Worcester Cathedral Music

01/06/2026

We are delighted that bass Jonathan Heron will be giving this week's Lunchtime Recital on Thursday 4th June at 12.15pm.

All are welcome to attend this concert, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

As Principal Bass Lay Clerk here at Worcester Cathedral, Jonathan contributes to the daily cycle of worship, regular concerts, and the world-renowned Three Choirs Festival.

Jonathan studied at the Purcell School for Young Musicians and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he first discovered his love for cathedral music at St Philip’s Cathedral.

Following his graduation, he spent a year as the Bass Choral Scholar at Canterbury Cathedral before becoming Bass Lay Clerk at Rochester Cathedral, moving to Worcester in 2025.

Known for his eclectic collection of musical vocations, he enjoys composing and recording music, playing the trumpet and piano, and singing as a soloist.

Beyond performing and writing, Jonathan takes great joy in his peripatetic teaching. He currently tutors at the Elgar School of Music, where he specialises in developing musical identity and aural awareness. Jonathan’s years of experience in cathedral singing have helped him find stylistic sensitivity and individuality; these make up the foundation of his teaching philosophy.

When not performing or teaching, Jonathan also enjoys indoor bouldering.

Programme:

Lord God of Abraham (from Elijah) - Felix Mendelssohn
Say to them of a fearful heart (from The Wilderness) - S.S. Wesley

Bible Songs:
A Song of Hope (No. 3) - Charles Villers Stanford
A Song of Battle (No. 5) - Charles Villers Stanford
A Song of Wisdom (No. 6) - Charles Villers Stanford

The Infinite Shining Heavens - Ralph Vaughan Williams
Easter (from Five Mystical Songs) - Ralph Vaughan Williams

Tears (from Five Elizabethan Songs) - Ivor Gurney
Severn Meadows – Ivor Gurney

King David - Herbert Howells

19/05/2026

We are delighted to welcome Jake Scicinski to give this week's Lunchtime Recital at 12.15pm on Thursday 21st May.

All are welcome to attend this concert, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

Jake grew up in West London and studied organ at the Royal College of Music under Charlie Andrews and Martin Ford. During his time at the RCM he has had the opportunity to play some of Europe’s most famous organs, most notably in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig and St Bavo’s Church in Haarlem. In 2025, he was awarded the Harold Darke Prize by the RCM for top undergraduate performance. He is also an Associate of the Royal College of Organists.

Jake is currently the Assistant Organist at Brentwood Cathedral and has previously held scholarships at St John’s Notting Hill and Farm Street Jesuit Church. He also maintains a busy freelance career, playing for services and concerts around London, most notably at St John’s Smith Square alongside the West London Sinfonia. Solo recitals include those at Holy Trinity Sloane Square, St Mary Redcliffe and Southwark Cathedral. In February 2025 Jake founded the Ordinariate choir, which sings monthly evensong at the Church of the Most Precious Blood, London Bridge.

Programme:

Prelude in Eb (BWV 552) – J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750)

Mein Jesu, der du mich (op.122) – Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)

Organ Sonata no. 5 (op.65) – Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
I. Andante
II. Andante con Moto
III. Allegro

Rhapsody in E (op. 4) – Harold Darke (1888 – 1976)

Fugue in Eb ‘St Anne’ (BWV 552) – J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750)

13/05/2026

We are delighted to welcome pianist Brandon Roku Ali to give this week's Lunchtime Recital at 12.15pm on Thursday 14th May.

All are welcome to attend this concert, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

Brandon Roku Ali is an African-born classical pianist residing in the UK. He studied piano with Sheila Warbis in Poole, which helped him develop an appreciation for classical and romantic composers. He is a touring pianist known to bring original compositions on stage, written to fill the gap between classical and contemporary music.

He is a first prize winner at the Bournemouth Music Festivals Competitions and Pianist of the Year (2023). An occasional radio guest, having appeared on Hope FM to present a selection from his album ‘Kaiser & I’ to listeners nationwide. And he is a creative concert curator with an interest in partnerships with local businesses and artists to curate unique experiences that are rich in culture.

Programme:

Kaiser & I (2024) - Brandon Roku Ali
Yearning
Walking on Water
Autumn
Fairytale
Under the Moon
Goodnight Mr Sloth
Snow
Kaiser and I (Pt.1 & 2 played jointly)
Sunrise on the Ocean

K.545 (Sonata Facile) - W. A. Mozart
Allegro
Andante
Rondo Allegretto

06/05/2026

We are delighted to welcome Allan Walker to give this week's Lunchtime Organ Recital at 12.15pm on Thursday 7th May.

