Music and Choir

During the dark days of the winter lockdown in 2021, Bradford Cathedral Choir maintained a thriving educational programme. Having planned a full term of in-person activity, in the space of forty-eight hours we created an online tuition programme for our choristers, centred around training for the RSCM (Royal School of Church Music) Bronze Award. In March 2021, we were able to invite the children in for mock exams and an outdoor party. This kept the choristers engaged during a period when they were not able to go to school.

In addition to maintaining online provision for the children, a quartet of professional adult singers livestreamed our weekly Sunday Eucharist service. This enabled us to maintain a high quality of musical output for members of our congregation stuck at home. We were touched by the messages we received from members of the cathedral community about how uplifting and meaningful they found this at a very difficult and isolating time. Occasionally we also offered livestreamed evening services on a Sunday, including a service for Candlemas and a service for International Women’s Day, which received much interest on social media.

After Easter we were able to start in-person rehearsals and services with the choristers again. This was wonderful both for the children and for us. By the end of term, the choristers were singing very well, despite the challenges of two-metre physical distancing. Particular highlights of the summer term included a chorister hike and orienteering challenge, and the farewell evensong to our former Dean, the Very Revd Jerry Lepine.

In the autumn term we were able to restart choir in earnest. The biggest challenge has been for the children to re-establish friendships and learn to be a tight-knit team again. We also brought back music theory tuition, and children will shortly be sitting their first exams for two years. A particular joy in the autumn term was the flourishing of our voluntary choir, the Cathedral Consort. We now have a number former trebles singing in the Consort as ‘junior choral scholars’ and we have appointed two ‘junior organ scholars’.

The choir started singing in the diocese again, holding ‘Safari Evensongs’ at St Peter’s Rawdon and the Parish of Wortley and Farnley. We also sang evensong at Selby Abbey. In December 2021, the choir sang its first BBC broadcast – for BBC Radio Leeds – in over five years. The annual Festival of Remembrance and Nine Lessons and Carols were broadcast by Premier Christian Radio.

I am so grateful to our music department colleagues, lay clerks, choristers and families for their support and commitment throughout the past two years. Thank you also to members of the cathedral congregation and community for your encouragement to keep going during such a difficult period.