ANDREW TEAGUE - Choir Director and Cathedral Organist

Andrew is well known to Canadian audiences, especially in Ottawa, as a result of his time as Organist & Choirmaster at St Matthew's Anglican Church in Ottawa during the early nineties. On returning to the UK in 1994 to take up the post of Director of Music at St Elphin's School, he also became Organist & Choirmaster at St Peter's Church in Nottingham. In January 2003 he was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at Bradford Cathedral, and in conjunction with this he continues his work as an Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (recent tours to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan) and also as an Education Team Leader for the Royal School of Church Music. Originally trained at Oxford and Cambridge universities, he has also held organists posts in Brighton and Oxford. Since 1994 he has also been an Associate Director of the Anglican Chorale of Ottawa, a group he founded.

PAUL BOWEN -Assistant Organist

Paul Bowen is a Yorkshireman, and developed a keen interest in the organ when in his teens he was a regular attender at recitals in York Minster. During his time as an undergraduate at the University of Leeds, where he
read mathematics and operational research: he served as organ scholar at Leeds Parish Church, as well as being the Edward Boyle Organ Scholar in the University of Leeds. Paul was appointed as Assistant Organist in Bradford Cathedral in January 2004, and prior to that he served as Second Assistant Organist for three years.As part of his work with the choir, Paul has played in an ever increasing number of cathedrals in the UK, as well as accompanying the choir on its momentous tour to the eastern shores of Canada in 2005, and the funeral of Sharon Beshenivsky which was broadcast live worldwide on Sky News and BBC News 24.

Paul, together with his wife Dawn (who plays the clarinet) was delighted to give the world premiere performance of a major work for organ and clarinet entitled "Name-Play," composed by Paul Fisher in 2004, at a lunchtime recital in the cathedral in November 2005. Paul and Dawn maintain close links with this composer, who is well known to the cathedral, and are hopeful that other future projects may develop in the future.

When he is not pursuing his musical interests, Paul works in his family's firm of financial advisers, in which he is a director, and he also engages in freelance examining work. In his spare time Paul enjoys many of the good things in life, and especially travelling, cinema, football, cricket and Italian cuisine

Whilst Paul is not one of our Cathedral Organists his position as the Cathedral's 'in-house' composer and occasional recitalist qualifies him for a slot on the web site.

Paul is an ‘early-retired’ Anglican priest who sings bass in the Cathedral choir as an associate member. He is also an organist, studying with Kevin Bowyer, the internationally acclaimed concert and recording artist. Paul gives the occasional lunchtime recital at the Cathedral, last year giving a performance of the complete Widor ‘Symphonie Romane’. Paul is an increasingly recognised composer of organ, choral, vocal and instrumental music, offering his services to the Cathedral as an ‘in-house’ composer. Several of his songs have been performed at concerts here, together with his organ and clarinet music (see under ‘our Organists’ – Paul Bowen).

Paul’s organ music has been published by Editions Chantraine (‘Creator Spirit’ and ‘The Fire and the Rose’) and by animus (‘The Colours of Spirit’ and ‘Eireann’; Irish Folk Melodies). His music is also performed regularly by Kevin Bowyer, who has recorded much of it at Blackburn Cathedral (‘The Spirit Moves’: www.dinmore-records.co.uk and sounds ‘Sounds of Celebration’: Lammas Records LAMM182D- www.lammas.co.uk ). Paul’s 4-movement ‘Tintern’ Sonata, inspired by Tintern Abbey, appears on Kevin’s ‘Five English Abbeys’ CD, also available from Dinmore Records (DRD 042).

To find out more about Paul’s music, to ask about commission, and to order scores or CDs, contact him by email on paul.fisher@ukonline.co.uk. or visit his website at www.paulfishermusic.co.uk

At a Choral Evensong in November 2007 at Bradford Cathedral the Bradfored Cathedral Choir sang a Paul Fisher setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis.

Paul has also released a new CD - PLACES AND STORIES (Priory PRCD 892). This CD of Paul’s music has been recorded by Kevin Bowyer on the Priory label at the fine Father Willis organ in Glasgow University Memorial Chapel, and is available now. This recording features Dawn Bowen in ‘Name-Play’ for organ and clarinet, written for Paul and Dawn Bowen and first performed by them in Bradford Cathedral in 2005 (again, see under ‘Paul Bowen’).