Andrew Bryden was appointed Organist and Director of Music of Ripon Cathedral in November 2003 having previously been Assistant Organist and Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral Choir School since 1998. He studied music at Aberdeen University as an Organ Scholar, specialising in performance and editorial techniques and following cathedral and church appointments in Aberdeen and Sheffield was appointed Organ Scholar of Canterbury Cathedral in 1994. He combined this with the post of Organist and Head of Academic Music at St. Edmund's School, Canterbury.
As an accompanist and recitalist Andrew has played at many of the major venues in the United Kingdom, and has undertaken tours to Holland, Germany, Austria and North America. He has broadcast on both BBC and independent radio and television and has made a number of CD recordings on various labels.
As Director of Music, his work with the Choirs of Ripon Cathedral has received widespread acclaim, and has included two CD recordings which have been highly recommended by critics.
Thomas Leech became Assistant Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral in September 2004 following three years as Organ Scholar at Norwich Cathedral. He graduated from Downing College, Cambridge, in July 2001, after spending three years there as Organ Scholar. Whilst reading for a music degree at the university he conducted Downing College Chapel Choir and Darwin College Choir, also conducting a number of major orchestral works. With Downing College Chapel Choir he toured to Belgium, Holland, Hungary, Poland and the U.S.A. and with Norwich Cathedral Choirs to Italy, Norway and Belgium. He has also given concerts in France and Portugal.
In addition to playing for the daily choral services at Ripon Cathedral he has performed as a soloist in numerous English venues, his playing has been broadcast on BBC1, Radio 3 and Classic FM and recorded on critically acclaimed discs with Norwich Cathedral Girls’ Choir on Lammas Records and Ripon Cathedral Choirs on Regent Records and York Ambisonic. Festival engagements have included the Cambridge Summer Festival, and Ripon International Festival with trumpeter Alison Balsom. He has recently been appointed Musical Director of Bradford Festival Choral Society.
He studied organ with David Sanger and in November 2002 studied in Germany with Johannes Geffert and at Klais Orgelbau with the inaugural Klais Organ Scholarship from the Eric Thompson Trust. He has participated in masterclasses and academies with many of today’s leading organists. Thomas is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, winning the Durrant and Turpin prizes in the Fellowship examinations.
Thomas' forthcoming recitals can be viewed here.
The Music Department | Staff | Choirs | Organ | Concerts & Recitals | Music List |
Visiting Choirs | Joining the Choirs | Contacts
