Sacred music program on BBC Four

BBC TV is running an excellent new series called 'Sacred Music' on BBC Four. It's not often that we see whole TV programs devoted to such topics, so this is definately worth a watch!

The program airs on Friday nights, 8pm on BBC Four.

Last week's program focussed on the 'Gothic revolution' - charting the story of the early development of Christian church music from the haunting simplicity of plain song to the full glory of gothic polyphony.

Tonight's program is intruigingly entitled 'Palestrina and the Popes' - sounds very relevant to Catholic Music!

If you miss the program, catch it agin on BBC IPlayer.

Songs of Praise from Leeds

This Sunday sees the second 'Songs of Praise' program to be broadcast this year on BBC 1 TV from Leeds Cathedral.

The theme of the program is Confession, and features music from the Cathedral Boys, Girls and Adult Choirs as well as a large congregation drawn from across West Yorkshire. Hymns include favorite such as 'Praise my Soul the King of Heaven' and 'Just as I am, without one plea.'

The Cathedral Boys' and Adult choir sing a beautiful setting of Psalm 51 by Spanish composer Pedro de Christo: 'Miserere Mei Domine'

BBC 1 TV - Sunday 30th March 2008, 5-5.35pm.

Don't miss it!

Lunchtime Recital at Leeds Cathedral

Tom Leech
Ripon Cathedral
Thursday 6 March 2008 1.10pm


A selection of movements from Klavierübung III J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

Praeludium pro Organo pleno BWV 552, i

Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit alio modo, manualiter, BWV 672
Christe, aller Welt Trost BWV 673
Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist BWV 674

Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr a 3, Canto fermo in Alto, BWV 675
Fughetta super Allein Gott manualiter, BWV 677

Vater unser im Himmelreich a 2 Clav. et Pedal e Canto fermo in Canone, BWV 682

Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam a 2 Clav. e Canto fermo in Pedale, BWV 684

Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir a 6 BWV 686

Duetto II BWV 803

Fuga a 5 con pedale pro Organo pleno BWV 552, ii


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 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 Music Festival and the Ripon International Festival (with trumpeter Alison Balsom) and last October he was Festival Organist for the Yorkshire Three Choirs’ Festival. Concerts in 2008 include solo recitals in Coventry and St. David’s Cathedrals, The Temple Church and Westminster Abbey. 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. He became Musical Director of Bradford Festival Choral Society in January of this year, and is honoured to be President-Elect of Leeds Organists’ Association.