All are welcome to attend this concert, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

Allan Walker was Head Chorister at St John’s College, Cambridge, under Dr George Guest, and later won a music scholarship to Harrow School before returning to St John’s, Cambridge in 1993 as Organ Scholar.

He studied the organ with Andrew Nethsingha, Christopher Robinson and David Sanger and as Organ Scholar toured Australia, South Africa, North America and Europe, as well as performing in broadcasts and recordings for the BBC and foreign broadcasters.

Programme:

Symphony no. 4 (op. 32) - Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
i. Prélude
ii. Allegro
iii. Menuet
iv. Romance
v. Final

Rhapsody no. 3 in C-sharp minor (op. 17 no. 3) - Herbert Howells (1892-1983)

27/04/2026

In the place of the advertised performer, this week's Lunchtime Organ Recital will be given by our Assistant Director of Music, Nicholas Freestone at 12.15pm on Thursday 30th April.

All are welcome to attend this free concert, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

Nicholas Freestone is Assistant Director of Music of Worcester Cathedral, where he is the principal accompanist of the Cathedral Choir and directs the cathedral’s Voluntary and Youth Choirs. In September 2026, he will be taking up the post of Director of Music at Westminster Cathedral Choir School. Whilst in Worcester, Nicholas has been Accompanist to Worcester Festival Choral Society, and Organist of the 2021 and 2024 Three Choirs Festivals.

As a solo recitalist, Nicholas has performed at venues including St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral and the St Albans International Organ Festival. As accompanist, he has collaborated with both the National Youth Choir and the Rodolfus Choir, and worked as organist and organ tutor on courses run by the Rodolfus Foundation and the Royal School of Church Music.

Nicholas has performed as organist, pianist and continuo player with ensembles including the BBC Singers, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of London Sinfonia. He has broadcast on BBC Television and Radio both as organist and conductor, and accompanied the Choir of Worcester College, Oxford on two recordings that were awarded the accolade of BBC Music Magazine ‘Christmas Choice’.

Programme:

Sonata no. 3 in A (op. 65 no. 3) - Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

i. Con moto maestoso
ii. Andante tranquillo

Miroir - Ad Wammes (b. 1953)

Sonata no. 1 in D minor (op. 42) - Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)

i. Introduction (Largo e maestoso) et Allegro
ii. Pastorale: Andante quasi Allegretto
iii. Final: Allegro assai

21/04/2026

We are delighted to welcome Mark Brafield to give the first Lunchtime Recital of the Summer Series, at 12.15pm on Thursday 23rd April.

All are welcome to attend this free recital, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

Mark Brafield has studied the organ with Robert Munns, Stephen Farr, David Sanger and Dame Gillian Weir. He held an Organ Scholarship with a Scholarship in English Literature at Trinity College, Oxford, and is a Fellow and former Chairman of the Royal College of Organists.

Mark combines a legal profession with a career as a concert organist. He has performed widely at leading venues in this country and overseas including King’s College Cambridge; St Paul’s Cathedral; Westminster Abbey; St Thomas’s, Fifth Avenue, New York; and Notre Dame de Paris.

Programme:

Fiat Lux - Théodore Dubois (1837 – 1924)

Introduction et Variations sur le nom de Cavaillé-Coll - Jean-Pierre Griveau (b.1968)

Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C (BWV 564) - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)

Sarabande (from Pour le Piano) - Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918) (transcribed Alex Cellier)

Improvisation sur le Te Deum - Charles Tournermire (1870 – 1939)
(transcribed Maurice Duruflé / Rupert Gough)

20/04/2026

🎵LUNCHTIME RECITALS🎵

We are delighted to announce the line-up of performers for the Summer Series of Lunchtime Recitals.

These free concerts take place at 12.15pm on Thursdays, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

The series begins on Thursday 23rd April, with an organ recital by Mark Brafield. We look forward to seeing you there!

25/03/2026

It is not too late to sign up to our first ever Youth Choral Course! 🎵

Held on Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd April, participants will learn a variety of choral repertoire under the direction of Quentin Thomas (Director of Music, King's School Gloucester) and perform in Worcester Cathedral at the conclusion of the course.

There is no charge to attend the course, and we are particularly looking to find altos, tenors and basses to participate!

