Coat of Hopes' will be taken into schools and community groups in Bradford over the three weeks. If you are planning to visit to see the Coat, please check ahead with the Cathedral to confirm that it is on display. The Coat of Hopes Song The Coat is always accompanied by its song, which declares its aims, and is sung each time a new person wears the Coat. Over 900 people wore the Coat on that original journey, and at least as many again have worn it since then. ENDS The Coat of Hopes will be on display from 10am – 4pm Monday – Saturday (and around services) from Saturday 8th June to Saturday 29th June. The Coat of Hopes will arrive at the start of the ‘Tree of Life’ concert on Friday 7th June at 7:30pm – tickets are still available at https://tree-of-life-bradford.eventbrite.co.uk/ The Coat is also being displayed in local schools and elsewhere on certain days, so if you are planning to visit to see the Coat, please check ahead with the Cathedral to confirm that it is on display. For more information on the Coat of Hopes please visit https://www.coatofhopes.uk or the Bradford Cathedral website.
Keep a close eye on our social media and website as we will be posting updates throughout the tour, as well as any service livestreams as they appear. As the tour takes place over a five-day period, from Saturday 25th May – Wednesday 29th May, here is a quick run-through of daily activities and when Choral Evensongs will take place. Saturday 25th MayBefore the choir embarks on their journey, there will first be a briefing in the cathedral nave, followed by prayer and a blessing. All will then board the coach to visit the Vindolanda Roman Fort, before later making the journey to Hexham Abbey. At the Abbey, there will be a guided tour with Choral Evensong starting at 5:00pm, followed by a buffet. Sunday 26th MayThe choir are up for an early start, arriving at St Mary’s Church Lindisfarne with time for a rehearsal before the Eucharist. At midday, and after a packed lunch, there will be a Viking re-enactment and mead tasting, with non-alcoholic options for choristers. The choir will then arrive at Bamburgh for a walk to the beach (weather permitting) or a trip to the Grace Darling Museum. All will then walk to St Aidan’s for the Choral Evensong, starting at 5:15pm. Monday 27th MayMonday begins with free time to visit the playground and shops and to grab an ice cream at The Doddington Milk Bar. Around mid-day, the choir will arrive at Warkworth Castle to learn about its history and eat a picnic lunch. Following will be the short walk to St Lawrence for the 5pm Choral Evensong. Tuesday 28th MayFor the fourth day of the trip, the choir will journey to St Paul’s in North Sunderland for a concert at 11:30am. This will be followed by a packed lunch in the Church Hall before boarding the coach to Seahouses. On arrival, all will walk to Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips for the Grey Seal Cruise. After the cruise, there will be free time and a tea of fish and chips to end the day. Wednesday 29th MayOn the final day, the choir will catch the train from Heatherslaw Light Railway to Etal. All will then walk to Etal Castle to explore and sing within its grounds. Later in the day, the choir will arrive at Newcastle Cathedral for the Choral Evensong which starts at 5:30pm. After the Choral Evensong, the choir will make the journey from Newcastle back to Bradford Cathedral and should arrive around 9pm.
In this edition of 'Notes from an Organist' we discover more about them, and what to expect from their recital, including his focus on César Franck; founding a visual concert series; and how music differs in different countries.Could you introduce yourself, how you got into music / become an organist and your musical journey to where you are today?Music played a big role in my childhood, my mom raised me and my 3 siblings in Hungary, and being a great enjoyer of classical music, she started going to concerts with us very early on. One of these was an organ recital, where - as my mom recalls - I expressed my admiration for the immersive sound of the organ, and asked if I can learn to play it. I started with piano lessons at age 7, and later the organ followed, which has been my life ever since.What can people expect from your recital at Bradford Cathedral?I hope to explore the many sounds the great organ at Bradford Cathedral has to offer, and introduce the audience to some of the organ literature’s greatest works - new and old.Why do you enjoy playing the organ?There are so many wonderful aspects to playing the organ, but probably the most exciting is the constant sonic variety and possibilities. No two organs are alike, and whenever you play a different instrument, a new world opens up itself - it never gets boring whatsoever.Do you have a particular favourite piece out of those you are playing?The pieces for this program are all very dear to me, perhaps I can highlight Bach´s great Fantasia and Fugue in g-minor, the opening piece for the recital. I learnt this piece very early on in high school, and haven’t played it since - this year is the first time I put it on my program again, so it feels very nostalgic to me.This season’s theme is ‘The French Connection (Post-Revolution France)’. How are you reflecting this in your programme?The recital is very much on theme, with 3 French pieces, chronologically starting out with César Franck (1822-1890), who was instrumental in revitalizing the French organ music after the revolution. I will also be presenting a contemporary piece by the acclaimed French organist and composer Jean-Baptiste Robin (born 1976).What are your hopes or plans musically for 2024?This year I am focusing on the music of César Franck, and I hope to present more recitals in the fall with his pieces. I am also working on new concepts for my visual concert series, OrganDreams.You were raised in Hungary. How does the music there compare to Denmark and/or the UK?I have been very fortunate with my musical education in Hungary, where music education in primary school is very important and at a high level, so you get a very good start. It is also a cultural scene with a lot of history and traditions, and perhaps in Denmark I feel there is more space for experimental concepts. I however really enjoy the audience in the UK, whereI feel there is a well educated and generous audience for recitals.You received the ‘Young Cultural Elite scholarship’ from the Danish Arts Foundation – what was it like to be awarded that?This was a great blessing, and something I feel very proud about. The scholarship is awarded to only 12-15 recipients every year, across all artistic genres! It is a two-year scholarship, and because of it I have had the opportunity to further educate myself during 2022-23, and experience the organ scene in far away places such as Japan and the United States.You founded ‘OrganDreams’ – could you tell us a little about that?OrganDreams was an experimental project I started in 2021, to bring different artistic genres together, and narrate organ recitals through visual arts. This has grown into several exciting concert projects, working with ballet dancers, light designers and other artists. This year I will present another concept in the fall - with improvised dance and early abstract films. Ialso hope to bring these concerts to different venues in the future.Finally, how would you sum up your upcoming recital at Bradford Cathedral?I would say the music for the recital is very immersive and showcases both intense andplayful elements of the organ. I hope the audience will enjoy it.You can join us on Wednesday 5th June at 1pm to hear David's organ recital, with an optional £4 buffet lunch beforehand at 12:30pm.
We are open for visitors on Bank Holiday Monday from 10am - 4pm, but closed on Tuesday 28th May for maintenance.Sunday Choral Evensong will return on Sunday 9th June (Said Evening Prayer will take place at 3:30pm instead on the 26th May and 2nd June)Weekday Choral Evensong will return on Monday 10th June.Thursday Compline will return on Thursday 13th June.
