On the weekend of the 15th and 16th April, Bradford Cathedral will welcome the second of their visiting choirs for 2023. They will be singing at Evensong on the Saturday and Sunday evenings, and at the 10:30am Eucharist on the Sunday.
The Harsnett Choir is named after Samuel Harsnett, the son of a Colchester baker. He was born in 1561, and between 1597 and 1605 was Vicar of Chigwell Parish Church in Essex.
Harsnett was formed in 1984 from a nucleus of members of Chigwell Parish Church Choir, plus friends, when the choir there was disbanded.
Visiting Secretary of the Harsnett Choir Deborah Bunn says; “Since then, of course, the membership has changed considerably and is now drawn from all over the country: from Bristol to East Anglia, and from the south coast to the Isle of Harris! Our members represent many Christian denominations and those with no Christian faith, but who all love singing liturgical music to a high standard in some of the most beautiful settings in the country under the expert direction of our Director of Music, Ed Sutton.
“Our close friend, Graham Thorpe, Sub-organist at Bradford Cathedral supports us most frequently at the organ.
“We generally sing at four or five cathedrals each year for weekends when their own choirs are on holiday plus a week’s residency in the summer, for example, Hereford Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral and last summer we were at Chester Cathedral. Recent weekend visits included Winchester Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral for the Queen’s Jubilee.
“The glory of singing in all these beautiful buildings – all so different – with such great acoustics, and we receive such warm welcomes. It’s also lovely to link up with friends from all over the country a few times each year, to see them and to enjoy the musical experience together.”
The Harsnett Choir will be leading the music at an Evensong at 5:30pm on Saturday 15th April, and at 3:30pm on the following day, as well as the 10:30am Eucharist on the Sunday morning.