Sign up via the Cathedral website: https://www.worcestercathedral.org.uk/whats-on/youth-choral-course

Quentin Thomas started his career as a Chorister at Westminster Abbey and is a highly experienced and engaging choral director who has worked with a diverse array of Choral Societies, Youth Choirs and School Choirs across sacred and secular repertoire, through all eras.

As a composer, amidst an array of diverse works written for the church, concert platform, and short film scores, he relishes composing for the voice and has created song cycles, operas and choral works for leading soloists, ensembles and youth choirs across Europe, including an opera that opened a season at the Dusseldorf Deutsche Oper am Rhein.

As an educator, Quentin taught at the music specialist Yehudi Menuhin School, and has been Director of Music at Haileybury (where he took the Chamber Choir to the finals of the BBC Choir of the Year three times), at Oundle School, and presently The King's School, Gloucester.

Worcester Cathedral is delighted to announce its first ever Youth Choral Course, which will be taking place in early April.  The course is open to singers aged 14-21, who will work with experienced choral director Quentin Thomas (Director of Music, King’s School, Gloucester) on a varied and excit...

23/03/2026

We are delighted to welcome harpist Fiona Hosford to give the final Lunchtime Recital of our Spring Series, at 12.15pm on Thursday 26th March.

All are welcome to attend this free concert, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

By the time she was 15, Fiona had gained Grade 8 Harp and although she also studied the piano, violin, as well as singing, it was her love of the Harp which encouraged her to continue solely with private Harp tuition after this period.

As well as obtaining a BA(Hons) in Textile Design from Brunel University, she also has an LRSM in Harp Performance and has gained extensive experience performing throughout the UK and abroad for over 15 years, procuring her own contracts, which have included residencies in the UK and abroad for a wide variety of venues and clientele.

Well known for having a strong sense of humour and a personality to match, Fiona enjoys incorporating these aspects into her repertoire, which ranges from Harp pieces, Spanish, Classical and Jazz, through to more contemporary tunes. Her musicality is shown through her interpretation of the pieces that she plays.

Enjoying new projects, as well as her solo work, Fiona also enjoys collaborating alongside musicians and she performs regularly throughout the UK - recently relocating herself and her harps from East Sussex to Worcestershire.

Programme:

Sospiri – Elgar arr. Hosford

For Mr Arc Thornborough – Thomas Tomkins arr. Hosford

No.4 Prelude BWV 853 – JS Bach arr. Renie

Gymnopedie No.1 – Erik Satie arr. Hosford

Granada – Albeniz arr. Zabaleta

Berceuse Arabe Op.166 – Cecile Chaminade arr. Hosford

First Step (Interstellar) – Hans Zimmer arr. Hosford

Sweet Blues – Andres

Summertime – Gershwin arr. Hosford

Libertango – Piazzolla arr. Afanasieva

16/03/2026

We are delighted to welcome Peter King to give this week's Lunchtime Organ Recital at 12.15pm on Thursday 19th March.

All are welcome to attend this free concert, with donations welcomed at a retiring collection.

Organist Emeritus of Bath Abbey, Peter was Director of Music at the Abbey from 1986-2016. Under his direction the Abbey Choir visited France, Germany and Holland, and released eight CDs. In 1997 Peter started a Girls’ Choir at Bath Abbey; it quickly established itself as one of the finest in the country.

Together with Nicolas Kynaston, Peter was responsible for the design and installation of the Abbey’s Klais Organ. His DVD and twelve CDs on the new instrument have been highly acclaimed by the critics.

A CD of works for Organ & Orchestra with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, including the Poulenc Concerto and the Respighi Suite has been particularly singled out for praise, being the recommended recording of the Poulenc Concerto in “Building a Library” on BBC Radio 3’s CD Review (Dec 2015); also “Editor’s Choice” in both BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone which describes the CD as “a disc of real distinction... leaves the competition standing... even reluctant converts are likely to be overwhelmed by this thrilling disc. The sound of the Bath Abbey Klais organ matches the life-affirming playing of Peter King. The whole recording is filled with a love of making music."

Programme:

Canonic Study in C, Opus 56, i - Robert Schumann

Variations “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen” - Franz Liszt

Chorale Preludes, opus 122, x, ii - Johannes Brahms
“Herzlich thut mich verlangen” (2nd setting)
“Herz liebster Jesu”

Ricercare à 6 (from the Musical Offering) - J. S. Bach